Picture Imperfect - By Nicola Yeager Page 0,44

flutes and Katie inhaled the heady mixture of strong female perfumes.

“I think we are sitting at table six,” Harry said as they helped themselves to a glass of champagne and manoeuvred their way in between round tables covered with white tablecloths and gilded chairs with cream upholstery. Table six was towards the back of the room and they found their names on place cards propped up in front of white linen napkins, and silver and blue decorations. A silver candelabrum stood in the centre of the table with three white candles and Harry lit them while Alice delightedly fingered her card which had a blue background and her name in silver print.

Excitedly Alice squeezed Katie’s arm and looked in wonderment around the table. “Oh, isn’t it all just beautiful?”

“It certainly is,” Katie agreed while counting ten tables strategically placed around the room. “I just wish we could have been on a table nearer the front.”

Awestruck, Alice whispered, “Well, we couldn’t expect to be sitting at the management tables.”

Katie sipped her champagne thoughtfully. “Of course we couldn’t,” she said, but looked longingly at table three where ten of the company’s project managers were seated and gritted her teeth in determination - she would get her name card onto that table next year if it was the last thing she did.

The room buzzed now with more colleagues arriving and loud greetings with the expected air kissing of cheeks, and by eight o’clock there was only one remaining empty seat at their table, which of course was the seat meant for Tim.

Oh, God, here we go again, she thought smiling brightly and explaining Tim’s absence for the third time in only fifteen minutes. Irritatingly, she knew as long as the chair remained empty it would continue all night - and then as if she’d been sent a gift from heaven her senior food technologist, Frances, arrived.

Frances was an old hippie. She was nearly forty with wild, uncontrollable, frizzy ginger hair, protruding grey eyes that often looked as if they were standing out on stalks, and was very overweight.

“Hiya,” Katie said pulling out the spare chair for her, “I thought you would be sitting with your sister on the other table?”

“Oh, I’m supposed to be but she’s driving me mad already and they’re all such boring farts in HR and finance…”

Katie laughed at her when she explained again how Tim couldn’t make it, Francis plonked herself down onto the empty chair. “Great, I can sit here with you guys and have a laugh,” she said winking at Harry and Alice.

Katie likened Frances to a whirlwind in the office where she worked in complete and utter chaos. Her area was always in a mess and Katie often had to beg her to tidy up to which Frances would inevitably throw a big squashy arm around Katie, guffaw with laughter and tell her to chill out. Frances was without a doubt the kindest, most sincere person Katie had ever met and she knew she gave the team an older but steadying balance that it needed.

Frances tapped her arm. “Pass that bottle of champagne, Katie,” she said laughing. “And let’s get this party really started.”

Giggling, Katie filled Francis’s glass and watched her knock back half the wine in one go, while young Alice stared at her in surprise.

“Now,” Frances said. “Before I get too inebriated I have to tell you something I found out about the project manager’s role.”

Katie leaned towards her in anticipation. Her CV and application form were already submitted for the job and Francis’s sister, Susan, who worked in personnel might know how many other candidates had applied.

Francis licked her lips and then hiccupped. “Well, apparently there’s only one other applicant who will be asked for interview and she’s only got four years of experience,” she said squeezing Katie’s hand with encouragement.

Digesting the news Katie said excitedly, “But I’ve got twice as much as that!”

“Yep, I think you’re going to walk it, my lovely,” Francis said grinning. “And I can’t think of anyone else that deserves it more - sounds like a done-deal to me.”

“Oh, I hope so, Francis,” she said, “I know I’ll be a good project manager. And I want it so much I can just about taste it!”

Francis laughed. “Well, here comes our starter, let’s taste these fabulous prawns instead.”

The fresh seafood smell was divine and Katie’s mouth watered in anticipation. “These prawns are delicious, they’re so succulent and sweet,” she exclaimed. Francis nodded her head in agreement with her mouth