Why have I never heard of this? Chloe wondered. Because you uninstalled your podcast app to make room for that language app that you never use.
She clicked on the podcast website and started to look around. A new show was put out every evening, and it was clear that the listenership was enormous.
This was it, this was what Honey needed. An opportunity to talk to their audience. She wondered if the podcast ran advertising slots. That would be the perfect way to get the Honey name out there.
She grabbed the contact email address from the website and went to her Honey inbox. She opened a new email. It was time to get back in touch with Donna Hayward.
Chapter Sixteen
The meeting had been uncomfortable. Fiona had done her best to remain stoically professional, but the same couldn’t be said for Nicola, Rose, and Darcy. The three of them had laughed and joked the whole way through.
Fiona felt out of place, uninvited to the private jokes, and unwelcome. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t entirely true. They had tried to bring her into the conversations, but each time she shot them down.
She knew it was jealousy, but she hated the way that Nicola was so sociable and could chat about anything with anyone. She wished she had that skill. Or half that skill. Even a quarter. Just enough to be able to speak with Nicola without feeling so damned inadequate and blurting out something ridiculous.
It had fallen to her several times to pull the meeting back on track. Which made her feel worse and worse about the stuck-in-the-mud image that she knew she was presenting.
Eventually, she’d had enough and decided to end the meeting. She couldn’t stand being the fifth wheel any longer. She knew she had only herself to blame, but it didn’t make it any easier.
“Right, well, I think that was a very productive meeting,” she finished up. “Thank you for your time, Nicola. It’s been very useful. As I say, I’m swamped today, but I’m sure we can talk more in the future.”
She wasn’t swamped, and she didn’t want to talk more in the future. But it seemed like the right thing to say.
“No problem, glad to help.” Nicola started to gather her belongings from the meeting room table.
Fiona’s heart sunk as she watched Nicola prepare to leave. She didn’t really want to end the meeting, she just wanted to be included in the chatter. Listening to Darcy and Rose incessantly gossiping and giggling with Nicola infuriated her. She wanted to be a part of it, but knew she couldn’t. What she could do was end the meeting and pull them apart. To say she was busy and end the meeting had been a kneejerk reaction. One she was now regretting.
She wanted to spend more time with Nicola. She wanted to speak with her and actually demonstrate that she had something of worth to say. To prove that she wasn’t all about work, that she actually had a social life and she could, when the occasion called for it, be faintly amusing.
But the in-jokes that she didn’t quite grasp had got the better of her. A little voice inside reminded her that she’d know the details of the in-jokes if she actually spent time with them all. But she was so petrified that she’d make a fool of herself that she’d rather none of them spent any more time with Nicola.
“Wow,” Nicola exclaimed as she looked at the clock on the wall. “Where does the time go? Say, do you girls want to go to lunch together? There’s this new sushi place just up the road, cheap but really good?”
Fiona’s eyes widened. Rose and Darcy looked like they wanted to go. She’d clearly talked herself out of an invite with her lie about being swamped with work. Ending the meeting early had ensured that she’d be pushed even further away from the socialising.
“Sure you can’t join us?” Nicola asked her suddenly.
She swallowed and shook her head.
In an ideal world, she’d love to go. She’d make jokes, and everyone would laugh, and Nicola would see her for who she really was. But that never happened. Fiona made bad jokes, ones that made no sense. And everyone winced. It wasn’t an ideal world.
“Unless you need one of them to woman the phones?” Nicola added. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have randomly invited them without asking permission. I don’t know what your setup is here, boss.”
Fiona bristled slightly. Nicola had taken to calling her “boss.”
“Nah, we have lunch together all the time,” Rose interjected.
Fiona knew that she could technically say something to break up the lunchtime gathering. But Darcy and Rose looked excited, and she wasn’t that mean.
“Rose is quite right. Enjoy your lunch.” She picked up her notepad and fountain pen and breezed out of the room. She hoped that she gave the impression of someone who was busy and not someone who was in a strop, which was actually the case.
She threw her things down onto her desk. Flopping into the chair, she angrily shook the mouse to wake up her laptop. Staring at an unimportant email as if the future economy relied on it, she waited for the three women to grab their belongings and file out to lunch. Once they were out of sight, she let out a breath and closed her eyes.
“Where are they off to?” Lucy asked as she came back to her desk.
Fiona’s eyes burst open. “A new sushi place. If you hurry, you can join them.”
Lucy sat at her desk. “Too much to do, these ad spaces don’t sell themselves. Sounds fun, why didn’t you go?”
Fiona chuckled. “They don’t want me there.”
Lucy shrugged. “If you say so.”
Chapter Seventeen
It was another scorching morning in London. Anyone who had been enjoying the prolonged heatwave was now nearing the end of their patience. London wasn’t built for extreme heat. Or extreme cold. London was a Goldilocks sort of character that needed everything to be just right in order for it to function properly.
Most sensible people were now thoroughly over the idea of summer and looking forward to the cool breezes of autumn. And most sensible people were looking at Chloe like she was clinically insane.
Because Chloe emerged from the rotating doors into reception with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. While everyone else was exhausted from hot, sleepless nights and bracing themselves for yet more of the same, Chloe beamed as if she had won an all-expenses paid trip to the nearest walk-in freezer.
Chloe noticed the looks of bewilderment. She’s seen them on the Tube, in the streets, and now in reception. She knew she looked insanely happy, but that was just because she was.
It was day three of her new job, and she’d learnt two things. Firstly, the smelly armpit people were also the people who ran late and therefore could be avoided by getting an earlier Tube. Secondly, London mornings were glorious.
She’d gotten off her train a couple of stops early and enjoyed a morning walk through Soho. Getting up earlier meant she had time to explore London and soak up some of the early morning sunshine.
After a little window shopping in Covent Garden, she’d walked towards the office. The spring in her step wasn’t just because of the amazing weather and the thrill of working for Honey.
She’d spent an hour catching up with Donna Hayward the previous night, surprised to find out that she also lived in London. More surprised that she desperately wanted Chloe to come on the podcast to be interviewed about working at Honey.
Chloe had been unsure. She wasn’t podcast material, she was boring and was on a low rung at the company. But Donna had been insistent. She even moved an interview with someone else for that evening, begging Chloe to come over for dinner and then to do the show.
The image of her dad smiling because she’d saved the world had appeared in her brain, and she was powerless to say no.
Of course, she had to do it. She could tell the tens of thousands of listeners about how amazing Honey was, how they had to pick up a copy immediately, and the magazine would be saved.
It was funny how life suddenly threw a curveball at you. One moment she was thinking that proving her worth to the company would be impossible, the next she really
was in a situation to be able to save the company.
And so, she was happily smiling, annoying her fellow commuters. She even whistled as she stepped into the waiting elevator and selected the third floor.
She’d decided not to mention the interview, just in case something happened. She didn’t want Pippa to elbow her way into the show instead, that would certainly spell the end of Honey. No, she’d decided to keep it quiet and then walk in on her fourth morning a superstar.
A hand caught the closing elevator door.
The doors opened, and Helen stepped in.
“Good morning,” Helen greeted.
The whistle died on Chloe’s lips.
“H-hi.”
She felt flustered. The doors closed. She suddenly wondered if her morning walk had left her less than fresh. She was now trapped in a metal box with her boss. Her gorgeous boss.
“How are you settling in?” Helen asked.
“Great.” Chloe grinned. She knew she looked like a psychopath, but she couldn’t get her face to relax. She wished she wasn’t so nervous around pretty women.
Say something else, anything, her mind implored her.
The elevator completed its short journey and the doors opened. They both stepped out and walked towards the office.
“Well, if you ever need anything, my door is always open,” Helen said as they entered reception.
“Thanks. Mine, too,” Chloe replied.
Helen smiled and made her way towards her office.
Chloe remained in the empty reception area until Helen was out of sight. The moment she’d gone, Chloe winced, bent forward and bit her fist.
Mine, too? MINE, TOO? She berated herself. Of all the stupid replies…
She stood tall and took a deep breath. She needed to get herself under control. Helen probably hadn’t even heard what she said. Or had assumed that she’d misheard. If Chloe was lucky.
Her shoulders sagged. She trudged over to her desk and tossed her satchel underneath. She sat down and opened the lid of her laptop. She wondered if there was an online course for eradicating awkward behaviour. Maybe a self-help book entitled How to Not Suck at Social Situations.
Anxiety was common in Chloe’s world. She became nervous in social situations and often said something ridiculous. But then she’d spend the next few hours dwelling on the fact. She hated it. It was like a double blow to her confidence.
“Morning,” Kim said as she approached. She looked at Chloe with a frown. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, just making Helen think I’m a moron.” She sighed. Her good mood from the morning had faded.
Kim sat on the edge of her desk. “What happened?”
“She told me that her door was always open, you know, if I needed anything. So, I said, mine, too.”
Kim snorted a laugh. “Whoops.”
“Yeah. So now Helen thinks I’m an idiot.”
“She doesn’t,” Kim reassured. “Helen’s cool. And forgetful, she won’t remember that in ten minutes away.”
“I hope not. I’ll be remembering it enough for both of us.” Chloe logged into her computer.
“You need to chill, it’s no big deal. People say the wrong thing all the time. The world doesn’t end.” Kim smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
It was such an easy thing for someone to say. Someone who didn’t suffer from anxiety. Just forget about it. It’s no big deal. Move on.
Chloe couldn’t be angry at Kim for being so blasé about it. Kim was easy-going and probably never worried about anything. She was laidback and seemed to be an expert in brushing things off. Chloe wished she’d inherited that from her family, but instead she had the ability to roll her tongue. Not as useful.
“I came over to tell you that Fridays are dress-down days around here. I figured Natasha wouldn’t remember to tell you,” Kim said.
“Oh, right, thanks for the heads-up.” Chloe knew for certain that Natasha wouldn’t tell her. So far, they had spoken strictly about work. She’d been offered minimal training and a stream of emails with tasks to complete. “How dress-down is it?”
“Whatever you like, just keep it clean. Me? I’ll be getting my flip-flops out, it’s too hot for these.” She lifted her legs and tapped her black patent-leather brogues together.
“Not just flip-flops, I hope?” Chloe joked.
Kim laughed. “Maybe a pair of shorts and a tank. If I can be bothered.”
Chloe wondered what she would wear. It was hard to gauge what the rest of the office would turn up in. She didn’t want to look out of place. So far, everyone had been dressed fairly smartly. Wendy and Pippa were probably the most casual, everyone else wore varying degrees of casual business attire. Except Helen. Helen seemed to favour a power suit. Chloe couldn’t complain about that.
“You worry a lot, don’t you?” Kim asked.
Chloe nodded. “All the time.”
“Wear whatever you like,” Kim instructed. “And don’t worry about Helen. She’s totally forgotten that by now.”
Chloe chuckled. Not worrying was easier said than done.
“I just don’t want people to think I’m an idiot, you know? I really want to keep this job. The probation period is ticking away, and I feel like I have to live up to expectations.”
“You’ve only worked here for three days,” Kim reminded her.
“Every second counts,” Chloe said.
“It will be fine. We all felt like we were useless when we first started. Then you slowly build up your confidence and you find your place in the company. I can’t tell you how many important people I hung up on before I figured out how to transfer calls and not just cut them off.” Kim laughed at the memory.
Chloe felt her heart palpitate at the very thought.
“If you’re really worried about it,” Kim continued, “then do something about it. Make yourself irreplaceable. Come up with an idea that, I don’t know, saves us money. Then you’ll definitely pass your probation.”
“Well…” Chloe leaned forward as she whispered. “I do have one idea.”
Kim looked around the quiet office to ensure they were alone. She leaned in. “Go on.”
“An old friend of mine runs a lesbian culture podcast, Girls about Town? It’s got a huge number of listeners. She wants me to go on there and talk about getting the job at Honey and working in digital and stuff. I think it’s a great opportunity to let more people know about what a cool magazine it is.”
“That sounds great,” Kim said. “Have you let Fiona know?”
Chloe shook her head. “I’m kind of keeping it quiet. I want it to be me that does the interview. I’m worried that if I mention it to anyone else, then they’ll want to do it. And it’s my friend and I set it up, she wants to talk to me, so…”
“Yeah, I understand. Fiona would probably want to do it herself, and then it would be really dry. Or, worse, Pippa would catch wind of it and it would turn into a lecture about why no woman should ever feel obligated shave their legs.”
Chloe shivered at the thought of Pippa’s stern voice being broadcast to thousands of people. Listener figures would plummet. Phones would freeze.
“When are you doing it?” Kim asked.
“Tonight.”
Kim blinked. “Wow, you don’t hang around, do you?”
Chloe shook her head. “I told you about the door quote, yeah? I have to counteract that, fast!”
“Is it live?” Kim asked.
“No, they record it and then edit it and send it out. It will be up between eight and nine tonight.”
“I’ll definitely listen in! Lucy’s over tonight for dinner so I can guarantee you will have two listeners already.”
“But you already buy Honey,” Chloe said.
Kim laughed. “No, we don’t. We work here, we get a free copy.”
Chloe rolled her eyes and playfully slapped Kim’s arm. “You’re a part of the problem.”
Chapter Eighteen
Kim hadn’t exactly been ignoring Hel
en. She hadn’t exactly been around either. But now she had to speak to her; she had to act like everything was normal. She stood up from her desk and knocked on the open door to Helen’s office.
“Come in.”
Kim took a step into the office. Helen’s attention was focused on her monitor, her jaw clenched.
“Do you have a few minutes to go through your diary for the rest of the month?” Kim asked. It was clearly a bad time. Her heart thundered. Helen didn’t get angry often, but she looked close now.
Helen gestured to the chair. “Close the door.”
Kim closed the door and sat down. Helen hadn’t taken her attention off her monitor. Kim wondered if she was reading the email from Christine. But then again, it was only a couple of lines, she’d be done by now.
Her heart started to race at the mere thought of the email and her betrayal of Helen’s trust in reading it. She was useless at lying, she imagined she practically had it written on her face.
“Have you looked at my inbox lately?” Helen inquired. She sat back in her chair and pinned Kim with a sad expression.
“Nope,” Kim said quickly. Then she thought she better make an effort of looking like she had at least considered the question. She frowned, as if trying to remember. “Nope,” she repeated, “not for a while, at least.”
Helen slowly nodded. Her eyes drifted back to her monitor.
Kim wondered if there was some digital footprint she was unaware of. Maybe Helen knew that she had opened the email. Maybe there was some system that accessed the webcam and took a picture of people snooping. She’d seen people posting pictures online of pets trying to unlock smartphones and setting off the camera in the process. Was Helen looking at a photo of Kim spying on her emails?
Her heartbeat was now going into overdrive, and she wondered if she might pass out.
“My ex wants the house,” Helen finally said. “My house.”
Kim sucked a breath into sore lungs. “Oh?”
“I bought that house before I met her. But, because she set up a business in the old outbuilding, which, by the way, I paid through the nose to convert into a workspace for her, she now wants the house. Not just the outbuilding, the house.”
Climbing the Ladder Page 8