Chapter 2: Learning the Ropes

Scarlet's POV

Walking down the glass corridors, I hungrily took in every detail around me. People smiled and greeted us when they walked past, their curious gazes lingering on me a bit longer. I did my best to appear refined and experienced, but my insides were practically squirming from excitement.

“Is this your first time shadowing someone at work?” asked Sarah.

I nodded. “Yes, I didn’t really get a chance before as I’m still in high school. Now that I have almost graduated, it’s easier to find the time.”

That wasn’t completely true. In truth, until now, I had always thought that I was too young to be taken seriously. So, I had given up on applying for opportunities like this. But now that university was less than half a year away, I finally pulled together enough courage to enter this competition. I had never spent as much time on studying as I spent on preparing this essay. It had been my way of proving to myself that I could do it. I could take my own opportunities for the future.

I wanted to build my own company one day. Just the idea of it already lit up a fire in me that made it harder and harder to just sit still. I needed to take action.

She nodded with a warm smile as she gave me an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’re going to love it. George might be one of the most interesting people to follow around for the whole day in here.”

As she said that, she knocked on a wooden door, the only one on the floor that didn’t have a window in it. Sarah opened it and walked in looking completely at ease with rushing in like that.

“Morning, George. I brought you a guest,” she announced with a bright smile, catching the attention of the tall man, who was leaning on the desk in the middle of the office. He was holding a small book in his hand, appearing to have been interrupted in the middle of reading. His sunkissed face pulled into a warm smile that brought out the small wrinkles around his eyes.

“Scarlet Black, I presume?” he said, placing the book on his desk.

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Parker.” I stepped over and reached out my hand in greeting.

“Just call me George,” he said, accepting my hand firmly. Seeing that the introduction was made, Sarah excused herself leaving us alone.

George leaned back against the desk and leisurely put his hands into his suit pants’ pockets.

“Take a seat.“ He waved toward the comfy looking chair in front of him. “You really look like Robert.” That comment made me smile wryly. I had always thought I looked more like my mom. But I guess I wasn’t going to fool anyone.

“I guess it’s the hair,” I joked and George chuckled.

“Hard to miss the red,” he agreed. We talked a bit about the work that had got me here, which seemed to have impressed him as much as it had impressed Sarah.

I felt the slight tension in my body ease as I found him to be easy to talk to.

“So, what am I going to learn today?” I asked, straight to the point. I could hardly wait to get started with whatever was planned for me today.

“What do you want to learn today?” George asked, taking me a bit by surprise.

I wasn’t sure what to say to that. I hadn’t really thought I could pick and choose. But it didn’t matter. I knew what I wanted.

“I want to know how to manage an international private company that manages to earn billions of dollars of profit every year,” I answered firmly.

He seemed to be a bit surprised by my answer, he crossed his arms and leaned forward a bit, curiosity clear in his eyes.

“I can only show you the basics of it. One day is hardly enough to explain the success of a company this size. Besides, I’m only in charge of the finances here in San Francisco office.”

“I know. I just want to learn as much as I can. I probably won’t have a chance to shadow Alexander White or David Richmond personally anyway.”

Alexander and David were the founders of ZYNOTECH. While Alexander held the CEO position, David was surely not to be underestimated either. Moreover, they were based in London, where the main headquarters of the whole company were. The chance of getting to learn from them personally was close to zero.

George nodded thoughtfully. “I guess Alexander and David would be a bit hard to get to. It would have been great if I could introduce you to Alexander’s son, but he just left. I’m sure he would have loved to meet you,” he said with a slightly dejected expression as if he was sad that he couldn’t pull out the guy he was talking about from behind the door.

I was really moved that he thought so highly of me. Highly enough to want to introduce me to a person who was most probably going to inherit the whole corporation. I was a bit surprised that Alexander White’s son himself was here in San Francisco, but I thought it would be a bit rude to ask why. It wasn’t really my business.

“But anyway, I know what I’m going to show you today,” he suddenly said and grabbed his suit jacket from his chair. “Are you ready?”

I stood up. “Yes!” My voice sounded a bit too eager, so I felt my cheeks warm up.

George chuckled and opened the door for me to step out.

“I like your enthusiasm.”