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Nobody here cares about whether or not I’m any good at pottery. They literally came to have fun. That’s why I booked it. Because I wanted to do something for myself. There’s no other reason I “should” be doing this other than to be creative and enjoy myself.

Grabbing my phone I take a photo and send it to my sister. She immediately replies.

Sophia: New Year, New YOUUUUUU!!!!!!!

Sophia: And yes. The phrase is staying. I am aware it’s October, but you are re-inventing.

The extreme number of exclamation marks are the push I need to walk through the door.

Chapter 21

Claire

The break room at work is blissfully empty when I arrive for lunch. Taking out my book, I settle down for a quiet chapter, but I’m only two pages through when Alicia walks in, looking like she’s one minor inconvenience away from launching a full-scale rebellion.

“I just overheard Michael talking with John in the corridor about that school project,” she says.

A few weeks ago one of the guys in my department got poached by another company. He was meant to be leading a project at a school and the management has been scrabbling trying to work out what to do next. I’ve been attempting to avoid the drama. Though I have occasionally been eavesdropping on conversations, it pays to be well informed.

Alicia flops down in a chair next to me. “You’ll never guess who got the lead.”

I look up, interest piqued. “Andy?” I guess.

“Not Andy.”

“Craig?” I name another nondescript man in our office.

“Wrong again,” she singsongs, pulling some snacks from her bag.

I think about the other men who I’ve heard were going for the project, and my stomach sinks.

“Please don’t say Jack.”

She gives me a flat look. “Jack.”

For fuck’s sake. Of course they’ve chosen generic Jack over a bunch of more senior people.

“It’s that stupid five-a-side team.” Alicia doesn’t look up from her snack. Ugh. I hate that she’s right. A bunch of the guys here play football together on Thursday evenings. Of course, the pair of us have never been invited.

I didn’t even want this job, but still, I’m baffled.

Jack. Jack.

“This is the man who once tried to share a client presentation from his phone but instead added everyone as a contributor to his Spotify playlist.”

“Yep.” Alicia takes an aggressive bite from her cereal bar.

“And the man who once called me over because his spreadsheet ‘lost the numbers’, but when I went to help he had zoomed out too far.”

“That’s the one.”

I stare at her. How? How has someone this incompetent essentially just been promoted? I have no words.

“Oh, and the best part,” Alicia continues, voice dripping with sarcasm, “is that because it’s his first lead role he is going to need some ‘support’, so you’ve been assigned to help on that project.”

“What?” I snap my book shut and sit up straighter. Please no. “Are you serious? I’ve been working on the extension of that cancer research campaign for ages and they want me to start something new at the last minute?”

She nods. “Yeah, it’s ridiculous. I only overheard people talking in the corridor, but apparently Stephen is just going to take over the majority of that project to ‘free up’ your time, given it was the pair of you working on it anyway.”