Chapter 153

Joy, of course, bustled in late. Earlier than the previous two days, but still late. She immediately zeroed in on the fact that Gemma’s workspace was occupied, but she wasn’t there.

“Where’s blondie?” Joy demanded as she shoved her way by Andy, knocking his chair hard to wake him up.

“Gemma got called out to talk with Garrison,” you said.

“Hmm,” Joy sneered, dropping her purse and taking her seat at the end of the table. “Well, hopefully that old bastard is disciplining her properly. Then again, she’d probably just offer him a favo-”

“Stop,” you said tightly. You were holding the mouse for your laptop in a white-knuckled grip and glaring at her. “Joy, do not continue that sentence.”

She smirked, leaning back in her seat and fixing the tuck on her blouse into her designer skirt. This pushed her tits out a bit, emphasizing her assets, but you didn’t take the bait. “Oh, what’s wrong widdle buddy?” she asked, putting on the same sort of babying voice people used to talk to their beloved dogs. “Do you have a widdle cwush on her or something?” She turned to Sabrina. “How do you feel about that?”

Sabrina sucked in a breath and let it out slowly through her nose. “I think you probably shouldn’t sexually harass people, Joy.”

“Are you insinuating that I did?” Joy asked, feigning shock. “I don’t think I said anything like that. Andy, Eric. Did you hear me sexually harass anyone?”

Andy and Eric both looked uneasy. Andy also looked like he might need to dive for the garbage can sometime this morning if his hangover headache didn’t let up.

“If you try and say that again, I’ll slap you with a slander complaint so fast you won’t even realize you’re fired until you’re back wherever you go at night and you’re crying into a tub of chunky monkey ice cream because you’ve got nothing,” Joy said.

“Whatever,” Sabrina deadpanned.

You were about to say something else, and you were somewhat glad that Gemma coming back distracted you. She entered the room, her own happy smile faltering and turning sour as she saw Joy had arrived for the day.

“Where were you?” Joy demanded. “There’s work to do.”

“Just talking with Mr Garrison,” Gemma said. “And I was here working almost an hour ago. Where have you been?”

“I don’t have to answer to you,” Joy said. “But you do answer to me. What did Garrison want?”

“None of your business, Joy,” Gemma sighed.

“It’s not an HR issue,” Joy said. “You have to tell me.”

“Actually, we don’t,” you said. “Especially considering Garrison told us not to talk about it.”

Joy narrowed her eyes. “You talked to him as well?”

“So did I,” Sabrina smirked.

Eric just held up his hands. “Yeah, I’m not in whatever this is.”

“We have work to get done,” you said. “Let’s just-”

Joy shot up from her seat and stormed out of the office, down the corridor in the direction of the Partner offices. You had to wonder if she was heading to complain to her Mom or to try and find things out from Garrison himself. Still, while she was gone you were able to make eye contact with Gemma and she grinned happily, and she flashed the same smile to Sabrina as well. The three of you started working hard.