Chapter 122

“By the look on your face, I think you’ve met Joy,” Becks said.

You had texted Gemma and Sabrina that you would meet them down in the lobby since there was only a couple of minutes left before lunch, and then headed down. “You’ve got that right,” you said to the secretary. There wasn’t anyone else in the lobby at the moment, so she was free to talk. “Please tell me if you know anything useful? She’s already becoming a pain in our collective asses and HR isn’t going to do anything.”

Becks nodded and sighed. “Well, I started here a couple of months before she did her second year interning, so I may not know all of the useful dirt but I know enough to warn you.”

“We already know her Mom is a Partner,” you said. “That was made abundantly clear by Ms Bellagamba stopping by to drop Joy off and calling us all ‘children’ and insisting Joy was in charge of us.”

“Ugh,” Becks rolled her eyes. “Well, Joy has worked here every summer after her second year of university. She is smart but petty, and I would say you should look forward to her getting her month-long vacation she and her mother always take, but they kicked off the summer with it this time. Totally unfair, obviously, but those are the perks of nepotism.”

You blew out a long breath. “So we’re definitely stuck with her.”

“You are,” Becks nodded. “And my method of dealing with her won’t work for you guys. She tried to throw her weight around with me my first summer with her, but I just played it sweet and smooth down the middle because I’m an employee of the building and not your office. She couldn’t push me around to do shit for her, and when she figured that out she got pissy for a while. Then the next year she came in all sweet and wanted to be friends and bitch about the other interns to me. I indulged listening to her because that was easier than dealing with her being pissy.”

“Well, she’s already had a go at Sabrina a bit. Eric tried hitting on her and she rebuffed him pretty fast, and Andy ... well, Andy never had a chance,” you said.

“Wait, what happened to Eric, by the way?” Becks asked you. “He came in with a black eye but was grinning like an idiot.”

You quickly filled Becks in, who smirked and rolled her eyes appropriately during the story, then nodded along at your worries and about going to Garrison. “So we should be in the clear unless something drastic happens,” you finished. “At least in regards to that shit.”

“Well, if I think of anything else with Joy or she reveals something important, I’ll let one of you guys know,” Becks said. She checked the clock behind her desk and frowned. “Actually, you should probably make yourself scarce. Every day they are both here, Tanya takes Joy out to lunch and they leave right at noon.”

“Shit,” you said, glancing at your phone and seeing it was noon already. “Thanks.” You made for the hallway leading into the building instead of the elevators, heading towards the rooms that you, Gemma and Sabrina had used for your rendezvous last week.

“No problem,” Becks called after you. Then you heard the elevator doors ping as they opened and you ducked around the corner of the first doorway in the hallway. You could hear the loud clacking of heels on the tile floor echo through the lobby. “Good morning, Tanya. Hello Joy,” Becks said with a syrupy sweetness she reserved for customer service and, apparently, the Bellagamba women.