Sixteen Years Ago
The business card is harmless. Boring, even. The woman who slid it across the table is mundane, too. Average. Forgettable.
“We’d like to offer you an internship. Your adviser thought you would be a good fit.”
“A good fit for what?” Garrett scans the business card, trying to make sense of it. He was supposed to meet with his adviser, but this woman had shown up instead. He has no interest in an internship. He wants to get out of school quickly and find a real job with a real salary to pay back his student loans.
She squares her shoulders. “We help people going through difficult times.”
“Like a nonprofit?”
“Oh, you’ll make a profit.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Had she been reading his mind?
“We’re an international company that partners with communities to make a difference in the lives of every individual,” she recites, like a brochure come to life.
“ Every individual?”
“You’ve had your own difficult times, haven’t you, Mr. Bishop? I hear you want to make a difference in the world. Is that true?”
He had never mentioned that to anyone. It floats around in the back of his head, like something he might do in a distant future or another life altogether.
“Yes, it’s true.”
“That’s all I needed to hear.”