Page 42 of The One That I Want

An odd expression scuttles across his face but is gone in an instant.

‘Sorry. It’s a dull question, isn’t it?’ I say with a grimace.

‘No, not at all. I work for myself but it’s a reasonably new venture – that’s why the hesitation. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m no longer a consultant at a multi-national. Probably because I worked in finance for years – since I finished uni, in fact. Most of my former colleagues think I’m mad, striking out on my own, doing something completely different.’

‘The friend you were meeting… was he a colleague?’

‘Yes. I suspect he was going to try and lure me back – it wouldn’t be the first time.’

The burrata arrives and we pause our conversation to cut into it – I’m salivating as it oozes onto the plate – then slather generous portions onto grilled crostini.

‘So, you’re definitely not going back to finance then?’ I ask. I take a bite with a satisfying crunch – it’s heavenly.

He shakes his head. ‘I’ve given myself a year out of the finance game. If all goes well…’ He shrugs good-naturedly.

‘And how far into the year are you?’

‘Oh, about four weeks,’ he says with a slightly apprehensive smile.

‘Wow, so it really is early days.’

He nods.

‘And so far?’ I ask. I don’t know many people who’ve drastically changed careers. Most people I know are like me, with their careers firmly locked in. Even Tiggy, who’s a freelancer, has always been in the same field.

‘So far, it’s been brilliant,’ he says, a thoughtful expression on his face. ‘What about you? You seem to enjoy what you do.’

‘I do. I absolutely love it. Well, mostly…’ I say, alluding to my current writing assignment, which I donotlove. Though it does have at least one silver lining – unexpectedly running into Ewan and being invited to dinner.

‘And do you think you’ll ever want to do something else?’ he asks. ‘Maybe write a novel or…’ He leaves the rest of the thought unsaid.

‘Maybe… I’m not sure about writing a novel – I’ve almost always written non-fiction – but I do miss the writing aspect of the job. I get to do so little of it now. When I started atNouveau, I was staff writer – writing was my entire job. Now, as a managing editor, there’s so much more I’m expected to do: marketing, reporting, far too many meetings… Even editing – my actual job title – only comprises about half of what I do.’

‘That’s always the way, though, isn’t it? You can be in your dream job, but there are always some aspects that feel like a chore.’

It’s odd that I’ve never thought about this in these terms before. This is exactly how I feel about discussingNouveau Life’s fiscal performance.

‘That’s an astute observation,’ I say.

‘Well, it’s something I’ve been contemplating for some time. When the majority of my job started feeling like a chore, I knew I had to re-evaluate my career. Hence the change.’

‘Actually,’ I say with a laugh, ‘now that I think about it, my boss, Anjali, constantly moans about doing the quarterly statements. “I’m an editor,” she cries, “not a bloody accountant!”.’

Ewan sniggers.

‘I hope my new role doesn’t get taken over by chores,’ I say, voicing the thought as it pops into my head. ‘At the moment, my plan is to work in magazines until it’s time to retire – it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, and I absolutely love this industry. Though, what it will look like by then will be vastly different, I imagine. That actually excites me,’ I add in a stage whisper.

‘Well, you’re already forging ahead withNouveau Life– transitioning from print to digital,’ he says. It highlights what a great listener he is and how much he remembers from our previous conversations – yet another contrast from Marcus the Monologuer.

‘Thank you for recognising that,’ I reply. ‘I’m aware it’s not for everyone, the digital side of publishing. Some of my colleagues are burying their heads in the sand, practicallyclingingto print.’

‘Well, I can relate to that – notprint, per se, but clinging to the more traditional modes and methods of a profession –andoutdated definitions of success.’

‘Yes!’

Ewan is not only a good conversationalist, he’s so insightful. I also have a lot of admiration for him, leaving a high-powered job – and likely, a high-paying one – to follow his passion.

‘So, what does Remy have to say about your change of careers?’ I ask, mentioning his dog. From Ewan’s descriptions of his antics, he’s very sweet – super affectionate – but also a little cheeky.

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