Page 12 of Art of Love
After Todd’s accident, I went back to Atlanta and took on a job as a secretary in an accountancy firm, and when things got bad, I took on the job at the hospital in their reception. But I still painted a few pieces a month and showcased them at the local library and the indie art fair. That was me staying in touch with myself.
It was all I could do with my busy lifestyle.
“Right, there’re a couple of things we need to talk about.” John straightened, and the cheerful expression on his face was replaced with a more serious one.
I supposed this was the business talk.
“I’m ready.” I nodded and smiled.
“Good, so this year, I did things a little bit different. I’d just decided on accepting my intern when I got your call. And you know how I like things here.”
Small. That’s what I remembered him saying.
I smiled and held up my hand, circling my thumb and forefinger the way he did habitually. “Small.”
“Exactly.” He chuckled. “But there’s more. I recognize talent when I see it, and I try to harness it and sometimes keep it.”
“I understand completely.” I didn’t exactly know how that would bode for me, but I understood.
The company consisted of ten members including himself. They were the crew. The last time he kept anyone on to join the crew was three years before I’d last seen him.
He took on and kept Stephan.
Stephan had been a really good friend to me. A really good friend. It was he who told me to try and apply again, and I didn’t doubt that he must have put in a really good word for me.
That, however, could have been heavily because of the interest he had in me. We’d been a couple before I left. We broke up after he cheated on me but stayed friends.
That aside, I was grateful to him for his help in getting me back here.
“So, this year, I thought I’d make things a little interesting and take on both of you.”
“Oh...” I didn’t think he was going to say that. He’d never taken on more than one person before. “Both of us.”
“Two of you, but for one position,” he clarified, and instantly, my blood ran cold.
I searched his bright green eyes, trying to understand what he was saying to me. I opened my mouth to talk, but no words came out.
“Um... one position.”
He sighed and leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers.
“I knew this would come as a shock to you, which was why I wanted to see you first before I introduce you to the other intern.”
“Why?” I blinked several times and bit the inside of my lips to keep that calm I was trying so hard to maintain.
“Why meet with you first?” He raised a brow.
“No, I mean, why do this? I was under the impression that I was going to get a chance to resume my work here, as this year’s intern.”
“My dear Jia, if I simply gave everyone I liked a chance, I wouldn’t be the man I am today. I’m going to be real with you because I’m all about honesty. Yes, I know there are many hidden surprises with me, but I will never lie to you. So, this is me telling you that I took compassion on you because of what happened to your brother. It was most unfortunate. I think you are fantastic, but at the same time I have to be fair. I have to be fair to myself first and then to the talented artists who diligently applied for this round of internship. People who have been waiting for three years to apply.”
My shoulders slumped. I totally hadn’t thought of that.
“I see. Sure.”
“One guy stood out to me, and he was going to be it for me, but since I like you, this is the fairest way I could come up with. Doesn’t mean I never valued your talent. It’s just fairness. It’s a test.”
“What do I have to do?” I admired his ethos on fairness. It was great, but damn it to hell, was I ever going to seize this opportunity.
