‘I know. But listen, I heard what you were saying earlier about girls wanting to work here. And this one isn’t like that. At all. She doesn’t wear short skirts. She’s efficient and hardworking, and she wouldn’t go gooey over your boss. I’m telling you,’ said Roo, ‘you’d be mad not to snap her up.’
Chapter 9
‘You did what?’ It hadn’t been the easiest of journeys home. Delays on the Circle Line had resulted in far too many commuters being sardined into too few carriages and Ellie had ended up sandwiched between two men who hadn’t been introduced to deodorant. Now, convinced that their BO had wiped itself all over her jacket, she peeled it off and chucked it into the washing machine.
‘I found you a job.’ Roo had been waiting for her to get back. Now she was firing up her laptop. ‘Probably. Well, possibly. But you said it was time for a change, so I got you this.’ She pulled a card out of her left bra-cup and waved it. ‘All you have to do is call this number and fix up an interview.’
‘Where’s the job?’
‘Right here in Primrose Hill. Ancram Street. Five minutes’ walk from here.’ Persuasively, Roo added, ‘Just think, no more getting smeared in other people’s skanky sweat!’
‘You have a way with words.’
‘I know. That’s why I’m such a brilliant songwriter. There’s nothing worse than skanky sweat,’ she extemporized. ‘It really made her gag and retch, far nicer than some creep with BO, would be a super-cool guy like Ne-Yo…’
‘Your country needs you.’ Ellie nodded. ‘You should be our next poet laureate.’
‘Not many people have a name that rhymes with BO. Anyway, speaking of super-cool guys, take a look at this one.’ Roo swiveled the laptop around so Ellie could see the screen.
‘Who’s he?’
‘Zack McLaren. The one who needs a new PA. I’d volunteer for the job myself, only you need to be able to do all sorts of nifty typisty stuff. But what about him, eh? Pretty impressive? He’s an entrepreneur! Look at those eyes…’
Ellie studied the photo. There was no denying he was an attractive specimen, what with that glossy dark hair and those film-star cheekbones. Beneath the well-cut suit he clearly had an athletic body. Nice eyes too. Next to her, Roo was visibly drooling.
‘The thing is, it’s like asking a vegetarian to rave about a piece of fillet steak. I can see that he’s good-looking but it’s wasted on me. All that stuff ’s just irrelevant right now. I’m not interested.’
‘I know, I know, but he doesn’t want someone who’s going to be all over him, does he? Flashing her boobs and simpering like a teenager. That’s what’s so great. Because you wouldn’t do any of that. You’d be perfect.’
‘Well…’
‘And if things don’t work out between me and Niall, this one can be my first reserve.’ Roo lovingly stroked the computer screen. ‘He looks like he’d be fantastic in bed.’
***
Two hours later, Ellie reached across the coffee table and scooped up the business card. As she’d been leaving, Roo had urged her again to think about it, and now she had. She had also pulled her just-washed purple jacket out of the washing machine and sniffed it, and still been able to sense the body odor clinging to the fibers. This was the downside to having an overactive imagination. From now on, she knew, just the sight of the jacket would be enough to make her feel a bit queasy.
Whereas here was the possibility of a new job, close to home and where her past wouldn’t color people’s attitudes towards her because they wouldn’t know about it.
Really, there was no contest.
It was only nine o’clock. That wasn’t too late to call, was it? Ellie picked up the phone and pressed out the number.
Here goes…
***
The phone began to ring as Zack let himself into the house. After a long day of meetings followed by a three-hour drive back from Manchester, all he wanted was a cold beer and an hour of mindless TV before crashing out for the night.
Except that wasn’t an option. Instead, he had a detailed business plan to put together and several letters to dictate. Peeling off his jacket and pushing open the door to the office, he dumped his briefcase on the desk and answered the still-ringing phone.
‘Oh, hello, is that Mr McLaren?’
It was a female voice he didn’t recognize. Zack kicked off his