Joanna Riggs headed back to work, ready to focus on managing the newly hired docents and the ever-exciting museum environment. She decided to check on Topper Thornton, who was stationed at the Arts and Crafts exhibit. As she approached, she found Topper explaining the intricacies of Mayan weaving to a small group of visitors.
"Hey, Topper," Joanna greeted him with a smile. "How's it going? How are you holding up on your first week here?"
Topper grinned, looking a bit more relaxed than the previous days. "Hey, Joanna. It's been great, actually. I've been learning a lot and the visitors are really interested in the exhibits. Plus, no more jokes about John B.," he added with a chuckle.
Joanna laughed. "Glad to hear it. Keep up the good work. I'm sure you're doing a fantastic job."
As Joanna left the Arts and Crafts exhibit, she headed back to her office, mentally checking off her to-do list. But as she turned a corner, she saw something that made her jaw drop. Wandering around the museum, looking utterly fascinated, was the musical duo Sofi Tukker.
Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Joanna discreetly walked back to the laboratory to find Henrik van der Hune. She burst into the lab, trying to contain her excitement.
"Henrik, you won't believe who's here!" she exclaimed.
Henrik looked up from his work, curiosity piqued. "Who is it this time?"
"Sofi Tukker! They're just wandering around the museum."
Henrik's eyebrows shot up. "Sofi Tukker? The EDM duo?"
Joanna nodded vigorously. "Yes! Come on, we need to tell Eva King."
They hurried to the marketing and communications director's office. Eva looked up from her desk as they entered, a look of mild irritation crossing her face.
"What now?" Eva asked, sounding a bit exasperated.
"Sofi Tukker is at the museum," Joanna said, barely able to contain her excitement.
Eva's expression didn't change. "Not a fan," she admitted bluntly. "I don't really enjoy their music and I don't go to EDM shows anymore."
Henrik, sensing a story, asked, "Why? What caused your trauma?"
Eva sighed, leaning back in her chair. "A few years ago, I went to an EDM festival, and it was just too much. The crowd, the noise, the lights—it was overwhelming. I had a panic attack and ever since then, I've stayed away from those kinds of events."
Joanna and Henrik exchanged sympathetic glances. "Sorry to hear that, Eva," Joanna said gently.
Eva shrugged. "It is what it is. You two can handle Sofi Tukker. Just make sure they don't break anything."
Joanna and Henrik nodded and headed back to the exhibits, keeping an eye out for the musical duo. They soon spotted Sofi Tukker at the Rituals exhibit, acting a bit strangely. Sophie was pretending to perform a ritual dance while Tucker was making exaggerated chanting noises.
Henrik approached them, curiosity and concern mingling in his expression. "Excuse me, what are you two doing?"
Sophie grinned. "We're getting inspired by the ancient rituals! It's amazing stuff."
Joanna stepped forward, trying to maintain a polite tone. "That's great, but please don't touch the artifacts. They're very delicate."
Just as she said this, Tucker accidentally bumped into an exhibit case, causing a slight wobble. "Oops, sorry about that," he said, steadying the case.
Joanna facepalmed, but Sophie started singing a made-up song on the spot. "We're at Beech Hill, the coolest museum thrill…"
Henrik couldn't help but chuckle, but Joanna interrupted. "Seriously, guys, be careful. There was an incident once where someone stole a Pacal Jade carving and replaced it with a scarlet hand. We can't let anything like that happen again."
Sophie and Tucker nodded, looking a bit more serious. "Got it, we'll be careful," Sophie said.
Joanna sighed in relief. "Thank you. Enjoy the exhibits, but please, no more touching."
As Joanna and Henrik walked away, Henrik whispered, "We've certainly had our share of excitement today."
Joanna laughed. "Tell me about it. Between Gigi Hadid, Salma Hayek, and now Sofi Tukker, Beech Hill is turning into quite the celebrity hotspot."
Henrik nodded. "Let's just hope the rest of the day is a bit more... normal."
But deep down, Joanna knew that at Beech Hill Museum, normal was a relative term. Every day brought new surprises, challenges, and stories that she wouldn't trade for anything in the world.
