“Oh yeah, you can even order two entrees if you want.”
And bring one home for Annabelle to try.
“Thanks, I’d love to.”
Gianelli’sis a small Italian restaurant located about a five-minute walk from the office. I have worked in this area before, and my mom even waitresses nearby, but I haven’t ever noticed the place.
It’s like an old-style 1950s diner, and it’s packed, which is always a good sign. The food smells amazing. Kaitlin and I grab a table by the window, while Julia hovers, looking at me.
“What do you want?”
I stare at the board behind the counter as staff bustle past in all directions. The scent of melting cheese is heavy in the air, and my stomach growls loudly.
“Order whatever you’d recommend,” I say, overwhelmed by all the choices. “I literally eat everything.”
Julia saunters off as Kaitlin and I take a seat. “We come here as often as we can,” Kaitlin says, heaving a big sigh. “It’s cheap and great food. And, by the way, you don’t look like you eatanything.”
I pause in the act of pulling off my jacket as her eyes zero in on my waist.
“I promise you I do,” I say firmly. “I just have a good metabolism; I eat like a horse.”
Kaitlin snorts and orders us both a Diet Coke. “You look like you’ve settled in already. Have you worked this kind of job before?”
I nod. “Yeah. Well, I’ve worked all over the place, but EA and PA work was what I did after high school. I don’t mind it, and the money’s good.”
Kaitlin scoffs, and it suddenly occurs to me that what I make compared to her salary might bevastlydifferent.
“Yeah,” she conceded. “I still think we’re paid like shit for the amount of crap we have to deal with. Crawford can be a slave driver when he wants to be.”
My ears prick up. If I can use this lunch to get more information on my new boss, I plan to. “You worked with him for long?” I ask.
“Three years, but Jules has been here the longest.” If you need to know how to get something done, just ask her. She knowsallthe internal processes, even the secret ones. She’s saved my ass too many times to count when I’ve fucked things up.”
Julia lowers into her seat and hands me a huge pot filled to the brim with pasta and cheese.
“How are you getting on?” she asks me. “Was Beatrice pissy with you?” Kaitlin gives Julia a warning glare, but she shrugs in response. “Look, she tends to blame people for sitting up front, and I don’t think it’s fair. Amelia has a different job from us, and Beatrice shouldn’t blame her for it.”
My heart drops as my suspicions that Beatrice knows exactly what I’m employed to do flare to life again. But that thought is quashed almost immediately.
“She doesn’t care about that,” Kaitlin says with an eye roll. “She’s just bitter because Crawford won’t allow her to work for Vanessa.”
I frown at her. “Is that the CFO? I think I saw an email from her this morning.”
Kaitlin nods. “Yeah. Vanessa Dickenson is a badass. We all love her, and she adores Beatrice, but B has only worked here for a year, and Crawford relies on her. It’s like a symbiotic relationship that neither of them enjoys. Beatrice is desperate to move. She wants to get into finance one day.”
“Can’t Crawford just hire someone else?” I ask.
They both glance at each other. “He can, but he expects perfection from day one. There aren’t a lot of EAs who can pull that off. I feel bad for her, but she shouldn’t take it out on you.”
“Does she want my job, or something?” I ask.
“It’s not that,” Julia says as she blows on a forkful of pasta. “She’s bitter about her salary, too. She doesn’t think he needs four EAs and keeps saying it would be fairer if he paid the three of us more and got rid of your role.””
Kaitlin clears her throat pointedly at Julia, who raises one hand defensively. “Hey, I’m not saying Amelia isn’t adding value, but I don’t really understand her job, either.”
I deliberately shove a load of pasta in my mouth, so I don’t have to answer that, but, mercifully, Kaitlin moves the conversation on.
“Amelia has done everything we asked her to do already, Jules. And she’s requestedmore work.”
