‘Let’s go now, then.’ Mark looked down fondly at his fiancée. ‘You don’t mind holding the fort this afternoon, do you, Anna?’
‘I don’t mind.’ Anna reached for her bag and coat. ‘But I haven’t had my lunch yet so I’ll take over when I get back.’
She kept her back straight and her eyes on the door as she tried to walk away in as dignified a manner as possible.
‘Just half an hour, if you don’t mind,’ Mark said as Anna opened the door. ‘You can take a longer lunch tomorrow.’
She walked out without turning back, not least because she didn’t want either of them to see the tears that were welling in her eyes. It wasn’t that she was upset about them getting engaged, or that she wanted Mark for herself. It was more the way he’d tried to manipulate her that very morning, and then how smug they were at their engagement. If she’d thought her work situation was bad this morning, it had just got a whole lot worse.
* * *
Sat in the nearest café with a cappuccino in front of her, Anna reached for her phone. She needed to get on the job sites, refresh the categories of what she was looking for and find something new. She’d settle for anything right now.
As she was scrolling through the adverts, the phone’s ringtone startled her. When she saw the name of Daniel Redfern on the screen, she was even more surprised.
She answered it hesitantly. ‘Hello?’
‘Is that Anna Wright?’
‘Yes.’
‘Daniel Redfern here. I’m phoning about the interview you attended on Friday.’
‘Oh, okay.’ She hadn’t expected to hear from him again. Most employers these days didn’t bother to let you know if you were unsuccessful.
‘I’m phoning to say that I’d like to offer you the job.’
‘You would?’ Today was beginning to feel surreal.
‘Yes.’
‘I’m, er, a bit surprised, that’s all.’
‘Well.’ He paused. ‘You were the best candidate for the job, all things considered.’
‘All things considered?’
‘Yes, well, do you want the job?’
‘I . . .’
She didn’t know what to say. She thought back to the encounter in the gallery earlier. Although she and Daniel hadn’t hit it off, would working for him be worse than working in the same place as Mark and his new fiancée? At least her emotions wouldn’t be involved.
‘I’d love to accept,’ she said.
‘Great.’ He sounded relieved. ‘Well, obviously it would be on a trial basis. Say three months?’
‘Yes, okay.’
‘That would give us the opportunity to see if we suit each other.’
‘Of course.’ It would give her some breathing space, a chance to be paid while still getting away from Mark. And even if she didn’t like him, she knew she could learn a lot from Daniel Redfern.
‘So,’ he said. ‘How much notice do you have to give at your current job?’
‘A month.’
‘Ah. I don’t suppose you could make it sooner, could you?’
