Chapter 3 I got the job

April

My phone pinged before I'd even made back it to the train station, I'd stopped by a small pastry shop that I'd seen on my jog to the interview that smelled delicious and I'd decided to purchase a few bite-sized danishes and 2 larger pain au chocolates for my mother and me, it took a while to get to the check out as the store was more than a little busy with customers everywhere and a phone that didn't stop ringing, just after I had left the store my phone alerted me to an email, surely it was a generic "thank you but we're looking for someone else".

I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my handbag and opened my emails. I was shaken, to be honest, I'd never expected what I saw: "We're happy to inform you that the position of Secretary with Richards and Associates has been accepted please see attachments for details." I had thought for sure the man who had interviewed me could not possibly have liked me. He was curt and to the point and the whole interview felt like it had taken less time than it would for me to make a packet of 2-minute noodles.

I'd made so many mistakes, not to mention how I couldn't stop looking at his chiselled jawline, the hard set of his mouth even though his lips seemed soft and inviting. And his deep blue eyes that contrasted with his pitch-black hair. He was fucking sexy I didn't know how else to explain it. I'd only seen him sitting down but he looked like a big man with broad shoulders and strong arms. He was wearing an extremely well-tailored suit that hugged his arms in all the right places. I could tell even through the layers that beneath the suit was a spectacularly well-defined specimen of a man. My mouth was watering and I couldn't work out if it was the smell of pastries or the memory of Mr Richards.

As I walked towards the train station with my pastries clutched in one hand I imagined what working for him was going to be like, how can you work for someone who you are constantly undressing with your eyes? This was not going to be easy. Hopefully, his unwavering glare would be enough to make me dislike him. He seemed like a hard man and I could not afford to fantasise about my boss.

Then I realised with an almost audible heartbreak I'm going to have to quit the Clutch, I wasn't permanent, I wasn't even part-time I'd only ever been hired as a casual and my shifts were normally only 3 times a week so I didn't have to give much notice but the last 4 years of happy memories came flooding in and a sense of sadness overtook the last 5 minutes of my walk. By the time I reached the train station, all sadness was gone by the thought that at least my mother would be happy, and then I remembered I'd better run into the bathroom I'd packed extra makeup and a blue bra in my handbag, best I change before the train so she doesn't catch me looking so unappealing.

I thought about my next shift as I was applying gaudy eye makeup it was tomorrow, I'd let Eddy know and apologise about the late notice as my first walkthrough with Rose as per the email was on Thursday before I started fresh Monday morning maybe I would still do the Saturday shift if Eddy couldn't find a replacement in time, no doubt Josh would be asked to work the shift as Archie was already full time. I didn't feel sadness at starting a new job especially since Mr Richards was for lack of a better word delectable, but I did feel sad about the thought of not seeing my guys every weekend. We loved our Saturday shift and breaking it to Archie was probably going to get my ear chewed off.

After the train ride home and thinking about ways to break it to my best friend I found a seat next to the exit as it wasn't even 3 yet and I knew I was in for a half-hour wait for my mother. I could just walk the 3 minutes home. This, however, gave me time to layer the makeup the way I know she would have liked. I'd just go slightly lighter so she would think this was my best attempt; she wouldn't be happy unless she got to critique something.

Half an hour later I was googling Mr Richards so engrossed in my phone, who was this man I was going to be working for. I didn't find many pages, a few news reports about who he was representing in court and a few articles about the company and how he had taken over from his father. The legacy continues, was a prominent feature in most of the early ones but for the last few years more and more about his personal life or at least an attempt to uncover it. There seemed to be a few beautiful women at elegant parties and for most of the last 2 years the same extravagantly beautiful woman, I wondered if they were together a fit of sudden jealousy overtook me, goodness I didnt know the man why was I jealous over who he was with, probably just the normal kind of jealousy like when you see who a superstar is married to.

I continued to look through the google images of Mr Richards and according to the caption a Miss Duke, when I heard the horn, my mom in her usual spot already frustrated that I hadn't seen her the second she had pulled up. I walked up to the car smiling and said "Hi mom" as soon as I sat down she didn't extend the greeting simply started rapid-firing questions about the interview. "So did it go well? Did you arrive on time? Did you do it the way we practised? We're there questions they asked that we didn't cover?" "Mom!! Take a breath for goodness sake!" She stopped and waited for my response, I'd upset her more I could tell from the scowl forming "It went perfect. I got the job officially Monday but I have a day walkthrough with the current Secretary on Thursday.

I waited while her face seemed to relax and she seemed content with my answer "ok" she said to be honest I'd expected a bit more considering how much she had pushed for this. But she seemed to have something else on her mind and for once she hadn't complained about my appearance at all. I settled into my seat and remembered the pastries, "mom, I got us some pastries from this cute bakery close to my new job". "Don't go getting fatter on pastries now that they are in walking distance you don't need to add any more to that" she gestured at my body. I knew I shouldn't have said anything but I swallowed the tears I could feel coming on and shook my head in agreement.

The rest of the ride was silent I got home and headed to the kitchen to start dinner it was my turn to cook, I got to do the delightfully annoying chore 4 nights of the week, with takeout on Fridays and we sort of foraged for ourselves on Saturday with mom always cooking a decent dinner on Sunday. She seemed to love cooking it was one of my favourite things to be part of as she always smiled and enjoyed the process but lately she didn't even want me in the kitchen on Sundays and she was now making less and less interesting food with whole salads and only meat for the last 5 weeks an attempt to reduce my calorie intake as it uses to be my only cheat day.

We ate dinner with no more talk of the job or interview, I was positive she was thinking about it though. She kept looking at me and then back at her dinner plate. After dinner mom helped me wash up and as I was packing away the dishes she looked at me with a frown "you know I have work all this week but I don't want you to get an opportunity to embarrass us in front of your new boss" I turned to look at her waiting for the list of offensive things she thought I'd be doing to embarrass her. She turned back to the sink to wash the pots and said "I went through your cupboards you don't really have anything decent to wear and I don't have the time or the money to get you a whole new wardrobe, we will go that donation store next week and pick out a few pieces till you get your first pay." She seemed to consider this for a moment then said "I don't even have anything that fits you, and we've been on this diet for weeks and it doesn't look like you've lost any weight.

I cocked my head to the side and then went back to drying the last of the dishes, since when were we on a diet. This explains the lacklustre dinners we've been having but she never mentioned anything about a diet to me directly. I definitely didn't see a point in asking though I'd learned that starting fights about my appearance was just a hill I couldn't bare to climb anymore, not worth the effort or the tears so I merely looked at the dishes that needed packing away and waited for her to continue. She turned and looked once more at me and appeared to start a sentence then closed her mouth and then after she turned her back to me once more said " I'll help when I can but I'm expecting you to be able to make it work until we fix the situation. With that she put the last pot in the drying rack and walked out.

I spent most of that night looking up my new boss, my new company and anything else that could help me get a better foothold on what my new responsibilities would look like I also made some casual notes on the ensembles that we're in the business photos as well as the website, seeing that knee length pencil skirts and button up blouses in light colours seemed to be the preferred dress code amongst the woman with a well-fitting pantsuit or two thrown in. At least I knew my own relatively conservative approach to work attire was the approved look, my own personal preference when it comes to clothes is what most people would call rather provocative, I loved the way my body looked much to my mom's dissatisfaction but I had the guys to thank for that. They hyped me up every opportunity they got and it did my ego wonders over the years. My Facebook was evidence of that so much so that I even blocked my mother from seeing it just in case she lost her marbles. Just telling her offhand one day that I was taking a break from social media.

I got into bed at around midnight,after a boiling shower, knowing I would have the day relatively to myself with few commitments and little responsibilities even my mother had work so I didn't even have to pretend to get up and be busy I could completely unwind. I got into my double bed which had a pink floral quilt cover and about 20 throw pillows, technically taking them off and putting them on in my mind was assessed to be a full upper body workout yet another thing I could refrain from participating in for the sake of the endless facade of my life. Mom would leave shortly after me and I could enjoy my second last day at the Clutch followed by whatever fun the boys would want to do, contemplating again if they would be upset at the news of my departure. But then Mom wouldn't be home until the early hours of Thursday morning giving me yet another free pass with my work attire for the walk-through.

Maybe I could get their advice on some outfits before we inevitably had dinner like we did most times after Archie worked the late shift, they always gave the best advice. With that happy thought, I laid back down all worry and distraction about my new job forgotten.