Joanna Riggs was halfway through her lunch break, savoring the spicy rigatoni she had made the night before. The heat from the dish was just enough to make her nose tingle without overwhelming her taste buds. Her office, filled with artifacts and research notes, provided a comforting backdrop to her meal.

As she took another bite, there was a knock on her office door. She looked up to see Henrik van der Hune standing there, looking a bit disheveled but with a familiar twinkle in his eye.

"Henrik! Come on in," Joanna called out, waving him inside. "Want to join me for lunch?"

Henrik stepped in, closing the door behind him. "Sure, why not? I could use a break. It's been quite an eventful day with all these celebrities visiting Beech Hill."

Joanna chuckled, pushing a chair out for Henrik. "Tell me about it. First Gigi Hadid, then Salma Hayek, and now Sofi Tukker. It's like Hollywood decided to drop in on us."

Henrik sat down and took out his sandwich. "It's definitely been interesting. How's the rigatoni?"

"Spicy," Joanna replied with a grin. "But delicious. How's the work on the Mayan hieroglyphics coming along?"

Henrik's eyes lit up. "It's going well. I've found more glyphs from Iximché that are quite revealing. They provide insights into the political alliances and trade networks of the Maya. There's this one glyph that indicates a significant trade route that might have connected Iximché with other major cities. It's fascinating how intricate their communication systems were."

Joanna leaned forward, clearly interested. "That's incredible, Henrik. The more we learn, the more complex and advanced their society seems."

Their conversation was interrupted by another knock on the door. Eva King, the marketing and communications director, entered the office, followed by Samantha Weghorst, the head of education and outreach.

"Hey Joanna, Henrik. What are you two up to?" Samantha asked with a smile.

Joanna gestured to their lunch spread. "Just taking a break and catching up. You missed all the fun, Samantha. We had a few celebrities drop by Beech Hill today."

Samantha's eyes widened. "Really? Who?"

Joanna listed them off. "Gigi Hadid, Salma Hayek, and Sofi Tukker. It's been quite the day."

Eva rolled her eyes. "I'm not a huge fan of any of them, honestly."

Samantha raised an eyebrow. "Really? Who are your favorite celebrities, Eva?"

Eva thought for a moment. "Well, I've always been a fan of artists like Adele and actors like Meryl Streep. Their talent and the way they handle themselves are admirable."

Joanna was intrigued. "That's interesting, Eva. I wouldn't have pegged you as a Meryl Streep fan."

Henrik chuckled. "What about you two? Any favorite celebrities?"

Joanna and Henrik exchanged glances. "Taylor Swift or Ellen Pompeo," Joanna said. "But I wouldn't say I have an all-time favorite. It's hard to choose just one."

Henrik nodded in agreement. "Same here. There are so many talented people out there. It's difficult to pick just one."

Samantha smiled. "Well, it's nice to know we all have varied tastes. But we should probably get back to work."

Joanna sighed, taking one last bite of her rigatoni. "You're right. There's always more to do. But it's nice to take a break and talk about something different every now and then."

As they all stood up to leave, Henrik gave Joanna a knowing look. "Here's to hoping the rest of the day is a bit more normal. But then again, what's normal at Beech Hill?"

Joanna laughed. "Normal is overrated. Bring on the surprises."

With that, they all headed back to their respective tasks, ready to face whatever the rest of the day might bring. At Beech Hill Museum, one could never predict what—or who—might walk through the doors next.