‘Totallyamazing! We just need to dot the “i”s and cross the “t”s!’ Becky says, turning to her clipboard. ‘A little background info first. Let’s see. . . Where did you study?’
‘As in secondary school?’ This seems thorough, but then I haven’t had a formal job interview in yonks.
‘Ha ha! Always the quipper!’
Jade looks like she might stab us both with the very white pencil she’s now impatiently spinning between her fingers.
‘I meant where did you get your photography qualifications?’ Becky adds.
‘I. . . what? No, sorry, I don’t. I mean, what I’m trying to say is that I don’t have any.’
The smile falls from Becky’s face. I turn to Jade. She looks thunderous. And suddenly it’s like I’ve got tunnel vision. In the distance, I can hear Jade shouting things like ‘waste of time’ and ‘FFS Becky’ and ‘get the hell out of my office’. But the ringing in my ears is getting louder and louder. I can feel Becky’s hand on my back, ushering me out of the building and whispering apologies and asking if I’m okay. I nod dumbly. ‘I’m fine.’ But of course, I’m not. How stupid I was to think I’d get this job? With no qualifications. With no experience. With, well, nothing when you think about it.
It’s raining by the time I arrive and the extra make-up I applied this morning is half way down my face, but that’s the least of my worries. My clothes are soaked through and the bloody capri pants have absorbed water from the ground up, so I’m basically wearing wet bell bottoms right now.
I knock on the door and shift from foot to foot.
‘Is it wet out, kiddo?’ Ben grabs my soggy hands and pulls me off the street.
‘Ha ha.’
‘Thatbad?’ he asks, leading me into his living room.
I texted Ben straight after the Interview of Nightmares and he practically ordered me to come round to his after work.
‘Not great.’
‘Well you’ve come to the right place. Let Uncle Ben look after you,’ he calls as he runs out of the room.
‘Uncle Ben. That’s what Mila’s kids will call you and then you’ll all laugh about it being like the rice and Auntie Jasmine won’t get a look in.’
‘MILA’S PREGNANT?’ shouts Ben from his bedroom.
‘No! I’m just saying that when she is—’
Ben’s back and looking at the sad little pool of water that has collected at my feet.
‘This seems like a weird thing to be getting upset about right now. Do you want to talk to me about the interview?’ He hands me the exact same outfit I ended up in last time I came round here and I wonder if wearing Ben’s clothes is about to become my new thing. ‘Get out of those wet clothes and I’ll come back in five.’
I’m ashamed to say that I give the top a little sniff when Ben leaves, because yes, he’s being very sweet but I don’t really want to be wearing one of his sports tops if he’s used it since my last wear. It smells lovely. Like fabric softener with a hint of aftershave.
A loud cough, then: ‘Are you done? I made tea.’
He pokes his head around the door and hands me the brew. I wrap my cool hands around the warm mug gratefully.
‘You didn’t get the job?’
‘Nope.’
‘Did they say why?’
‘BecauseI’m a failure at life?’
‘They did not say that you are a failure at life. Come on! What actually happened?’
‘I was so fired up because of the flamingos and then. . . Jade’s blue eyes. . . and she had such a white office I was too scared to breathe. . . And then I got the job. . . and then I lost the job because of qualifications. . .’ I’ve started to cry and I couldn’t be less pleased with myself right now.
‘Oh Jas,’ he says, pulling me in for a hug. ‘That’s tough. There’ll be other jobs though kid.’
