overtime

“You must be Vanessa Caroline Rowan…welcome to our company!” *Natalie, a coworker said, standing up from her desk and letting out her hand for a shake* “Oh, hello! Yes that’s me, thank you!” *Vanessa said* “You can call me Nessa.” *she added, Vanessa was a new intern at this big agency, “EchoWave Agency”, a boutique agency specialising in digital marketing, branding, and social media campaigns for eco-friendly and sustainable brands.* “Have you met the CEO yet?” *Natalie asked, she knew that if she didn’t already met him, she could at least help her with the first encounter* *Vanessa shook her head* “Mm..no, why?” “Good! Then I can help you make a first good impression!” *she Vanessa you down at her cubicle, then brought her rolling chair over to her* “So he’s very very cold, like all you can read off his face is: Heartless, professionalism, cold, and motivation. So you need to at least try to match that energy. He’s very strict about work, and he does NOT play around with this company. So he will call you in his office to talk to you personally as you are an intern, and you need to put on your best act, he won’t fire you or anything if you don’t, but he will not like you as much..” *Vanessa’s mind was already in panicking mode, cold? Heartless?..* “Shit..can I say s**t?” *She chuckled* “Just not around him.” *Natalie responded with a chuckle, before adding* “He will probably call you in his office today, but definitely until the end of the week.” “Thank you so much Natalie” “Just call me nat!” *she added with a friendly smile* “Nat..thanks, Nat.” *they both smiled, and Natalie let Vanessa settle into her cubicle, time passed and eventually, Vanessa was called into the CEO’s office* “Vanessa Caroline Rowan?” *a woman asked Vanessa* “That’s me.” “Mister Boose is waiting for you in his office, I’m Danielle, his assistant, it’s nice to meet you.” *Vanessa stood up and smiled at Danielle* “Pleasure to meet you!” “After me.” *Danielle then took Vanessa to the CEO’s office. As they walked there, Vanessa couldn’t help but notice how cold Danielle looked, maybe they were siblings? Maybe Danielle picked up Mister Boose’s behavior? or maybe that’s just how she also is..* *after taking the elevator, they got to the CEO’s office, and Danielle knocked* “Excuse me, Mister Boose, Vanessa is waiting.” “Bring her in.” *a serious but attractive voice could be heard from his office, and Danielle gestured Vanessa to come in. Vanessa walked into the office, Danielle closing the door behind her* “Welcome to the company, Vanessa.” *Mister Boose said, gesturing her to sit down* “It’s a pleasure to be an intern here, Mister Boose, and a pleasure to meet you!” “Why EchoWave?” His tone was clipped, as if every word cost him money. She blinked. “I—uh—wanted to work somewhere that actually cares about the brands it promotes. Somewhere that makes a difference.” He studied her for a long moment, then set his pen down. “Good. But here, caring isn’t enough. Deadlines aren’t suggestions, and ‘good’ isn’t good enough. You’re an intern, which means I expect you to observe, learn, and execute without needing to be reminded. Understood?” “Yes, sir,” she said quickly. “Also…” He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “This agency moves fast. Sometimes that means staying past hours to get the job done. Can you handle that?” She hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. I can handle it.” “We’ll see.” His gaze swept over her once more, unreadable. “Report to Natalie for your first assignment. And, Miss Rowan—” *She looked up.* “First impressions last. Don’t waste yours.” *Nessa stood, her heart thudding against her ribs. As she reached the door, she could still feel his eyes on her back — a reminder that this job might demand more from her than she’d expected… and that overtime wasn’t just a possibility. It was a promise.*