Yes Chef, No Chef - By Susan Willis Page 0,50
you’re the best person to ask because you’ve been working freelance for years now?”
Sarah swallowed a mouthful of pasta. “Katie, I can tell you all about working for yourself and help you with all you need to know but is this such a great time to be thinking of leaving a permanent job? I mean, the country is just coming out of, and some may say we are still in, a recession?”
“I hear you,” she said draining her glass of wine. “And I’ve a lot more research to do about it all, and of course I don’t know what my money situation is going to be, but Sarah it just feels right.”
Katie washed the dishes and Sarah dried while they discussed the venture and Katie listened avidly to Sarah’s points. “It is hard getting used to not having a monthly wage being deposited in to your account, and I never know where the next job is coming from, and even though everyone thinks you can work when you want to it doesn’t always pan-out like that.”
Katie looked puzzled and motioned for Sarah to follow her through into the lounge where they got comfortable on the settee with their glasses of wine.
Sarah continued. “Suppose I’ve got a client with strict time scales, then I have to work within his schedules whether I was thinking of jetting off on holiday or not and I’m stuck with him for as long as it takes to finish the job. And of course, if I’ve made a good sum of money on a contract I never know how long it will have to last. Let’s say I don’t get another contract for three months then it can soon start to dwindle on monthly outgoings etc.”
“Hmm, I see,” Katie said. “But there must be pros to outweigh the cons?”
Sarah smiled. “Of course, there is. And it gets easier the more established you become because you start to build up a bank of clients. I’m my own boss and don’t have anyone breathing down my neck and I have a free reign in what I do and don’t want to do, but there again that can still be money dependant. And of course I have an accountant who does all my tax and I do love the buzz of making my own money rather than working to fill the coffers of men like your MD. So…”
“Swings and roundabouts,” Katie mused. “Look, that’s great Sarah, and thanks for the heads up. You haven’t told me anything that puts me off though, I’m going to take a half day holiday tomorrow and come back here to sit with my lap top and go through everything more thoroughly.”
Although earlier in the day when Katie had been upset she’d felt like getting drunk now she felt so much happier she didn’t want more wine and stopped after her second glass to make coffee.
Sarah agreed and quipped, “You see, just because I don’t have to sign in at an office in the morning I still have a deadline of four o’clock tomorrow to finalise my drawing and get it sent over to a client, so I’ll be up at six and in my studio by half past to make sure it’s done properly.”
Katie grinned. “Yeah, but at least you know your drawing is great and is going to make you good money and you’re proud of it.”
Sarah left in a taxi shortly afterwards and although Katie felt tired when she got into bed her mind was still churning with ideas. This however, was much better than churning herself up over Tim, she thought, and who knows, starting a new adventure could be just what she needed to get him off her mind. A little nagging voice however played at the back of her mind repeating Sarah’s words of caution about giving up a permanent job in these difficult times and how everyone would think her behaviour was irrational, maybe even reckless, and most definitely out of character. They would think she’d lost control and there was that bloody word again; it had been in her mind a lot recently and maybe, just maybe it was time to lose some control and see what happened.
The next morning Frances came over to her desk and grinned. “Great news, Katie. Last night when we were talking, Susan remembered a home economist we used to have here about ten years ago who worked downstairs in the development kitchen. Her name was Chrissie and she left to