Jim nodded as he passed her in the stairway. “Doesn’t Hannah have a nice tan from her beach trip?”
“I hadn’t really noticed.” She climbed the top stair and shouted over her shoulder, “See you later, Jim. Big day. We’re beginning work on Show-Me Bank’s anniversary celebration.”
“Glad to hear it. I’ll look forward to an update soon.” Jim retreated down the last step and disappeared.
Alex wondered if he really was that clueless or if he was embarrassed and attempting to deflect the conversation.
She spoke to a few latecomers who punched the clock as she poured two cups of coffee, returned to her office, and grimaced as she plunked one cup in front of Hannah. “Any questions about the priority list?”
Hannah stared at the black coffee. “I asked for sugar and creamer.”
“I’m not your gopher. Drink it black or get your own.” Alex frowned as she sank into her plush chair. “Let’s start over. Do you have any questions about the anniversary plans? We have a lot to do between now and then.”
Alex highlighted marketing aspects that needed to be prioritized. “We can’t make any mistakes on the invitation list, press releases, giveaways, food, print ads, direct mail pieces, television and radio commercials, traffic flow for the actual event, and—”
Sighing dramatically, Hannah tapped her iPad. “I’ve got it, Alex. I’m getting my master’s degree, remember?”
“How could I forget? You remind me almost daily.”
Hannah folded her arms. “Well, it’s quite a feat. I’m very proud of myself.” She paused. “You don’t have a master’s, do you?”
Bristling, Alex said, “No, and I haven’t needed one. I’m vice president of marketing, remember? My bachelor’s degree and vast work experience have served me well.”
Crossing her arms, Hannah smirked. “I guess it does help being older.”
Ignoring the jab, Alex asked, “Where’s the paper I gave you? Why are you working from an iPad?”
“I used your computer to scan it to my device while you were getting coffee.” She shrugged. “Easy peasy.”
“Where’s the document?”
“I shredded it. No need to duplicate everything. We can save some trees.” Hannah pointed toward her head with her finger. “Brains. Beauty and brains are an unbeatable combination.” Glancing at her online notes, she gasped. “Oh, crap. I accidentally hit delete.”
“Seriously? Don’t they teach you how to save documents in those master’s courses?” Alex fished a yellow legal pad from her drawer and thrust it toward Hannah. “Old school but it works perfectly, plus I still have my list if you want another copy. I’m feeling magnanimous today.”
Hannah waved it away as though it were a wasp. “I hit ‘undo.’ I see the document now. Everything’s fine.” Leaning forward, she said, “One thing they teach us in management courses is to remain calm during stressful corporate situations.”
“Whatever. I’m calm. I’m always calm.”
Snickering, Hannah said, “You’re never calm. You always run late and you—”
“Seriously? Are you scolding me? I’m your boss. Just because you’re Daddy’s—” Alex stopped herself and shuffled a stack of papers. The Crystal City Business Journal rep appeared in the doorway.
Alex stood. “Come in. Hannah, that’s all for now. Why don’t you work in the employee lounge while we meet?”