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“Rough day?”
I saw Beatrice’s assistant, Candice, peering into my cubicle as I rubbed my foot. I’d liked her immediately when we were introduced this morning; she was maybe a few years older than me and had a pleasant demeanor, serving as a buffer to Beatrice’s brashness.
“I’m figuring it out.”
“It gets better, I promise. Want to get some lunch?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I followed Candice to the elevators as she pulled her golden blonde hair from a black clip at the back of her hair.
“That’s so much better. I hate keeping my hair up, but it annoys Beatrice when it’s loose.”
I smiled. “I’m glad I put mine in a ponytail.”
“Keep it that way; it makes life easier.”
We stepped onto the elevator, which was almost empty, with just two businessmen looking at paperwork in a folder. They glanced at us as we entered the car.
“How do you like it so far?”
“I think I’d like it more if I actually did something other than make copies and get coffee.”
“I was in your position a couple of years ago. Learn fast, and you’ll be given more responsibility. I think it will be soon since you seem to be very intelligent.”
I felt my face heat and looked down at my shoes, mumbling thanks. Flattery embarrassed me. Candice and I went next door to the crowded little deli. We waited in line while deciding what to get to eat. I wasn’t hungry and stuck to a small salad and iced coffee.
“That’s it for you?”
“I’m nervous.”
She chuckled as she paid for her turkey wrap and iced tea at the cashier. We chatted during lunch until her phone chimed with a request from Beatrice.
“She bothers you during your lunch hour?” I asked.
“Sometimes. She rarely leaves the office for lunch. I have to get her something to eat. I’ll see you upstairs.”
It was time to go back anyway. I packed up my half-eaten salad and threw the remnants into the garbage. It had gotten warmer since I went inside this morning, and I wished I could stay out longer. If this is what the working world was, I think I’d rather be back in school.
“Ryleigh!” Beatrice bellowed.
I had just sat down at my desk to enter some information into the database when she practically screamed from two doors down. I jumped up to see what she wanted, poking my head into the chaos that was her office. Papers were on every free inch of her desk, a small round conference table in the corner, and stacked on the bookshelves behind her.
“Yes, Beatrice.”
“I need lunch. Can you get me a green smoothie from the deli?”
I was surprised since Candice was the only one that got Beatrice lunch. Maybe after three days on the job, she trusted me more.
“Sure. Now?”
“Yes, now. See Aida for petty cash when you come back. And bring a receipt if you want to get reimbursed.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t call me ma’am. I’m not much older than you.”
That was a lie—Beatrice was nearing forty, which would make her almost old enough to be my mother. But I just nodded, hurrying from her office and stopping at my desk to grab the last twenty in my wallet. The hallway was empty when I went to the elevator to wait for the car to come down. When it did, and the doors opened, I couldn’t move because of the lone occupant inside. I stood there like a dummy.
