Revenge of the Cube Dweller Read Online Free Page A
Author: Joanne Fox Phillips
Bishop brother or two? Perhaps we can modify
their
behavior,” Lucy says.
“Oh, speaking of which,” I say and tell her about getting onto the executive floor this morning.
“Too bad I didn’t know this before. I might have asked you to drop off some Sierra Club literature.”
“Anyway, his secretary leaves her passwords practically out in plain sight, so I downloaded some files.”
Lucy immediately gets more serious. “What kind of files? What’s in them?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I say, nervous about her sudden interest. “I just got carried away. You know how I am. And besides, that’s not the point. The point is that there is this perception that Bishop security is impenetrable, and I proved it’s fairly easy to breach. They need to know that they have some pretty big holes that need to be filled.”
“Oh, before I forget,” Lucy says, changing the subject, “I spoke with Honey last night. Little Lulu got into NYU Tisch School of the Arts! Can you believe it? Broadway bound!” Lulu, our niece, is the youngest daughter of my third sisterBumby. Honey, our eldest sister, the one who keeps us all connected, is a Catholic nun, and Bumby is the single mother of three daughters. Her husband Shamus was killed in a car wreck ten years ago.
“The tuition’s upwards of $50,000 a year and NYU offers a little aid, but not much. Bumby wants to know if you can help with tuition like you did for the others.”
“Yikes! Lucy. Does it make sense to drop a quarter of a million bucks on an education that could relegate her to waiting tables for the rest of her life?” I am stalling here, pondering the dismal returns I’m making on my portfolio these days. “I thought she wanted to be a nurse like her sisters.”
“She’s always wanted to act, she just didn’t think she’d get in anywhere like NYU. This is a huge opportunity, Tanzie. They’re very selective.”
Winston and I had no children of our own and gladly helped the nieces and nephews pay for their education. Now that Winston has become my wasband, I am fairly certain he will not continue to fund the O’Leary scholarship program. Still, it will not hurt to ask; that kind of money can probably be found under a seat cushion in his home, considering his outrageous executive salary. Plus, he has always adored Lulu and Bumby.
The idea of getting in touch with Winston, however, makes me wince. Maybe I can do it without bothering him. Fifty thousand a year will put a big dent in my portfolio, but I’m not going to be a grunt forever. In a couple of years, I might be making well over six figures a year. I’m not going to let my adorable Lulu turn down a chance like this.
“Of course I will,” I finally say. “Tell her not to worry. We canfigure something out. Find out from Bumby when she needs the money, okay?”
“Okay, I will.”
In our family, we often communicate indirectly, particularly when favors are asked. That way, the requester will not be humiliated if the request is denied. I don’t know if this is a European thing or just an O’Leary thing, but that’s how our business is taken care of. Lucy and I end our call with our family’s traditional Greek Easter greeting that we’ve repeated every Easter since childhood.
“Christos Anesti,” Lucy says.
“Alithos Anesti,” I reply as I hang up.
After my chat, I type up my notes from the morning’s security review and go back over them in preparation for the next day’s staff meeting. I smile and nod. This is my ticket. The simple request to validate base-level building security, thanks to me, has revealed breaches so profound that if the wrong people decided to take advantage of them, they could potentially bring down the company. The competitor in me cannot wait to see Moe and Frank react when I deliver my report. This is first-class work and perhaps the vehicle to move me out from under Moe and Frank altogether and into an office beside them.
CHAPTER THREE
I take extra time
their
behavior,” Lucy says.
“Oh, speaking of which,” I say and tell her about getting onto the executive floor this morning.
“Too bad I didn’t know this before. I might have asked you to drop off some Sierra Club literature.”
“Anyway, his secretary leaves her passwords practically out in plain sight, so I downloaded some files.”
Lucy immediately gets more serious. “What kind of files? What’s in them?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I say, nervous about her sudden interest. “I just got carried away. You know how I am. And besides, that’s not the point. The point is that there is this perception that Bishop security is impenetrable, and I proved it’s fairly easy to breach. They need to know that they have some pretty big holes that need to be filled.”
“Oh, before I forget,” Lucy says, changing the subject, “I spoke with Honey last night. Little Lulu got into NYU Tisch School of the Arts! Can you believe it? Broadway bound!” Lulu, our niece, is the youngest daughter of my third sisterBumby. Honey, our eldest sister, the one who keeps us all connected, is a Catholic nun, and Bumby is the single mother of three daughters. Her husband Shamus was killed in a car wreck ten years ago.
“The tuition’s upwards of $50,000 a year and NYU offers a little aid, but not much. Bumby wants to know if you can help with tuition like you did for the others.”
“Yikes! Lucy. Does it make sense to drop a quarter of a million bucks on an education that could relegate her to waiting tables for the rest of her life?” I am stalling here, pondering the dismal returns I’m making on my portfolio these days. “I thought she wanted to be a nurse like her sisters.”
“She’s always wanted to act, she just didn’t think she’d get in anywhere like NYU. This is a huge opportunity, Tanzie. They’re very selective.”
Winston and I had no children of our own and gladly helped the nieces and nephews pay for their education. Now that Winston has become my wasband, I am fairly certain he will not continue to fund the O’Leary scholarship program. Still, it will not hurt to ask; that kind of money can probably be found under a seat cushion in his home, considering his outrageous executive salary. Plus, he has always adored Lulu and Bumby.
The idea of getting in touch with Winston, however, makes me wince. Maybe I can do it without bothering him. Fifty thousand a year will put a big dent in my portfolio, but I’m not going to be a grunt forever. In a couple of years, I might be making well over six figures a year. I’m not going to let my adorable Lulu turn down a chance like this.
“Of course I will,” I finally say. “Tell her not to worry. We canfigure something out. Find out from Bumby when she needs the money, okay?”
“Okay, I will.”
In our family, we often communicate indirectly, particularly when favors are asked. That way, the requester will not be humiliated if the request is denied. I don’t know if this is a European thing or just an O’Leary thing, but that’s how our business is taken care of. Lucy and I end our call with our family’s traditional Greek Easter greeting that we’ve repeated every Easter since childhood.
“Christos Anesti,” Lucy says.
“Alithos Anesti,” I reply as I hang up.
After my chat, I type up my notes from the morning’s security review and go back over them in preparation for the next day’s staff meeting. I smile and nod. This is my ticket. The simple request to validate base-level building security, thanks to me, has revealed breaches so profound that if the wrong people decided to take advantage of them, they could potentially bring down the company. The competitor in me cannot wait to see Moe and Frank react when I deliver my report. This is first-class work and perhaps the vehicle to move me out from under Moe and Frank altogether and into an office beside them.
CHAPTER THREE
I take extra time
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