Jules

Chapter 1 Kaylee pulled her phone out of her purse as she stepped off the bus and clicked the camera. She studied her face in the screen, wiped a smudge of lipstick away from the corner of her mouth with one finger, and clicked the screen off again. She dusted the front of her pants, straightened her blouse, and walked the quarter block from the bus stop to the nondescript red brick building with the white and black sign above the door. “Print Shop Pros” the sign proclaimed in a catchy font. She took a deep breath and went in. There were two desks in the lobby area. Behind one sat a middle-aged woman with a phone to her ear. She was typing and nodding while saying “yes, uh-huh” into the phone. At the other desk, a young man in a dress shirt and sweater vest sat typing, sleeves rolled to his elbows. Not wanting to interrupt a phone call, she approached the second desk. He looked up and gave her a radiant smile. “Good morning! What can I do for you today?” She couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m Kaylee. I’m supposed to meet Mr. Ganes this morning to discuss an intern position.” “You’re the college kid?” “That’s me.” He stood and extended a hand. “Great to have you!” When he let go of her hand he turned and crossed to a door tucked in the corner. He rapped twice. “Freddie. The kid is here.” Freddie Ganes came out of his office smiling. “Thanks Mark.” He strode around the desk to shake her hand. “Kylee was it?” “Kaylee.” He had a firm handshake, but unlike Mark who had been quick and professional, Freddie held her hand a little longer than necessary. Her smile faltered slightly as she slipped her hand free. “You’re older than I thought you would be.” He looked her over. She knew what he was seeing—a twenty-something-year-old black girl in slacks and a blouse with a messy bun and an imitation leather purse. She hid her past well, but she didn’t look like a wide-eyed hopeful college kid. “Started college late,” she said. “But I know my stuff.” His eyes returned to her face and he was all business. “Yes, I saw your portfolio. It was very impressive. We’re a small firm and normally we don’t take on interns, but I had someone go on medical leave and we could use the help.” He gestured and then led the way down the hallway. “We have four full time designers and two guys who run the printers. I understand you want to see all the technical stuff too?” “If it’s no trouble.” “We’ll get you in there on a slow day. For now, I’ll just show you around.” He led her to the back of the shop. “You know, it’s not just your age. You really weren’t what I was expecting.” He was watching her out of the corner of his eye, and it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. She knew what was coming next—the cheesy pickup line. Or worse, the creepy compliment. Still, he was going to be her boss for the next few months and what he wrote about her in his reports would reflect on her grades. She had to pass this course, had to get her degree, or the only future she could hope for was pumping gas or flipping burgers. This was her ticket out, and he could take it, rip it to shreds, and leave her on the wrong side of the gate. She wasn’t going to sleep with him. He wasn’t her type, and she was above that sort of thing. But letting him flirt was harmless. She forced a smile. “What were you expecting?” “Someone too young for me.” “Hey, Freddie, this is the last toner,” said a young man as he came into the printer room. Unlike Mark, Freddie, and the woman at the front desk who were all dressed in casual professional wear, this man was dressed in smudged jeans and a plain t-shirt. Kaylee didn’t care what he looked like. Right now he was her savior. “I already placed the order for the refills. I’ll call them today and make sure it’s shipped.” “Thanks.” “Thanks, Andy,” Freddie said. “He and Sam work back here.” He took a moment to show her all the equipment and where the supplies were stored. “Any questions?” “Not right now.” “Then let’s introduce you to your mentor, Julius. He prefers Jules. You’re going to help him with his current projects, and then he’ll supervise you as you tackle a few solo projects. He’s the one who will do the final quality checks on your work and make any corrections or changes before handing the product over to the clients. I also need to set you up with a password and username for the office computer network.” He stopped outside an office door. “Here we are.” The door swung open to reveal a large man seated behind a desk. He had his feet up and his eyes closed. Kaylee was certain he was snoring softly. She stopped in the doorway and Freddie looked back at her. “Is there a problem?” “Look,” she said softly, not wanting to wake her mentor until after she’d had her say. “I might just be a college student, but if you didn’t want me here you could have declined the internship.” “What—?” “This.” She gestured at Jules. “You don’t agree to a college intern work program and then saddle your student with the company slacker. I’m not here to cover for him. And you can’t just squirrel me away in a corner to collect dust. I came here to actually learn something. I already know how to sleep.” “I’m not sleeping. I’m thinking with my eyes closed.” Kaylee froze.