The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady - Elizabeth Stuckey-French [68]
When Vic walked into the conference room as Gigi was getting ready to start the training, he did a quick inventory of the scorers and noticed many familiar faces, old hands who helped out on every project, and there in the back row, Nancy Archer, her accoutrements spread out around her—coffee mug, pens, pencils, notepad. She looked like a regal but mischievous queen. She waved at Vic, claiming their special relationship in front of God and everyone. He nodded at Nance, thinking, Oh shit. He remembered telling her about the project, suggesting that she might want to score, but never thought she’d actually follow through.
He sat down in the back of the room to watch Gigi—wearing a low-cut, sleeveless dress, high heels, and big hoop earrings—explain the training packets to the scorers. As soon as she’d finished, three of the scorers—an African American ex-military fellow, a young greasy-haired Harley type, and Nancy Archer—banded together to challenge her.
“Why’s ‘My Big Fat Halloween Party’ a three and ‘Lost in Kentucky’ only a two?” Harley asked Gigi. “ ‘Lost in Kentucky’ at least has a voice.”
“I used to be an English teacher,” Nancy said, “for twenty-five years. And I never would’ve given ‘My Big Fat Halloween Party’ a C, which is what a three is—am I right?”
Military Man read Gigi’s rubric back to her in a sarcastic voice, and then waited for her to defend her scores.
Gigi kept glancing at Vic, her eyes panicky like a horse’s. He nodded encouragingly at her, but even though they’d discussed the reasons they’d given the papers their scores, she didn’t seem to remember their rationale. She stammered and blushed and giggled. “Well, let me think. I know I had a good reason. Can anybody help me out here?”
The rebels saw they were getting to her and stepped up their attack. How had this woman ever taught when she was a graduate student? Was she falling apart because Vic was there, watching her? He finally stood up and sent everyone on break.
Vic planned to spend half an hour with the upstarts in his office, the three unhappy know-it-alls, letting them know, in the nicest way possible, that they were completely replaceable.
He spoke first to Military Man and then Harley, who both left his office in a huff and quit the project, and saved Nance for last. He was particularly angry at Nance, whom he felt was trying to take advantage of the fact that they had a personal connection.
“I’m sorry I upset Gigi,” Nance said, sitting across from him. She was wearing a pinstriped jacket with a white bow blouse underneath. “I truly didn’t mean to.”
Vic flipped the overhead lights on in his office so as to create an official atmosphere. As in, This is a corporation you’re dealing with, lady.
“Gigi’s a real nice girl,” Nance went on. “She’s Buff Coffey’s sister. I believe I saw you talking to Gigi at the roller rink. Is she a good friend of yours? Is that why she has this job?”
Vic said that Gigi was qualified to be doing what she was doing, having a Ph.D. in English.
“She might be smart,” Nance said, “and she’s real cute, but I could do a much better job training than she’s doing.”
Did she think Vic was going to let her take over Gigi’s job? The arrogance! And after he’d been so nice to her that evening she came over, defending her against Caroline’s sullen attacks.
“Gigi’s doing a fine job. You need to give her a break and not argue with everything she says. We made up those training packets together. I stand by all those scores.”
Nance grimaced and raised a hand to her cheek. “I’m so sorry. Didn’t mean to step on your toes. I didn’t realize that you two were a team. I thought you were her supervisor.”
“I am her supervisor. And we’re working together. My toe’s already