Chapter 4

     Beep. Beep. Beep. I groan. I hate my alarm clock so much. I roll out of bed and enter the bathroom. Time to get ready. I brush my hair and teeth before applying some light makeup. I am not a huge fan of make up, but a little can be nice. I apply some mascara and some eyeliner. Stepping into my closet, I contemplate what jewelry to wear with my outfit. I pull on the skirt, tank top, and blazer. I think a pair of earrings and a necklace would look good. Choosing a dark blue set to match the color of the tank top, I also grab a pair of black pumps. Once dressed, I go to the kitchen. I pull out the sandwich I made the day before and pack it into a lunch box, along with fruit, chips, and a water bottle. 

     My shoes click along the hallway floor as I leave. I grab my purse and car keys from the hook on the wall where I keep them. I love my car. It is a blue sedan with a black leather interior. I slip into the driver's seat and place my lunch box and purse on the passenger’s seat. My seatbelt clicks into its lock and the engine whirrs to life. I back out of my garage and follow the directions to the Techex office. I am early, but that is a good thing. 

     I walk up to the reception desk to find out where I need to go. “Excuse me?” I ask. The receptionist looks at me and smiles. “My name is Arielle Lozerno. I’m here for an internship. Rebecca Dulte said to be here for training.”

     “Ah, yes,” the lady replies. “She said to send you to her office. She’s on the fourth floor, on the right side, halfway back. There are placards next to the doors to show who the office belongs to.” I thank her and follow her instructions, taking the elevator to the fourth floor. I make note of the fact that the building has twenty floors. It might be important later. I turn to the right and walk halfway back the hallway before I find Ms. Dulte’s office. I knock on the door and enter when told to. The room is fairly large, for an office. There is a desk tucked into the corner against the right wall. Potted plants sit along the windowsill and a table and some chairs are pushed up against the left wall.

     “Hello. My name is Arielle Lozerno. I’m here for the internship training that you emailed me about yesterday.”

     “Nice to meet you, Arielle. I’m Rebecca Dulte. You can just call me Rebecca. Your training today will consist of three things. First, you will need to learn the company policy and beliefs. Then you will need to be placed in a department. Finally, you will receive the specified training for said department. Are you ready to do that?”

     “Yes. I am ready.”

     “Good. Now, please, take a seat.” Rebecca turns and picks up a manilla folder before joining me at the table. “Here is the paper that contains information about the company. This is the rules and regulations you will need to follow. This last set of papers is your contract. Read those and sign the ones that need to be signed. You will be receiving a copy of all of them.” I nod in response and take the papers from her. 

     I look over the papers. The contract is fair and the rules aren’t bad. I sign where I am supposed to on both and hand them to Rebecca. She leaves to make copies. I look over the company information while I wait. Rebecca returns shortly and gives me my copies. “Make sure you hang onto those. If you are finished, we will discuss which department you will be interning in,” she informs me. 

     “I am ready.”

     “Okay. Based on your resume, you have a degree in operations, management, finance, and accounting. I think that you will probably do best in the finance department, but you may be moved to operation or management later on.”

     “Okay. That sounds good,” I agree. 

     She nods and stands up. “Follow me. I will introduce you to the finance manager and he will let you know what your duties will be.” Rebecca leads me to the elevator which we take up to the eighth floor. The doors slide open to reveal a large open space filled with cubicles. Rebecca walks down a path between the cubicles to what appears to be an office in the back. She knocks before entering. I follow behind her. 

     “Doug, I would like you to meet Arielle. She will be interning with you,” Rebecca informs the man seated behind the desk. He is rather thin with brown curly hair and glasses. 

     “Nice to meet you, Arielle,” Doug says, sticking out his hand for me to shake.

     “Nice to meet you as well,” I respond while shaking his hand. 

     “Arielle hasn’t had much previous work experience but she is very qualified. I will leave her in your capable hands,” Rebecca says before leaving to return to her work.

     Doug turns to look at me. “As an intern, you will not be expected to help with the major projects. You will have small tasks to help the team. However, if I find that you are able to handle the work of a project team member, I will have you join,” he warns me. 

     “I understand. I will do my best to help the team.”

     “Alright. Follow me. I will introduce you to Danielle and she will help you get situated at your desk.” Doug leads me down another path through the cubicles and stops about halfway. 

     “Danielle,” he calls. The lady in the cubicle in front of us spins her chair to face us. “I would like you to meet Arielle. She will be interning with us. I would like you to train her in our system and show her how to do project work.”

     “Nice to meet you,” Danielle says, offering her hand.

     “Nice to meet you, too,” I respond while shaking her hand. Doug leaves me with Danielle, who begins to show me the ropes. 

     “This is your cubicle. You will do your work here. The other members of the team may ask for help with small tasks like getting coffee or making copies. You should be able to do this without much trouble. I will share with you some example projects that you can study to learn how to complete a project for Techex.” I nod and Danielle walks away from the cubicles. “I am going to show you where the copier and the break rooms are, so you will know for the future.” 

     I spent the rest of the day with Danielle, learning about the internship tasks and how to do my part in a project. I wave good-bye to Doug and leave the office. My feet ache as I walk to my car. I’m tired, but satisfied. I believe that I will enjoy this job. The office space is nice and my co-workers are pleasant. The drive home is quiet and I enter a silent house. I place my purse and keys back on their hook and trudge upstairs to my bedroom. I slip out of my work clothes and pull on a comfy shirt and some sweatpants. 

     The spaghetti from last night is sitting in the fridge, next to some stir fry that I made three nights ago. I make a plate of stir fry and place it in the microwave. As it reheats, I pour myself a glass of water and set myself a seat at the table. I made it a habit to try to eat dinner, at the very least, at the dining table. The microwave beeps and I pull out my plate. The only sound in the house is the clink of silverware hitting the plate as I eat my dinner. I finish my glass of water and rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. 

     To relax, I watch some TV. After several episodes, I turn the TV off and head to the bathroom to take a shower before bed. All in all, I feel satisfied. It has been lonely, living alone. I know that I can’t fully trust anyone, but at least I won’t be by myself all day anymore. I crawl into bed and fall asleep, content.