Page 15 of The Craving

That part of me I will be keeping close to my chest.

So far, I have looked at three of the files. The first job involves a chain of dance schools that has been in business for twenty years. The second file is a new app that is about to launch and they want help with designing their branding and marketing strategy. These are the jobs I love, where your creative mind can run wild. And the file I’ve just finished reviewing is a restaurant that opened three years ago, and things haven’t gone quite as planned. They are looking for a new chef and are about to change the type of food they serve. So once that is finalized, we will help with the new design of the restaurant and how to market the new concept.

It’s one of the great things about having a dual degree in design and marketing, that we can combine it all and offer an overall solution. My tuition fee loan balance may argue that a dual degree was not a great idea at the time, but I have the rest of my life to pay that back, right? It was either that or I spend the rest of my life like my parents, never pushing myself to live a better life than I am now. They have both worked a lot of jobs and earn enough to live comfortably but with not much extra for luxuries. They are happy and content, but I want more, and I’m not ashamed to admit that.

For a long time, my dreams have been to work hard and gain as much experience as I can, save some money, and then start to travel the world. I want my passport to tell a story. I want to meet new people from different countries and be able to sit back and feel proud that I made it happen all on my own. I don’t ever want to be a kept woman, doing as I’m told or agreeing on the direction of my life just so it blends in with someone else.

I mean, I’m not saying as I get older that I won’t meet a man who changes all that, but right now, when I’m only twenty-six, there is no tying me down.

Independent and powerful in my own space, happy without effort, those are my priorities right now. And that’s all I need to concentrate on.

The day has gone by so quickly, and after sitting here with Gwenda just clarifying my last few questions, a sense of achievement sits on my shoulders. After the way the morning started, I have managed to turn things around and end on a positive note.

My life needed a change after my last job. I tried telling myself I could bounce back and keep moving, but I wasn’t as convincing as I thought I had been. When you build yourself up that today is a new beginning and nothing is ever going to be the same again, then you sit down and spit tea all over a handsome stranger on the train, you start doubting yourself.

Thankfully, I pulled my big-girl panties up and got on with it, and I’m now looking at Gwenda smiling at everything I have achieved today.

“Great start, Victoria. I love some of the ideas you have and the little tweaks you have made on some of the projects that were already underway. I think we’ll work well together,” she says, closing the file and pushing it back toward me.

“Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. I’ll have everything ready for you when you return, and please, call me Tori. Victoria makes me feel so old,” I tell her, picking up my paperwork. “I also have all the notes you sent over on your meeting from today. It sounds interesting, and I’ll start collating some ideas for your return.”

“Wait, sorry, did I not add that the client wants the prelim report by Wednesday? I hate doing this, and I’m taking a big risk with a new client, but I need to trust you can come up with something to keep them interested until I return. Don’t disappoint me. He also doesn’t know I will be on leave, so he may be a bit shocked. I sort of wanted to keep my leave private from everyone.” Gwenda might be soft most of the time, but I can see that if you cross her, then you’ll get a completely different side of her.

My gut drops of the pressure she has just landed on top of me. It’s bad enough filling in for the boss after the first day, but trying to land a new client? That is huge.

“I won’t. I’ll do my best and make you proud. You just worry about having a lovely holiday,” I say, standing and trying to sound way more confident than I am. I’ve just left a job where I was critiqued at every corner, to this job where I’ve been given the keys to the kingdom and told to run with it but don’t let it burn down while she’s away.

Not terrifying at all.

“Sure, no problem, but I wish it was going to be a holiday, where I would be lying on a deck chair around a pool in the sunshine. But that’s not the case. Just some personal business I need to take care of. And while I’m away, do not let them corrupt you out there. They are all great at their jobs, well, most of them, and they each have their own little quirks and devious habits that they think I don’t know about. Especially Theodore, but I think you have already worked that out for yourself. Watch him, Tori, he’s not quite what he seems.” And on that ominous note, she stands too.

“I have agreed to drinks tonight, which I’m not sure was a smart move with him. But I guess I’m about to find out.” As I walk toward the door, she says one last thing before I open it.

“My only advice is to avoid doing rounds of shots with Theo. It never ends well. Take that from my experience that I will live to regret, unfortunately.” The look on her face tells me that she has been on the losing end of that game.

“Duly noted, and thank you for giving me the opportunity. I’m truly grateful and excited to see where this job leads me.”

“Keep up that attitude and you will go far. See you in a week and good luck tonight.” The slightly serious look on her face tells me I need to be on guard tonight. I don’t want to be trying to get home at some weird-ass time in the morning by myself and drunk off my face.

That would be just stupid. Leaving yourself vulnerable in a big city, alone, is not a good start.

Repeat after me, Tori.I will not drink too much tonight, and I will not get drunk.Now one more time for the dummies. I will not drink too much tonight, and I will not get drunk!

Famous last words…

* * *

Walking side by side with Suzi and Theo, I’m totally regretting bringing my work bag with me. I should have left it in the office and collected it on the way home, but I wasn’t sure about the whole security process of getting back into the building later at night.

My shoulder is aching a little and, still in my high heels, walking any great distance won’t be much fun.

The bar they convinced me was the go-to place is somewhere I’ve never been. And the closer we get, I understand why. This is not where the regular Friday-night work crowd would congregate.

To have security on the door already at seven pm gives an indication that it’s a popular place to be. There is a small line outside, and when I join the queue, Theo takes my arm and pulls me toward the doorway.

“Hey, Jimmy, place warming up inside yet?” he asks, slipping the man on the door something into his hand on his way past, that I’m guessing is money for letting us skip the line.

“Still early, but the crowd is building. Have a good one,” Jimmy replies as Theo drags both Suzi and me in with him.

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