Page 3 of Pure Recklessness

I clicked on the message then made a mental note of the address and directions.

‘Got it. I’d better go. Thanks again for the opportunity.’

Forty minutes later I crashed through the doors of the tall, sleek office building sweating like a pig.

This place was impressive. Floor-to-ceiling windows, glossy white tiled floors and dozens of crystal trophies lining the walls.

Feeling self-conscious, I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, then reached up to check my thick shoulder-length curls were still in a neat bun.

My heart pounded against my chest as I glanced at my watch. I’d made it on time, but I wasn’t ready for this.

Although there was supposed to be Wi-Fi on the Tube, despite trying thousands of times to Google ‘Sated International’, I couldn’t get online. So now I was committing the cardinal sin of turning up to an interview unprepared.

All I knew was that they made apple pies and toys (including dolls), and the big boss was a demanding man called Mr Devil.

No, that wasn’t right.

Was it Mr Devon? Or maybe Devilish?

Anyway, it didn’t matter. It was the head of HR not the CEO who’d be interviewing me.

‘Good morning,’ I said as I approached the glossy black reception desk. ‘I’m Eleanor Lewis and I’m here for an interview with Melissa Keegan.’

‘Welcome to Sated!’ she said in an American accent. ‘Melissa’s expecting you, but she’s running late. She’s still hoping to make it, but she may need to send someone else from her team if she can’t. We’re a little short-staffed at the moment, so once you’re signed in, I’ll need you to take the elevator, sorry, you guys say lift here, right? I’m from New York, so I’m still getting used to the lingo.’

Phew. My shoulders instantly loosened. If Melissa was running late, I’d have time to Google the company.

‘I moved to London recently too.’ I smiled.

‘Awesome! So, take the lift to the tenth floor, swipe the pass I’ll give you, head to the meeting room and someone from HR will join you there ASAP.’

‘No problem,’ I said.

Once she’d signed me in, a burly security guard escorted me to the lift.

When I stepped out onto the tenth floor, my eyes widened.

This was the fanciest office I’d ever seen. Glass walls, immaculate wooden floors, glossy white desks with expensive-looking computer screens.

It was like a ghost town though. I wondered what bug had wiped out an entire floor of employees.

I found the glass-walled meeting room and the door was open, so I went in and sat down.

I was about to pull out my phone to research the company, but a collection of products spread across the glass table caught my eye.

There was a plastic arm alongside a monster tentacle, a plastic corn on the cob and a yellow chick with a giant bottom.

Judy said they produced toys, but this was such a weird combination.

The only normal things on the table were a lipstick and tube of mascara.

Lipstick! That reminded me. Now was the perfect time to wear the new one I’d bought.

I rooted around in my handbag, but couldn’t find it. Then I remembered I’d taken it out when I got home and left it on the bed. Dammit.

The lipstick on this table was even prettier than mine. It was lovely shade of red which would suit my medium brown skin perfectly and make me look powerful, confident and strong. And I needed all the help I could get to secure this job.

Clearly it was a tester, so if I wiped it with a tissue and used few drops of hand sanitizer, hopefully I wouldn’t catch any lurgies.