It was a stifling, clammy, boiling afternoon and Bernadette was in no mood to hunt for a summer job. So what if she was seventeen and jobless? All she wanted to do was relax this summer but her mother kept bugging her to get off her butt and do something.

“But I am doing something—!” Bernadette protested, but before she could finish, her mother abruptly cut her off.

“Berna! Lounging by the pool, painting your toenails is nawt what I mean!” Maxine’s Dolce & Gabanna gold aviators stared back at Berna, reflecting her sunburned face.

“I just don’t see the point in getting a summer job.” Berna tossed her bottle of “Orange you Great” Sally Hansen nail polish on the teal colored pool chair beside her. “I make enough money babysitting.”

Maxine put her hands on her hips and tore off her sunglasses. “It’s not about the money, Bernadette.” She crinkled her nose when she said the word “money” as if she was just forced to smell dog poo. “It’s about making a commitment and doing something consistently everyday!” Berna tried to get a word in but Maxine cut her off with her freshly manicured hand. “You know, when I was your age,” Bernadette rolled her eyes at her mother knowing a when-I-was-younger story was on its way. “I was a workaholic,” Maxine said pointing to herself. She enthusiastically lifted her arms in the air, “a young woman never at rest!” She quickly let her arms down and pointed her index finger at her lazy daughter, “You should be grateful you have all this, a great life, why don’t you give back and do something for your town?”

Bernadette crossed her shiny SPF covered leg over the other and grumbled, “Ugh, I hate this town.”

Maxine stomped her foot down, “Berna! Stop with your attitude! I’m so sick of it. If you’re going to keep acting like a spoiled, ah-nnoying seven year old, you… you…” Maxine stumbled with her next sentence, not knowing what to say. “You are going to find a summer job.”

Bernadette refused to hear this nonsense, “Mom, you have to sign up for those jobs before hand, it’s already summer, so all of them are taken.” Bernadette shrugged her shoulders at her mother. “Oh well.” She sighed pretending to be sorrowful.

Maxine cheerfully rolled her shoulders back with a smile on her face, “Lucky for you Berna, you don’t have to sign up.”

Bernadette squinted her eyes at her mother, “What are you talking about?”

“Let me finish!” Maxine screamed impatiently, “Because you are my daughter,” she said in a happier tone, “I know there’s no way in hell you’re getting up from that pool chair, so I arranged a little somethin’ somethin’ for you” She said with a grin.

Bernadette sat up from her lounge chair, worried, “What do you mean—what did you do?”

“I called the office this morning and you an internship.” Maxine watched her daughter’s mouth drop as if to say no-you-did-nawt!