Page 14 of Handle with Care
“I’m all care,” I say.
“That’ll get you far. Care and charm, my friend.”
I laugh, then groan, burying my face in my hands. “Help.”
“What’s wrong?” Russell’s voice is full of concern, which is fair because I’m being dramatic, and I’m not an actor by trade. Drama is more of a hobby.
“Everything. My dream internship is turning into a nightmare.” At last, I lift my head.
“Shit. That’s soured quick. What happened?” Russell frowns at me, twisting his pint between his hands. “Is your boss a terror?”
I shake my head glumly. “No, she’s cool. It’s not my supervisor or anything like that.” With a sigh, I peek over myshoulder in case Mr. McLaren lurks somewhere nearby, but the coast is clear. “It’s the other intern who started at the same time as me. He’s a total nightmare. Talk about privilege on legs. And he’s now joined my team. Which is a disaster because he doesn’t know a thing about museums, and I’m supposed to teach him everything I know. And we have hundreds of objects to source and only a few weeks to gather everything before the show opens.”
Russell chews his lip. “Disaster,” he confirms.
We drink.
“What am I supposed to do? I can’t carry him and do all of this too. The man can’t even function in an office, for crying out loud. Letting him near exhibits is asking for problems.”
“You need to contain the damage, I’m afraid. Like any group work project gone bad. That’s bad luck.” He gives me a sympathetic look. Except sympathy doesn’t solve the problem, though I definitely am into the support. “Like PR spin.”
I groan. “I didn’t study media or whatever. I mean, I’m worried about knowing what to do myself. Like we’ve been tossed into the deep end. I haven’t exactly done this before.”
“Maybe… figure out what he’s good at. He’s got to be good at something.” Russell gives me a hopeful look. “Give him the easier, lower-risk things. Things that even if he messes up, they’ll be easy enough to sort out and fix.”
“I don’t know if I can do that now. We split the exhibits list in two, down the middle. And now I can’t change things without making things seem weirder than what they are already. I said I’d loan him an old museums course book I brought along, just in case. But he doesn’t even know to do his own washing up in the office kitchen. So, my expectations are low.”
“Containment. Definitely.” Russell nods decisively.
I wish I had his optimism. “Somehow, I have the feeling that Mr. McLaren is hardly a wallflower or used to taking direction. Least of all from me.”
“You actually call him Mr. McLaren?”
“Because of the car he drives. Or drove.” I fidget with my pint, still embarrassed after the fight, but I don’t want to rehash it with Russell. It feels too personal somehow. “I guess that probably doesn’t make it any better, does it?”
Russell gives out a low whistle. “Right, then. Can’t say it does, I’m afraid.” Then he looks at me seriously. “What’s his real name? You have to get him on your level. Otherwise, you’re building this up into a bigger mess in your head, mate.”
“I feel seen.” I sigh. “His real name is Will.” It feels weird saying his name out loud. Strange on the tongue. Probably good practice, here on neutral ground. “William Martin-Greene.”
“There you go. He’s only a person. Like you. My suggestion is to figure out what his weaknesses are and then exploit them shamelessly. Do the same with his strengths.”
“I wish he’d go back to the Development team. I mean, what if they kicked him out because he’s unbearable? Or incompetent? He’s actually both, I think.” I spread my hands, wide-eyed over my pint, which has done nothing so far to steady my nerves.
“You’re spiraling.”
“Speaking of talents…”
“Now, now, drink up. You’ll be brilliant, you’ll see. One day, you’ll have a laugh about this all.” Russell seems so sure. “You’ll both manage.”
Meanwhile, I’m bracing myself for an international incident with a ruined exhibition and who knows what else. But Russell’s probably right. I need to give him a chance, maybe. Put him on my level.
Maybe Mr. McLaren—Will—might surprise me.
Chapter Eight
The next day, I take a wander through the galleries before going into the office. It’s the best way to start the workday, with a tour through different exhibits to see all the beautiful and interesting things that inspired me to go into museums work in the first place. There are spectacular costumes, elegant furnishings, sleek chairs that look like they’ve landed from the future throughout the gallery.
It’s minutes before 10:00 a.m., when the museum’s doors open to the public, with the docents doing a last quick set of tidying in the galleries and checking to make sure everything’s in order as it should be before public visitors arrive.
