Archery 101: Know Your Opponent! [Fiction]

Harper's POV
I twisted my fingers anxiously waiting for my friend, Laura, to convince her Dad to grant me an internship in his prestigious publishing company so my application to Harvard University could top other applications.

Getting into Harvard University was a lot tougher than I imagined. I had interned in my uncle's law firm, being one of the best in Bristol but it wasn't enough. I watched Laura speak with her Dad on the phone.

"C'mon, Dad. Don't be weird," Laura said, giving me a thumbs up. "She's my friend and needs this badly…Alright, Dad. You won't regret it, I promise!" She smiled which means Mr Marshall-Lee had agreed or so I thought. Laura paused, her eyebrows furrowed, as she stared at me.

"Seriously, Dad?…Okay, okay! Got it. She'll do it, don't worry….And she's hard-working too….laters, Dad."

I stared at Laura. "Why do I get the feeling you just agreed to something on my behalf?" I asked.

Laura huffed. "My Dad is competitive and drives us nuts! He will agree to the internship if….." She paused and grinned mischievously.

"If what, Laura?" I grabbed her arms and shook her.

"The Men's Club have a thing tomorrow at the Golf course and Dad's hosting as the president. Archery is on the list of activities they have lined up. He said he'll take you as his intern for the summer if you win at least a round of shooting with him."

"What?" I asked incredulously. In Bristol, everyone knew Vince Marshall-Lee was perfect at almost everything and did not suffer fools gladly. It was difficult to get a job in his company let alone an internship but I had hoped my friendship with his only daughter would smoothen things for me.

Laura slid her hands up and down my sleeves in comfort. "I have faith in you, girl. Use his ego against him and you'll win."

"But, your Dad is the best—"

"Uh-huh, I know you'll win because he thinks you cannot shoot. And he'll owe me two hundred bucks, of course." She chuckled.

Vince's POV
It was a beautiful sunny morning. I donned my dark sunglasses and watched my friends and employees from work stroll into the golf course. One of the Club's staff held my bag of archery equipment and stood patiently behind me.

My children, Arthur and Laura, always took advantage of the knowledge that I would do anything for them. Though they were born into wealth, I made them work for every favour so they don't take things for granted.

Laura's request for an internship for her friend was a surprise. People believed publishing was boring and it was simply because the reading culture had deteriorated. I was surprised a young girl would be interested in publishing.

Maybe I wanted to see the spark of interest in Laura's friend and gauge her competency hence the demand that if she won a round of shooting then the internship was hers.

A black Rolls Royce drove through the iron-wrought gate into the golf course. I recognized the logo on the bumper belonging to Dr Wade West, Chief Medical Officer of the biggest private hospital in Bristol. I straightened my posture and started to walk towards the car in the driveway when the passenger door opened. My daughter, Laura and a young lady stepped out. I paused and pushed my hands into my pockets.

Laura smiled and waved at me. The lady was the same age as my daughter, slender and dressed in a black stylish gown that looked as expensive as the pair of heeled sandals she wore. I almost humphed out loud in disapproval.

"Dad!" Laura pulled me into a hug. "This is Harper West—"

"Daughter of Dr Wade West?" I cut Laura off. "I did not know he had a daughter." The young girl gave a slight smile, clearly nervous.

"Thank you sir for this opportunity," Harper said politely. I nodded as the driver handed her a bag of equipment that seemed too heavy for her to carry. I tipped my head down toward the bag. “Have you shot that before?”

Her eyes widened. "I-I, um…" she stuttered, glancing between my daughter and me, chewing on her lower lips. Maybe the shooting was not a good idea. I did not want to be responsible for embarrassing this young girl before so many people. Laura excused herself and went to say hello to some friends.

I gave Harper a pointed look. "I take it you've never shot before. I can give you a few pointers?"

She frowned in distrust. "Why would you help me, sir?"

I shrugged. The stake was higher for her and nonexistent for me. When she lost, I won't be saddled with an incompetent intern anyway.

"You know what? Let's get this over with before the rest of the men arrive. Come along, Ms West."

She walked beside me, her heels clacking against the stone pavers set in the driveway. My stride was longer than hers and she struggled to keep up. Getting to the target area set up in the golf course, I put on my bracer and glove protector as my man handed me my bow and a small bag of arrows which I wore across my shoulders.

Harper immediately unzipped her bag, changed her heeled sandals into slim sneakers, and tied her dark-brown hair into a ponytail. I was taken aback. What else did she have hidden in the bag? She donned anti-glare shooting glasses, glove protectors, bracers and slung her bag of arrows across her shoulders as an expert archer would. I became uneasy.

Harper finally pulled out a PSE Archery Nighthawk Recurve Bow, one of the best types, and assumed a relaxed posture, ready to shoot. I couldn't believe my eyes. She turned to look at me and grinned.

Harper gave the appearance of a helpless wealthy girl who'd never participated in an activity as tough as archery and I fell for it.

"How are you doing over there, Dad?" Laura shouted from behind us and I knew she was enjoying the show. "Just so you know, she won the Archery championship in high school!"

I grew angry because Laura had withheld this information from me. I made my shots haphazardly missing the X ring of the target twice.

"Time to retire, Marshall-Lee?" Some of my friends teased me. Harper scored the most X's winning after thirty minutes of shooting. I shook her hand for a good game and admired her tenacity to pursue what she wanted.

I paid Laura $200 for winning the bet and Harper became an intern in my company for the duration of three months. I learned my lesson in a hard way —always know your opponent.

I hope you enjoyed reading this short story. It is my response to The Ink Well Prompt #94 inspired by the prompt "appearance".