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JANUARY
The vacancy appears on theVoyages Luxeswebsite the next day. I force myself to concentrate and spend the morning redrafting my CV. I also check it several times for spelling and grammatical mistakes, before sending it to the email address given. It’s a strange feeling, having all my eggs in one basket like this. I’ve already told both of the airline magazines that I’m not accepting commissions at the moment, as they’ve been in touch with offers of work in January and February. I haven’t said anything to the Sunday supplement yet, as that doesn’t require any actual travel, and I may even be able to continue doing it alongside the editing job, if I get it.
If this were any other job, I’d spend the time between applying and hopefully being invited to interview doing research about the company, looking up their mission statements and corporate values. As I’ve already worked withVoyages Luxesfor so many years, I pretty much know their mission statement and their values off by heart. I’m therefore at a bit of a loose end and full of nervous energy. My flat is spotless, I’ve taken my car to the car wash and hoovered it out, and it’s too soon to be going to Bluewater to buy work clothes; I don’t want to jinx it.
I’m also trying not to count the days until Friday 12th, when I will see Toby again, but it’s hopeless. I’m so aware of the passage of time that I might as well have a chart on the fridge to mark off the hours. I still haven’t decided whether to go ahead with the photo shoot or not; I think I’ll wear the Rigby & Peller underwear and decide when I get there. I do at least have a rudimentary plan to stop him from being able to slam the door on me.
The email arrives on Monday.
Dear Ms Morgan,
Thank you for your application for the position of Assistant Editor at Voyages Luxes. I am delighted to be able to invite you for interview on Friday 12th January at 2.30 p.m. The interview will last approximately two hours, and will consist of the following elements:
You will be asked to edit a submitted article, removing spelling and grammatical mistakes, and also making changes where necessary to improve readability.
You will then be interviewed by the Commissioning Editor, Mark Stevens, and me. The interview will consist of questions that will help us to ascertain your suitability for the role. These are designed to enable you to showcase yourself; we are not trying to trap you!
You will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you wish to.
During the interview we will share with you information including office hours, annual leave, pension schemes, medical cover and salary.
I look forward to meeting you,
Deborah Reynolds
Human Resources Manager
My elation at having been offered an interview is short-lived. It’s right in the middle of the session I’m supposed to be having with Toby! What on earth am I going to do? If I try to rearrange the interview, I risk looking unprofessional and denting my chances of getting this job. If I cancel Toby, I might not get another opportunity to see him until April, and I can’t wait that long.
In the end, I know there’s only one option. Nervously, I reach for the phone, dial the offices ofVoyages Luxesand ask to be put through to Deborah.
‘Deborah Reynolds speaking.’
‘Hello, this is Madison Morgan. I’ve just received your email inviting me for interview.’
‘Your CV was impressive. I’m looking forward to meeting you.’
‘And I you. There’s just one thing. I have an appointment that I can’t reschedule between two and five on Friday 12th. Is there any possibility at all that I could come in at a different time?’
I feel like a fraud. If she knew I was putting this job at risk because I’d booked a boudoir photo shoot with a man I think I might be in love with, she’d tell me to get lost. For some reason, I’m convinced that she’s going to see through me and I feel the same sense of dread that I did as a child, when I lied to my mother about something, knowing full well that she already knew what had really happened.
I wait for Deborah to produce the evidence of my guilt with the same triumphant voice that my mother used to use.
‘That’s no problem at all, I quite understand. This sort of thing happens all the time, don’t worry. Let me check the calendars,’ she tells me, and I start breathing again. I hadn’t even noticed that I was holding my breath.
‘We have another candidate coming in on Thursday afternoon, but we could see you on Friday morning, if you’re able to get here for eight thirty. Is that any good?’
‘That’s perfect,’ I tell her, hoping I don’t sound as relieved as I feel. ‘Thank you so much.’
‘Excellent. I’ll look forward to meeting you at eight thirty on Friday morning.’
As soon as the call is over, I heave a huge sigh of relief and berate myself for being so paranoid. Of course they must have to move interviews around; she probably didn’t think my request unusual at all. After texting first to make sure it’s a good time, I ring Charley to fill her in. She’s delighted when I tell her.
‘It was a close-run thing, though,’ I tell her, when her shrieks of joy have died down. ‘The first slot was the same time as my photo shoot with Toby.’
‘Are you two speaking again then? That’s even better news. What did he say? Are you an item now?’
‘Umm, no. Not exactly.’ I fill her in on the details of me pretending to be Kristina Olgatov, the burner phone, and even give a demonstration of my appalling Eastern European accent. She guffaws with laughter.
