In the HR office later that morning, Emma sat with Jenny.
‘So whenever we take on a new member of staff, we set up a file for them, both electronically and a hard copy, which goes in the filing cabinets here,’ she said. ‘They’re organised by department and then alphabetically by surname. The first thing we have to do is contact their references and then, if they’re suitable, we send out a contract for them to sign, along with a job description and general information, which can be found in the templates folder here.’
‘Sounds pretty straightforward,’ Emma replied.
‘And then we put together an induction and a training package, in conjunction with their line managers.’
Emma frowned.
Jenny noticed her hesitation. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘It’s just that I don’t remember ever receiving this. I got the original information with the offer letter, but not a training package.’
‘It was definitely on the file,’ Jenny said. ‘When it was flagged up by Faye that you weren’t following a programme, we were asked to look at the records.’
‘Can I see it?’ Emma asked.
‘Sure.’ Jenny retrieved the document and handed it to her.
Emma read it and then shook her head. ‘I didn’t receive it.’
‘It’s up to the managers to send them out, so maybe Heather didn’t do it. I can’t say that surprises me.’
‘I really don’t understand what was going on with her. And I do wonder what she’s doing now.’
‘I wouldn’t waste your time. Heather thought she was a cut above the rest. Eventually what she did caught up with her and she paid the price. It’s as simple as that. Now we’ve got a couple of new servers starting in the restaurant soon, so if you wouldn’tmind contacting their referees we can get on with sending out their contracts.’
Emma nodded. She was glad to have something to occupy her mind.
But for the rest of the day, try as she might, she couldn’t stop thinking about her former manager.
* * *
Liz showed Emma into her living room the following evening. ‘How are you? I haven’t seen you since the banquet.’
‘I know, it’s been a bit full on. I suppose Jay told you I moved out.’
‘He did, yes. So, how’s it going living in staff accommodation?’
Emma grimaced. ‘Not great to be honest. I thought it would make life easier, that I was doing the right thing, but now I’m not so sure. I really miss him.’
‘I think he misses you too.’
‘Does he?’ Emma asked hopefully. ‘I haven’t heard anything from him, not even when he dropped off my laptop charger. He brought it to the hotel, but he just left it with Reception.’
‘That’s because he saw...’ The words faded on Liz’s lips and she looked stricken.
‘That’s because he saw what?’
‘You and some guy from the hotel together. He thinks you’ve moved on. In fact, he thinks you moved on before you even left him.’
Emma gasped. ‘That’s not true.’ She cast her mind back to the night they were talking about. The night Nick cooked for her. ‘He’s got the wrong end of the stick.’
‘When he told me I said that it didn’t seem likely, but he was convinced. So, you’re not seeing someone?’
‘No, of course I’m not. I’m not going to get over Jay that quickly.’
There was a pause before Liz answered. ‘I told Jay that, but he didn’t believe me.’
