Page 22 of The Cottage in the Highlands

The seat between them was vacant. It was like the opening scene of The Apprentice, before Lord Sugar emerges from behind the frosted doors.

I managed a shaky smile and tugged at the hem of my charcoal skirt. The tension was rising at the imminent arrival of Athena Mayhew. I don’t know who looked more terrified, me or her two colleagues. The glass doors let out a faint whisper as they opened.

I didn’t turn around. I didn’t want to fan the flames of trepidation burning away inside of me as it was.

Athena Mayhew swept in and took up her chair. She didn’t raise her eyes for a few moments, preferring instead to scan my CV in front of her. After a few more torturous moments, she flipped her charged light-green eyes over me, as though she were bestowing upon me a huge privilege. Raven lowlights glowed around her chin. “Leonie Baxter,” she rasped, as though my name were a medical condition.

I straightened the collar of my striped shirt. “That’s right, Ms Mayhew.”

She grimaced, showing a set of tiny, pearly teeth.

I watched the three of them flick through the papers on the table in front of them.

“Journalism degree. Ad agency employment. Local newspaper. Freelance work.” Each word Athena Mayhew said was delivered like a bullet. She steepled her hands together on top of the polished glass table. The gold serpent buttons of her blouse glittered at me. “So why you? Why here?”

I flashed what I hoped was a confident smile at an expectant-faced Barbara and grim-mouthed Oli. “Why not me? I’m a dedicated and hard-working journalist with a solid background in news reporting.”

I gestured to my CV on the table. “Goddess magazine doesn’t just look good. It’s making a difference to women’s lives and I want to be a part of that. I can produce concise, sharp copy—”

Athena Mayhew remained impassive as she cut me off. “And who do you see as the average Goddess reader?”

“In my opinion, there is no such thing,” I answered, trying to blank out my protesting toes in my pointed heels. “Anyone who reads a magazine like Goddess is insightful, interested in the world around her, and wants to be a part of something bigger.” I gathered myself together and ploughed on. “Goddess readers are all united by one thing: they want to enrich and better their lives, no matter who they are or where they come from.”

I took a breath. All the soundbites and positive compliments were waltzing out of my mouth. “I especially enjoyed the features on female airline pilots and the article highlighting the struggle of female boxing promoters.”

One of Athena Mayhew’s dark-chocolate brows twitched. She shot an indecipherable sideways glance at her colleagues.

“What would you like to see in the magazine?” piped up Oli Noakes. “What would you wish to report on?”

I sat up straighter, levelling my best professional gaze at each of them in turn. “I’d love to report on the anomalies in women’s pay in the media and interview someone like Blaze McGiver, Scotland’s answer to Ru Paul.”

I gathered myself, discovering my momentum. “Then there’s the struggle of women wishing to enter politics, particularly working mothers with families.”

Barbara’s mouth slid into a brief but appreciative smile and she noted something down.

“Even in today’s world, there are still dubieties that exist and there shouldn’t be. I think an influential magazine like Goddess can really play its part in if not eradicating then certainly dispelling myths about working mothers and making their lives a little easier.”

I hesitated, snatching a quick glimpse at each of the three faces of my interviewers. Oh God. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, but my Spidey senses were telling me the interview was going rather well. Even Athena Mayhew appeared to be smiling, or at least trying to. Then again, maybe her killer heels were a bit on the snug side for her too.

“Ms Mayhew. I’m so sorry to interrupt.”

I spun around in my chair, my chain of thought shattering like broken glass.

It was the young woman with the buffed cheeks. She was shifting from foot to foot in the doorway.

Athena Mayhew narrowed her eyes. “What is it, Orion? We’re in the middle of an interview.”

Orion swallowed hard. “I’m so sorry Ms Mayhew, but it is urgent.”

Oli Noakes muddy eyes bulged out of his head. “Urgent enough to interrupt?”

She flashed me an apologetic look. “I’m afraid it is.” She chewed her lip.

Athena Mayhew delivered a disapproving glower at the shrinking Orion and sashayed out in a swish of her strawberry satin suit. She ensured that the door was pulled closed behind her, while the flush-faced Orion explained what was going on.

This was all I needed! Just as I was locating some semblance of confidence and finding my stride too.

After a few more awkward exchanges between me, Barbara, and Oli about my journey here and the weather, Athena stuck her expensive elfin cut back around the door. Orion scurried off.