AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Barring another storm or lying to my mother that I was busy, I was going to have to face my sister and my ex. But there was no way I wanted to turn up alone and single and spend an awkward evening fielding pitying looks. I glanced at the Jeremy hotline, wishing I had the confidence and courage to pick up the phone and ask him to come with me. If he were by my side, I’d be able to face it. Perhaps if I couched it as a work favour. But I shrank at the thought. I was too afraid he’d think it was weird or reject me outright. It wasn’t as if we were really friends outside of the faculty. And to ask him to travel all the way to London with me was unthinkable. I could fantasise about him whisking me off in his open-top MINI Cooper like one of those women he dated, but I couldn’t imagine it happening for real. But who else could I ask?
For the umpteenth time since she’d sent it to me, I looked at Eleanor’s cousin’s number. She hadn’t even told me his last name. I’d added his number to my contacts and labelled it ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’.
He didn’t sound inspiring.
Becca came into the office, cradling a cup of coffee. ‘Just saw your man Jeremy,’ she said, sitting down at her desk.
I glanced quickly towards the door to make sure she’d shut it behind her. ‘Don’t say that!’ I hissed. ‘He’s not my man.’
She pulled a face. ‘Sorry, I was only teasing.’
‘Well, don’t,’ I said. Then as curiosity got the better of me, I asked, ‘Where did you see him?’
Becca grinned. ‘In the kitchen, nicking some biscuits. He asked how you were getting on with the candidates for my job. Apparently, there’s someone great who he has his eye on.’
I simmered. Bloody Irish Lucy! ‘He could’ve asked me himself.’
She shrugged. ‘I guess he didn’t want to bother you.’
‘Right.’
‘So how are you getting on?’
‘Oh, OK, I guess. I’ve narrowed it down to three.’
‘Let’s see them then.’
Dutifully, I brought up the candidates I’d chosen to shortlist: two studious mousy-haired girls and one thin pale-looking guy—all with distinctions for their master’s degrees.
‘Which one does Jeremy have his eye on?’
Silently, I brought up Irish Lucy’s profile. Becca skimmed her CV along with the CVs of the other three I’d chosen.
‘He’s right—she is the best one.’
I mashed my lips together. ‘I don’t want her.’
Becca side-eyed me. ‘Are you worried she’s going to steal him from under your nose?’
I opened my mouth and shut it again like a goldfish. How could I refute it when it was true? But I had a history of men being stolen from under my nose, and I wasn’t willing to risk it again.
‘It’s not like she’s going to be in his office. I never even go in there. You’re the one he wants to talk to about his book,’ Becca stated reasonably.
‘True,’ I admitted.
‘And if she’s as good an assistant as her CV makes her out to be, then you’ll be able to focus more on your own research.’
I sighed resignedly. As usual, she was right. ‘Fine.’ I deleted one of the mousy-haired girls and added Irish Lucy.
‘You should probably let Jeremy know so he can set up the interviews,’ she remarked sagely.
Grrr. I sent an email to Jeremy telling him my chosen candidates before I could change my mind. If he hired her, she could blooming well do all the boring admin.
A few moments later, I got a reply:
Thanks for that Anna, I’ll get onto setting up the interviews. Let’s have lunch on Friday and discuss the Wellcome Library books.
The familiar thrill went through me at the thought of spending a whole hour with him exclusively. I supposed I’d better make a start on the other seven books in the box, though I doubted any of them would be as interesting as Mercy’s memoir.
