Birdie’s Bird Houses and Furniture (Company name is up for a change)
A woodworking couple is looking for help designing a marketing package for their furniture business. It used to be exclusively birdhouses sold locally, but the business has since expanded to furniture and is looking to sell nationwide. They would need pictures taken of each item for their website, a logo, and a social media package. Must love the sweet and slightly eccentric elderly. You will probably be fed chicken pot pie and be forced to play card games upon meeting.
Ryan cleared his throat. “Okay, interns. Have you all had enough time to pick your company?”
Shawn raised his hand. “I’ve got mine. Malta Snowboard Company. I’d love to build them an awesome website. Maybe they’d let me test a few of their products.”
“Nice,” Ryan said. “I think you’ll be awesome for the job.”
“Are these all of my choices?” Anita asked, looking at Mike.
“Yup,” Mike said, smiling at her.
“Then I guess I choose the dermatology office.”
“Nora?” Ryan looked at me.
I glanced down at my paper again, curious to see if I’d be drawn to the same business. It certainly wasn’t what I imagined I’d be creating a design package for, but I couldn’t deny the pull. I think it was the eccentric elderly that reeled me in like a fish caught on a lure. Memories of my own grandma before the end tugged at my heartstrings. If there was one type of person I fell in love with while working at the cafe, it was the sweet and eccentric elderly.
“Birdie’s Woodworking and Furniture.”
Ryan’s eyes flicked to Duke’s before landing back on mine. “Really?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I think it sounds fun.”
Anita laughed. “Suddenly mine doesn’t sound as lame.”
Nobody laughed. Shawn leaned over and high-fived me. “I like it.”
“Thank you.”
“Okay, now that everybody has your assignments, you have less than one month to create a killer design package.” He passed around another paper to the three interns. This tells you what each package must include and how to pay for the website host and company, etc. The last day will be August 30th. We’ll have a meeting that day where we present our packages to our three biggest clients and their offices, who will be deciding the winner. And unfortunately, there can be only one winner. Everybody clear on the rules?”
We all nodded.
“Great. Managers, they can still help you with a few things around the office, but make sure you give them ample time to work on their projects. Let me, Mike, or Duke know if any problems come up.”
The meeting adjourned.
Tenisha turned to me and Duke. “I don’t know much about woodworking. Do you know the company well, Duke?”
Duke was leaning back in his chair, his elbow on the armrest. He looked at Tenisha. “Yeah, I know the owners. I can help her get started.” His eyes flicked over to mine. “I’ll call and arrange for a meeting this week. Sound okay?”
Tenisha and I nodded, and when it seemed like the designers and the owners were going to finish the meeting with a quick pow-wow, I headed back toward my desk.
I was halfway down the hallway when Anita popped out in front of me, blocking my pathway.
“It looks like you got what you wanted. For hardly knowing Duke, he sure has taken to helping you.”
Oh my gosh. Make it stop.
“Yeah. He’s nice.”
It felt like we were negotiating our place here. The hierarchy of our roles as interns. There was no question she thought Shawn was beneath her, which meant in her mind it was down to me and her, which felt crazy because I’d seen some of Shawn’s designs. He was a genius.
And then she went in for the kill. “Oh, I almost forgot. It was the strangest thing. A couple weeks ago, I had forgotten my purse at my desk, so I came back to grab it, and I thought I saw you and Duke in his office together. At first, I was like, there’s no way they would be doing anything inappropriate…” She leaned forward conspiratorially, her hand on my shoulder as though telling a secret to a friend. “But you never know.Wasit you?” Her voice dripped with fake curiosity.
“Well, this has been lovely. Have a nice day,” I said, moving to go around her when her arm shot out, holding me in front of her. I looked down at my arm and then back up at her.
