‘I wish. No, I work in management,’ Lauren said vaguely, not wanting to get into specifics. It wasn’t that she was trying to be evasive, she just didn’t want to think about work anymore than she had to.
Rain raised her eyebrows. ‘Management, huh? Do you manage a team? A company? Or something else entirely?’
‘I manage a team,’ Lauren said. ‘It’s not the most glamorous job, but it pays the bills.’
Rain’s eyes lit up. ‘Oh, I see. But you’re a boss lady. I like that.’
Lauren couldn’t help but smile at the way Rain said ‘boss lady’. ‘So, what about you?’
‘Me?’ Now it was Rain’s turn to look uncomfortable. ‘Oh, um . . . you know, I drift from one job to the other. I’m still trying to find myself. Well, that’s what I keep telling myself.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with that.’
Rain laughed. ‘Try telling my mum that. She’s convinced I’m going to end up homeless, living in my car, or worse, moving back home and living in the basement.’
‘I’m sure it won’t come to that. Who knows, maybe you’ll stumble into your dream job when you least expect it.’
‘That’s kind of my motto. If it happens, great. If not, whatever. I’m pretty chilled about the whole thing.’
Lauren felt a pang of envy at Rain’s laid-back approach to life. It was the total opposite of Lauren, who was constantly stressing about work and living up to everyone’s expectations.
‘Maybe you could teach me how to be a boss lady like you,’ Rain teased.
‘I’d be happy to.’
Rain glanced at her watch. ‘Oh crap, is that the time? I’ve gotta run. I have an appointment.’ She jumped up, accidentally jostling the table, and shot Lauren an apologetic look. ‘I wish I could stay and chat all day.’
‘Yeah, me too,’ Lauren said wistfully.
Rain wrapped her scarf around her neck and shoved her book into her bag. Then she fished out a pen and scrap of paper, scribbled down her number, and handed it to Lauren.
‘If you ever want to geek out about books again, or just talk, give me a call.’
Lauren took the paper, their fingers brushing for a split second. ‘I will.’
‘Great. Talk to you soon, then,’ Rain said, before hurrying out of the café.
Lauren sat there for a moment, staring at the empty seat across from her. She felt almost embarrassed by the intensity of her feelings. How could this be happening? She was a successful, put-together woman, and here she was, crushing like a schoolgirl.
Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced down at the message:
Where are you?
Lauren quickly typed back:
Sorry, on my way.
Even as the familiar weight of responsibility settled back onto her, she refused to let it put a dampener on her newfound spirit. She had something to look forward to now, a bright spot on the horizon that nothing could dim.
Chapter Two
Rain couldn’t help but be impressed by The Mayfair Heritage Hotel as she approached its grand façade. It had the perfect blend of old-world charm and modern luxury, and to her relief, the inside was even better – warm and inviting, but still totally elegant. She made her way over to the reception desk, where a petite woman was typing away at her computer.
‘Hi there, I’m here for an interview with Mr Larkins.’
The receptionist looked up from her screen. ‘Interviews are in the basement. Just take the lift down and follow the signs to the room.’
‘Great, thanks . . .’ Rain glanced at her name tag. ‘Denise.’
As she turned to head for the lifts, Denise called after her, ‘Good luck!’
Rain waved back and slipped into the lift just as the doors were closing. She hit the button for the basement and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
Okay, focus, she told herself. I need to nail this interview.
But no matter how hard she tried to remember her prepared answers, her mind kept drifting back to her encounter with Lauren. The memory made her stomach flutter.
Come on, get it together. You’re probably never going to hear from her again anyway.
The lift dinged, and the doors slid open. Rain followed the signs down the hallway until she found the interview room. A tall, stern-looking man in a grey suit, who she guessed to be in his sixties, nodded at her from behind a desk and gestured for her to sit. Rain straightened her collar and tried to focus on being present.
Despite her best efforts, her thoughts wandered to Lauren again.
I probably put her on the spot when I gave her my number . . . she was just being polite—
The man cleared his throat loudly, snapping Rain out of her daydream.
‘I’m Mr Larkins, head of housekeeping.’ His voice was formal and disinterested. ‘Ms Thomas?’
