Chapter 2 First Impression
686 Words
Samantha barely had time to settle into her chair before the rhythm of the office swept her in. Emails flooded the inbox she had just been given access to, phones rang nonstop, and voices overlapped in controlled chaos. She straightened her posture, opened her notebook, and began observing quietly.
Across the open office space, Bridget Bridges sat at her desk with an air of ownership, heels crossed, lips curved in a knowing smirk. She watched Samantha the way a predator watched unfamiliar prey. Samantha felt the stare but ignored it. Work first. Always work first, as she speaks to herself.
Romanda Ross emerged from her glass office, her sharp eyes scanning the room.
“Who’s handling the Diamond Eastwood site documentation?” she asked.
A few people exchanged looks. Someone muttered, “Bridget was supposed to.”
Bridget rolled her eyes dramatically. “I’ve been busy all morning. It can wait.”
Romanda’s jaw tightened. “It cannot wait. That site is already on edge. One wrong delay and it turns into a legal battlefield.”
Before the silence could stretch any further, Samantha stood up.
“Ma’am, if you don’t mind, I can take a look at it,” she said calmly.
Bridget turned sharply. “Excuse me?” Her laugh was sharp and dismissive. “You’re the intern.”
Samantha met her gaze respectfully but firmly. “Yes, ma’am. But if the files are available, I can at least identify the issue and escalate it properly.”
Romanda studied Samantha for a long moment. Then she nodded. “Go ahead. You have one hour.”
Bridget scoffed. “This should be entertaining.”
---
The Crisis
Samantha worked quietly but smartly, pulling up contracts, emails, and progress reports. Within minutes, she noticed inconsistencies, misaligned timelines, missing approvals, and a supplier contract that had expired without renewal.
“This isn’t a site issue,” she murmured to herself. “It’s a communication breakdown.”
She drafted a concise report, attached supporting documents, and walked directly into Romanda’s office.
“Ma’am,” Samantha said, placing the file down, “the Diamond Eastwood site isn’t refusing to work. They’re waiting on renewed supplier authorization. The contract expired five days ago, and no extension was issued.”
Romanda blinked. “You found this already?”
“Yes. If we send the approval within the hour and acknowledge the oversight, the site manager will stand down.”
Romanda picked up the phone immediately. Twenty minutes later, the tension eased. The crisis dissolved.
Romanda ended the call and looked up slowly, admiration clear in her eyes.
“You just prevented a legal mess,” she said. “On your first day.”
Samantha smiled softly. “I just followed the trail, ma’am.”
But someone was watching closely without her noticing.From the top floor, behind a tinted glass wall, Christopher Chase stood with his tablet in hand. He had stepped out of a meeting briefly when he noticed unusual movement below. Romanda, looked tense and alert, but suddenly calm.
“Cliff,” Chris said, without looking away from the glass.
“Yes, sir,” Cliff Jackson replied.
“What just happened in HR?”
Cliff glanced at his device. “An intern resolved a brewing dispute at the Diamond Eastwood site.”
Chris raised an eyebrow. “An intern?”
“Yes, sir. Samantha Roles.”
Chris nodded slowly. “Interesting.”
He turned back to his meeting, but the name stayed with him longer than he expected.But Back downstairs, Bridget’s nails dug into her palm as she watched Romanda commend Samantha openly.
“Well done,” Romanda said. “You handled that with maturity. Keep this up.”
Bridget forced a smile, but inside, her blood boiled.
An intern? Stealing attention? On her first day?
As Samantha returned to her desk, Cliff passed by and leaned slightly toward her.
“Good job,” he said quietly.
Samantha looked up, surprised. “Thank you.”
Cliff nodded once and walked away.
Bridget watched it all. Every word. Every glance. Every acknowledgment.
And deep within her, a decision began to form.
- Writer
