Читать книгу Getting Organised - Carolyn Caterer - Страница 11

‘Come on in Abi it is so lovely to see you.’ Mabel’s sincerity always endeared her to Abi. She loved the way that Mabel always managed to make her feel so welcome. When she had walked over to her as she arrived home, Abi had been contemplating a rather miserable night in as she reconciled her bank statements and perused the paper to update her on the local job market. Recession was not a word she wanted to hear at this stage of her life and, the thought that her house was already worth less than she had paid for it only a few months ago according to an article in the Daily Mail (which one of the girls at work had insisted on reading out at lunchtime) only served to dampen her spirits further.

She was therefore very pleased to be distracted by Mabel’s invitation to join her. If anyone could help shake Abi out of her current mood then Mabel was the one. She had never known Mabel show any signs of being fed up or depressed. She was the kind of formidable woman you would always want to have around you in an emergency and, whilst her financial situation had not reached that stage so far, Abi knew that if anyone could help her foresee a rosy future, then Mabel was that person.

Mabel ushered her through to the living room and into one of her deep sofa’s which immediately had a relaxing effect, and offered her a bowl of assorted nuts whilst she proceeded to fetch the chilled wine from the fridge and put Abi’s bottle in there for later consumption.

Abi settled down into the sofa and began to munch on the bowl of nuts. Her hand automatically kept delving into them as she always found eating a good way of getting her to concentrate on the thoughts that were rushing through her mind when something was troubling her. In the short time that Mabel had been out getting the wine glasses and the bottle of wine, Abi managed to consume three-quarters of the bowl she had in her hand.

‘Goodness, didn’t you manage to have any lunch today?’ Mabel enquired with amusement.

Abi glanced down and blushed.

‘Oops sorry Mabel. I was so deep in my thoughts I hadn’t realised that I had been eating. They are delicious, though if I think about the calorific content of what I have consumed so far I will have to starve myself for the next couple of days or I won’t be able to get into my work suit the next time I have a job interview.

‘How is the temping working out?’ Mabel’s question was innocuous enough but she had planned this conversation and was pleased that she had managed to start it off so soon in the evening.

‘Dire. I am just not cut out for all the chopping and changing. I told the agency that I wouldn’t be carrying on after this week. Thank goodness we no longer have personal bank managers as mine would most certainly not be impressed at the diminishing state of my account. I had a quick look in the local paper but there is nothing there that is really grabbing my imagination at the moment. Maybe I am just being too fussy and expecting too much for this area. What do you think?’ Abi looked up at Mabel hoping that this question would prompt Mabel to come up with some words of wisdom.

Mabel, meanwhile, couldn’t believe her luck. This conversation was going better than she had imagined it could. Abi hated the temping work but was certainly in need of employment and yet didn’t want to settle for just any old job. The first part of her plan was coming together perfectly. She smiled encouragingly at Abi and then began to speak.

‘Abi, I know that things have been pretty tough for you recently, but you are an intelligent woman and I believe you need to be in a job where you can start off slowly and then perhaps, when you feel up to it, take on more responsibility.’ She could see Abi was perking up at her words and taking a real interest. Trying to conceal her excitement Mabel paused, and then continued, just as she had rehearsed in her head a hundred times over the last week.

‘I think I may have found you the perfect job opportunity.’ As she looked across at Abi she could see her eyes brighten in hope and anticipation.

‘I believe I may have mentioned very briefly in a previous conversation my former daughter-in-law, Imogen?’ Abi nodded but sat silently, her eyes fixed upon Mabel and her attention so focussed on her neighbour that her hands now held the bowl of nuts on her lap without moving.

‘Well, Imogen runs her own business in Old Basing. It is very successful. I may have mentioned she has a degree in psychology and her clients are extremely successful in their chosen field of work. They come to Imogen because they need an outlet from the pressures of their working life and that is what she offers. She has built up a thriving business over the last twenty odd years and recently she has decided she needs an assistant as, in the past, she has only had part time help.’ Mabel could see that Abi was interested in what she was saying and so she continued.

‘Finding someone who can be as discrete as Imogen is has not been an easy task. In fact so far she has found it easier to just handle it all herself, but she would much rather concentrate on doing her job well and give the responsibility of handling the office work and appointments diary to someone else, to free her up so she can either see more clients or have more time off. When I met you I just knew that you were the kind of person that Imogen would really get on with and who would be an asset to her, so I have spoken with her and agreed to talk to you to see if you would be interested. Now Abi, I don’t want you to feel pressured in any way to take an interest in this job, simply because it is me who is asking……’

‘When can I start?’ Abi had practically leapt out of her seat, which had surprised even Mabel, who had never thought it was going to turn out to be this easy to grab Abi’s attention and persuade her that this job with Imogen could be an option. After all the description she had given her so far was not exactly drawing a picture of the most exciting job in the world, but this had obviously not deterred Abi one single bit. Mabel could only imagine that Abi’s temping experiences had been the driving force behind her interest in what had so far seemed to be a pretty straightforward opportunity.

‘Really I mean it. If you think it is a good job Mabel then I would be more than interested in giving it a go. OK I know I obviously need to arrange to meet Imogen and have an interview to demonstrate my PA skills, but I am more than willing to do so. When can you arrange for me to meet her?’

The doorbell rang and with a big smile spreading across her face Mabel stood up.

‘How about now?’

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A minute later Mabel was leading a woman into the sitting room that Abi recognised from some of the photographs that were placed around her. Imogen was attractive and stylish and yet seemed very friendly and down to earth. Abi took a liking to her before she had even opened her mouth to say hallo. Mabel did the introductions before dashing off to fetch another glass of wine (Imogen called after her to make it a spritzer as she was driving) and returned a short while later.

Introductions over, Imogen was soon asking Abi about her previous work experience, although her line of questioning was not at all focussed on her typing speed or the kind of filing system she was used to working with but rather her ability to be extremely discrete and value confidentiality at all times. This point could not seem to be emphasised enough and Abi was in no doubt that it was this factor that would either make or break the deal.

‘I can assure you Imogen that I am not a gossip and am not one to pry. In fact in all the time I was married I never once checked my husband’s credit card statements or read any of his texts on his mobile ‘phone or even checked who he was calling. If I had done I imagine my marriage would have come to an end a good deal earlier. I never asked him questions about where he had been or who it was with and I never ever discussed anything he told me about his company with anyone else.’ Abi hoped that her honesty and sincerity were shining through and that she wasn’t appearing too desperate to have this job. In actual fact she was extremely desperate to get this job. The more Imogen had told her about it the more she was convinced that it was the job for her. She wished she had not gulped down quite so much of her wine when she arrived as she was starting to feel quite breathless with nerves and didn’t want to blot her copybook by having a panic attack in her desperation to secure the role. She breathed slowly and counted to ten in the hope that neither Imogen nor Mabel could see how much her heart was pounding and hoped she looked the epitome of an organised and efficient PA that could be trusted with anything that was thrown at her.

Imogen looked at her thoughtfully and then delivered her decision.

‘To be honest Abi I have been unable to find anyone I would even consider employing on a trial basis, hence my request to Mabel to see if she had any possible leads and lo and behold you move in across the road from her. I suppose she has been checking you out over the past couple of months and it was only a few weeks ago that she first mentioned you to me. You certainly have good enough qualifications, and I can cope with your skills being a little rusty. What I need from you most of all is the ability to sit in the office with not much happening around you and not be driven mad. It would be great to have you there to greet my clients and make appointments by person or over the ‘phone, but they don’t usually arrive more than a couple of minutes before their appointment and they are certainly not into idle chit chat while they are waiting.’

‘That sounds just fine to me.’ Abi certainly felt very comfortable about this kind of arrangement as she wasn’t one for idle chatter with strangers herself.

‘OK then. Tell you what, why don’t you come in around half past nine on Monday. My first client doesn’t arrive until midday so that will give you plenty of time to get your bearings and start to sort out the office and the paperwork that has started to pile up. Does that sound good to you?’

Abi nodded.

‘That sounds perfect.’

‘Well then let’s say a month’s trial. We can discuss pay later but how about this as a starter?’ Imogen picked up Mabel’s pad and paper from the coffee table and wrote a figure down and handed it to Abi. As she looked at it Abi couldn’t believe the sum of money that was being quoted at her. It was half as much again as any job she had seen advertised and it seemed from all that Imogen had been saying that she would be required to work from just eleven thirty until six o’clock Monday to Thursday. If there was an ideal job then this appeared to be it. She swallowed and tried to contain her excitement.

‘That looks fine. I will see you on Monday and thanks Imogen. I am really looking forward to it.’

‘Me too.’ Imogen reached into her handbag and handed Abi a business card with the address of the office on it and then gave Mabel a big hug before heading off, as she was due at friends for dinner.

Abi stood looking at the business card in her hand until Mabel walked back into the sitting room and beamed at Abi.

‘Well I think that went absolutely splendidly, don’t you?’

‘Mabel you are a star, thank you so much!’ Abi threw her arms around her neighbour and hugged her tightly. As she stepped back Mabel could see Abi’s eyes were shining with happiness and enthusiasm. She knew she had found the perfect person to work with Imogen, so the first part of the plan was now complete. It was the second part that would prove to be more challenging, but there was plenty of time for Imogen to work that out and she couldn’t see that Abi would say no once she had fully settled in to her role. Imogen was a great role model and could be very persuasive. Plus Mabel was convinced that this was just what Abi needed. She just hoped that she was going to be proved right.

Back in her own home Abi was dancing around the living room and whooping with joy. Today had started off in a somewhat depressing fashion as she realised that she had weeks, rather than months, to get a job so that she could continue to stay in the house and pay all her bills. Abi had finally found a place where she felt at home and was not happy to be forced to consider a future which might mean selling her cottage and downsizing to some pokey flat with no garden. Not one usually prone to dramatics, Abi was quite surprised at how strongly she felt and was seriously contemplating the rather depressing idea that she may indeed have to get two local jobs in order to make ends meet.

The invitation to pop over for a glass of wine with Mabel had been welcomed more as a means of escaping her current financial predicament for a few hours, but in the end it had turned out to be a decision which was going to change her life for the better. Abi could barely believe her luck at the job offer or the fact that she would be working with Imogen, who she had taken an instant liking to on meeting, and she instinctively knew that they were going to get on very well and that Imogen would be a great boss. The added bonus was the salary; it was more than she could have hoped for and matched the kind of pay she would expect to receive if she were to go and work in London, but it was only twenty minutes drive away, which was a bonus in itself. Abi didn’t question Imogen’s ability to pay this well; she had completely understood that Imogen’s clients demanded the utmost discretion and she had no intention of breaking that trust.

Abi poured herself a celebratory glass on Pinot Grigio and, running a bath, settled down amongst the bubbles and dreamed about her new job and a regular income.

***************************************************

Imogen was happy too, though perhaps not expressing it in such an overt way as her new PA. Mabel had come up trumps, that was for sure and Imogen had immediately trusted Abi, something that was absolutely essential in her line of work. A careless word here or there and it could easily be overheard and then appear in some tabloid newspaper and have a devastating effect on the global markets, not to mention the lives of her clients. In all her years of running her business Imogen had never once said a word out of place and that is why she was in such demand. That was also why she had very few celebrities in her client list; she knew that the nature of their lives actually meant they had no problem with publicity; but they were in the minority and she had always been careful to visit them in their own homes and keep the rest of her clients at the office. But she had soon tired of commuting to London and had concentrated on more local clientele, as she could easily afford to. Sometimes she wondered how much she could charge before her clients decided not to use her. However she wasn’t a greedy person and she made a good enough living as it was, with no reason to test out her pricing theory.

If anything Mabel had been the one to encourage her to up her prices to ensure she maintained her standard of living, but could also employ a full time assistant to sort out all the appointments, do the filing and balance the books, all of which were tasks which Imogen found both boring and dissatisfying. She felt that the money she would be directing towards Abi was money very well spent indeed.