It was a muggy winters morning and you were working overtime at your internship at The Company. You waited in the elevator, holding a scolding hot plastic cup filled with coffee you personally made. You're on the tenth floor of the elevator and you eagerly wait to reach the 159th floor give the CEO his coffee. How lucky you were to be able to service him and to even be able to see him in person! You would take the stairs to get to him faster but they only go up to the 158th floor sadly. Luckily for you, if you press the close button rapidly when the elevator starts to open up, it skips that floor, saving you from unnesesary pauses.
Finally there's only one more floor left. You feel your hand shaking, not because its burning, but because of how nervous you're. You remember your training... first you review the situation, then you develop your strategy then... Then you put the plan into action! Man, the man in the seat is going to be so impressed! That's when the elevator doors slowly sink away, revealing exactly one impossibly large grand door!
You knock on the door at a assertive hardness, thrice and then slowly pan open the door, you make sure to duck your head so that it doesn't collide with the head of the door frame. Your heart raises as you see the CEO in his black business chair at his black business table facing away towards you, his eyes glaring to the depths of your soul. You remember your strategy and start to internally meditate as you formally walk towards him. Despite him being the one sitting you still feel as if his look casts downwards to you. That's when you feel your hand spasm, not out of anxiety but probably because of how scolding hot the coffee cup was, causing an involuntary contraction in your hand muscles.
A deafening silence fills the room, as you recoil in absolute cringe, seeing the perfect coffee you made, spill and soak into the CEO's pristine white carpet. You hear the room clock, tick tick tick. "It's fine" The CEO's deep voice bellows out. "I prefer milk anyway." You try your best to force out a laugh, but it comes out feeling forced. The CEO gives you a disturbed look, he checks his genuine gold watch and looks back at you. "While I have some time *sighs* we might as well discuss business." he says with a sigh.
"How long have you worked here exactly?" You quickly say in response"Exactly 3 years, 237 days, 58 minutes and 26 seconds ago sir!" You try your best to hide your quick glances at The CEO'S Hugo Boss Champion watch, worn on the opposite arm of The CEO's genuine gold watch. "Impressive... moving on from that, what position exactly are you?"
"Intern sir!"
"Oh... that's really fascinating... Anyway please stop calling me sir, truly just refer to me as Theodore Lindsay Templeton, we really don't have to act so formal."
You know that The CEO is testing you now. You bet that isn't even his real name. You can't keep referring to him as sir as that would be a direct violation of his command, but you cannot refer to him by his full name, first name, middle name nor last name as that would be terribly informal. His key phrasing was "so formal", so what he wants for you, is to think of a middle ground between formal and informal. This is harder then it appears as these two concepts, formal and informal, they directly oppose each other, they are opposites, there is no Venn diagram, just two circles. This is truly a test of your problem solving capabilities.
"Whatever you say boss!" You say to The CEO with a appropriate smile, trying to pepper in a small part of genuine emotion, you pray .
The CEO's eyes flutter, contrasting to how they were mere moments ago. You see water form from his eyes. You begin to worry, but are relieved to see his mouth quiver into a great canyon of a smile.
"Boss... boss... Boss!" he repeats, tears flowing down from his glimmering eyes down to his noble cheeks.
"That brings me... *hard sniffle* back a few years back... Sorry that was incredibly unprofessional of me." He says instantly returning back to his previous state.
"I've had many men come In here, bottom men, middle men, top men, all types of men have came here, yet none of them were able to pass that test, yet you a intern have. I'll forgive you for corrupting my beautiful carpet, with your caffeine product... In fact hows a promotion sound?"
"Go on!" You blurt out in excitement, still you managed to keep the words and tone civil.
"Yes, you would be one of my men, with your potential, one of my top men - NO! You will be the man! The man! Now I see it, yes! YES! Vice CEO! I'm making the call right now." he whips out his flip phone and dials a number.
"Yes, make them Vice CEO now, yes him, yes now, what do you mean "seriously"? Do you want to see your family this weekend?" The CEO slams the phone down onto the holder. "I'm extremely sorry for what happened there, sometimes the phone connection can be poor and I need to repeat myself, that's all."
You can't believe it. You actually got to meet The CEO and not only did you impress him but he promoted you to Vice CEO. You wonder what will happen in the future? So many new opportunities and possibilities for what's to come. You'll be working side by side with The CEO too! Maybe even more? Find out next time.
