Blonde 18-year-old Candace's manicured finger nervously pushed the button on the elevator, taking her to the top floor of the office building in Tysons Corner, a Northern Virginia office suburb of Washington, DC.
She looked at her reflection in the elevator mirror: A dark brown knit pencil skirt a couple inches above her knees with matching blazer, paired with a white button down blouse with pointed collar. This morning she hadn't been able to decide whether to keep her long, almost white-blonde hair in a ponytail or loose to the middle of her back. In the end she decided to keep it up in a high ponytail. Her ice-blue eyes contrasted markedly with her dark spray tan as did her bleached white teeth and french mani/pedi. She accessorized with a sliver Tiffany chain necklace around her neck, a fake Cartier tank watch on her left wrist, and two silver bangles on her right. She finished off the look with some brown slingback peeptoes with four-inch heels, raising her up to 5'5" from her usual 5'1" and 98 pounds.
She felt attractive, put-together, and professional. She was too nervous making sure she was on time to notice the whiplash stares of a couple middle-aged men in the lobby.
"You're professional. You can do this." She assured herself as the elevator rose to her interview. The ensemble was a stark contrast from the white cutoffs, midriff-baring top, and white flat sandals that were her daily go-to.
Candace was entering college in the fall, majoring in business. All she had wanted to do was spend her summer after high school tanning while "working" as a lifeguard, but her parents insisted she get an office job. "It will be irreplaceable experience," she recalled her mother saying.
At a family cookout in early April, Candace's Uncle Todd had suggested reaching out to Sommet Partners, a firm that did international business consulting. "I know one of the founders, Manuel. He is French but speaks English with only a hint of accent, and he's brilliant. Very successful company. I don't know exactly what they do, but they travel to interesting places. Perhaps they could use someone like you around the office. If you're lucky, you might get some travel out of it."
"Oh my gosh, would you be able to send them my resume, Uncle Todd? I have had no luck so far - that would be awesome!" Candace recalled giving her fit uncle a tight hug and him saying, "Candace, you're my first niece. It's the least I can do. Now, there are no guarantees, but I will see if I can get you in the door." She smiled recalling the conversation.
A day later, Candace had gotten a call from Danielle Charante. "Ms. Jackson? I'm Danielle Charante, and I provide executive support to our firm's two founders, Manuel Bienfait and Charles Diarra. Could you come to our office tomorrow morning, at 9 a.m. sharp?"
"Yes, yes I can make that."
"You can? Wonderful. You have the address?"
"I do, but not the suite."
"Suite 1401. Oh, and, given your age, I think it's important to make clear to you that our office dresses professionally. Monsieurs Bienfait and Diarra have not bought into this casual office trend."
"Of course, Ms. Charante. See you tomorrow!"
Now, as the elevator door opened, Candace took a deep breath and walked into the gleaming white lobby. A silver sign behind the desk read "Sommet Partners" and Candace saw a slender 20-something woman with ebony skin wearing a navy dress, her straightened hair also in a ponytail.
"You must be Candace," she said with a French African lilt. She smiled a row of gleaming white teeth and said, "I am Ashanti. May I get you some water, or coffee?"
"Yes, I'm Candace - nice to meet you. I'm here to see Ms. Charante. Water would be fine, thank you so much," said Candace in her rather girlish voice.
"One moment, please." said the woman. As she rose, Candace was stunned at how tall the woman was. Her lithe frame was accentuated by her five-inch black pumps, whose heels clicked with every step on the tiled floor. The woman returned with a bottle of Perrier. Candace noticed she did a once-over of Candace's outfit. "Candace, please have a seat until Ms.Charante is ready to see you."
Candace sat in the lobby chair, one whose cushions caused her to sink low and made her skirt rise up on her thighs, showing a lot of leg. She attempted to adjust her skirt downward, but it was futile. Ashanti took a call. "Yes, right away."
"Candace? Follow me. I will take you to see Ms. Charante. Candace rose and followed Ashanti. Their heels clicked on the floor in unison as they walked down a hall. She noticed the all-white surfaces and recessed lighting everywhere - it gave the office a sleek, modern feel. She also noticed Ashanti's walk - more like that of a graceful model on the catwalk than of a receptionist walking a visitor.
They rounded a corner and came to a desk, behind which sat another stunningly beautiful woman - this one a 30-something brunette. Candace immediately surmised she must model - or have been one. Danielle Charante's deep brown eyes, set wide above prominent cheekbones, glanced at Candace, briefly but long enough to look her up and down as well. She rose and spoke in a slight French accent. "Candace! I'm so pleased you could come on such short notice. Ashanti, thank you."
"Ms. Charante it is a pleasure," Candace squeaked, and reached out her hand. She looked up at the 5'10" Danielle, who easily broke 6 feet with her sky-high heels.
Danielle shook it and then held it. "Candace, let's go to the conference room and talk, shall we?" She continued to hold Candace's hand and led her to the adjacent conference room.
"Please, have a seat," she said, as she turned on the lights. The conference room too, was almost blindingly bright. They sat in the sleek black conference chairs, both crossing their legs.
"So, you come recommended to us from Todd Mason, who I take it is your uncle?" began Danielle. Candace nodded. "Well, we like your Uncle very much. He has given us some business, and we hope to return the favor at some point. Meantime, I gather that you are looking for an office job. I think an internship here could give you a real wealth of experience."
"Let me tell you a little about the job. There are three areas where we could use you - administrative, business development, and event marketing. First off, we do need general office support - everything from making sure the coffee is ready in the morning, receptionist relief, etc. But we also need an intern that can do some research, both on prospective clients as well as on our competition. General support for business development, if you will. And finally, we have a couple of conferences we will be attending this summer, and we need someone who can help us get ready for those conferences - help us set up booths, plan client entertainment, etc. I do it all right now, so having someone I can trust to delegate tasks and projects to would be excellent. To succeed, you have to have the desire to work hard for just the right result. How does that sound?"
"Wow that sounds great, Ms. Charante. Only, I haven't really done any of those things. Are you sure I'm what you're looking for?"
