h's

ost shout down the phone at the head of HR. He h

ant didn’t eve

be some so

Becky?” I ask when

” His voice drifts off before he blurts

, chuckling slightly as

t you were and I quote ‘a f*cking sla

I was thinking I was going easy o

l me about her

ame is all I need to know. “She’s just filling in some

I say i

have the time to let her settle in and I def

the ground running. How mu

esit

Noah,” he says eventually bu

me anything else? Nothing

say. She’s great.

t’s CV. I consider trying to argue with him but I’m not convinced I’d achieve anything. Probably

een. Working through the emails that have accumulated over nig

my way out of my office, past Miss Winter’s vacant desk and head

or the coffee machine. I had to work late last night to make up for my assistant’s in

nings or

clude me in the hiring process. I mean, it’s me that will have

e. Standing beside her is a woman in her mid-twenties. She’s pretty. Beautiful even, with jet black hair

, your new boss,” Sally say

ze with a surprising amount of confidence. I know for a fact t

to meet you sir,”

od my head in agreement

er before opening my office door and g

ly before foll

I sit down myself. “I don’t have a lot of time. I have an appointm

a pen, preparing to make notes. It causes me to pause. I don’t remember the

gs,” I tell her. “You’ll need to be h

me sir?”

ev

flinch – but it doesn’t come. She me

noon each day. You’ll nee

s s

ake thirt

goes unsaid and unlike my previous assista

frequent bout

l no

e my schedule and att

s s

fore six and ofte

ll unaffected smile

h each day and on occasion dinner. Becky shou

y we

sibilities as quickly as I can before le

to work for Cla

at it is. She doesn’t answer immediately and I

ob,” she says

you love our furniture or you were looking

le use could I have for wallpaper?” sh

asic etiquette to at least

r interviewer?” I ask sarc

I know it, she’s saying, “oh, no. I told them that I’ve wanted to work a

the doll

en less than thirty of those ma

she says in a conspiratorially quiet voice, “my dad f

the Clancy Doll’s House for a tenner? I’m sure I