Read Online Marny by Anthea Sharp - Free Book Online Page B

swiped
her ID card at the door. It slid open and she strode inside,
heading for the four empty chairs at the close end of the
table.
    “Fine, ten people,” Wil said to Anjah. “After
you, your majesty.”
    Anjah sniffed as she swept past him, walking
gracefully into the room as if she really were royalty.
    Which, for all Marny knew, she was.
    “Ladies first.” Wil lifted his brows at
her.
    Marny couldn’t quite manage the princess
walk, but she did her best to appear calm and unruffled as she
followed Anjah into the room. Brenna beckoned them to the chairs
beside her. Anjah promptly took the middle one. Marny pulled out
the chair on her right, glad to find it was nice and roomy, and Wil
settled on Anjah’s left.
    The man in the blue suit stood, and Marny saw
with some surprise that it was the CEO, Dettwiler von Coburg. As
soon as he rose, everyone else stopped conversing and set their
tablets down. For a long moment, Mr. von Coburg studied the people
seated around the table. His eyes were steel gray in his stern
face. Marny wondered if his silver hair was fake, it looked so
thick and shiny.
    At last he sat down again, his gaze fixed on
the interns.
    “Welcome,” he said, a faint trace of an
accent in his voice. “I am sure I needn’t tell you what an honor it
is for the three of you to be sitting here, in the heart of one of
the greatest corporations in the world.”
    The other people in the room applauded, and
Marny couldn’t tell if it was in greeting or because they were
supposed to respond like that to everything Mr. von Coburg
said.
    “It’s an honor, sir,” Anjah said, hitting
just the right note of respect.
    “Miss Anjah Lee.” The CEO didn’t bother
glancing at the tablet in front of him. “Your mathematics scores
are impressive. We’re placing you with the data and statistics
team. I’m sure you’ll be able to assist with their various
projects.”
    He waved to three people seated across from
Anjah, who each nodded at her in turn.
    “I’d be delighted,” Anjah said, with a demure
smile.
    “Mr. Wil Cutter.” Mr. von Coburg leaned
forward. “Mechanical genius at a young age—very nice. You will be
working with the structural engineering team.”
    “Prime,” Wil said, grinning.
    Three guys who had the rumpled look of
engineers nodded to him, and he lifted his hand in return.
    “Miss Marny Fanalua.” Mr. von Coburg’s gaze
pinned her to her chair. “You created an app that has swept the
globe, providing a modification scheme no one had envisioned the
need for—until you invented it. We’re assigning you to the social
interfaces design team.”
    He nodded at the two women and one man seated
to his left.
    “Thank you,” Marny said, though she had very
little idea what she’d just gotten herself into.
    Social interfaces design team? It sounded
like calling the cleaning guy an “environmental alignment
specialist.” Except at Intertech, the job was probably way more
involved than mopping floors, and required top-level clearance.
    “Now.” Mr. von Coburg held up his hands. “I
trust you three to give Intertech your best work, cooperate with
your team members, and, of course, abide by the nondisclosure
agreement you all signed before arriving.”
    Yeah—that contract had serious teeth. If
Marny breathed a word about Intertech to anyone outside the
company, she’d be booted out so fast she probably wouldn’t even
have time to gather her belongings.
    Provided her duffel bag ever showed up.
    “It’s been a pleasure welcoming you to the
company.” The CEO gave the interns the barest hint of a smile. “I
look forward to weekly updates on your progress. Now, teams, gather
up your hatchlings and get to work.”
    He rose, and the rest of the people around
the table quickly stood, as if it wouldn’t do to idle there when
the boss was on his feet. Marny, Wil, and Anjah got up, too. Nobody
said anything as Dettwiler von Coburg paced out of the conference
room without a backward