Page 13 of Someone Like You

The next morning, I’m sipping my tea – poured from a perfectly brewed pot-for-one – when Freya drops a fat sheaf of paper on my desk, startling me.

‘Oh my god, Freya,’ I chide, reaching for a tissue to mop up the tea I’ve spilt.

‘Sorry, Poppy, but look!’ In true Freya fashion, she’s bouncing on her toes, her fingertips pressed against her lips as her gaze lands on the client questionnaire.

‘You finished already?’ I ask, picking it up and flicking through. ‘Wasn’t Gaby supposed to help?’

She flaps a hand dismissively. ‘Oh, once I got going I couldn’t stop. There are a few blanks – I have no idea about his first pet or how old he was when he learnt to drive – but I’ll call CiCi later and ask.’

I stop flicking and set the questionnaire on my desk. This is exactly what I was worried about – we’re less than a day in, Freya still hasn’t got approval from our bosses, and she’s already proceeding at a rate of knots.

‘Frey, I reckon we should take this a little slower.’

‘How do you mean?’ she asks. The bouncing stops and her gleeful demeanour disappears in an instant.

I’ve worked with Freya for years and I’ve never seen her this invested in a case. If itisapproved, I’m going to need to build a metaphorical fortress around it.

‘I mean, there are a few more steps before we start assembling a list of potentials.’ She blinks at me as if I’m speaking gobbledygook. ‘The sign-off?’

‘Oh, that’ll be fine. I’m talking to Saskia and Paloma after the staff meeting.’

Shereallydoesn’t understand.

‘Andwe’ll want Gaby’s input on the questionnaire – get both of your perspectives to help round out Raff’s client profile.’

‘Okay,’ she says, her large, round eyes staring at me, unblinking.

‘Andthe big one, Frey – I still need to determine if Raff wants to be matched.’

She visibly deflates.

‘But hey, I want to run something run past you,’ I say, hoping this will wipe that frown off her face.

If Iamgoing to match Raff, I’ll need to strike a balance between looping Freya in where possible and maintaining necessary boundaries, and sharing my idea for theNouveau Lifeinterview is a start.

‘Thoughts?’ I ask after I’ve outlined my idea.

She smiles. ‘I love it – very clever. And an interview will give you additional insight into who Raff is. That can only help when assembling potential matches.’

‘Exactly.’

‘Only…’ She frowns again.

‘What is it?’

‘Well, Raff knows you’re my colleague, right? Won’t he be suspicious if you’re the one who sets up the interview withNouveau Life?’

‘I worried about that too at first, but I’ve found a way to throw him off the scent,’ I reply. That is, if Gaby agrees to help me, something I don’t mention.

Freya appraises me with admiration. ‘Of course you have – you’re a true master of the ruse.’

I know she meant it as a compliment, but I’m taken aback. I’ve only had a few cases that have necessitated subterfuge, and I find it just as challenging as maintaining boundaries with my loved ones – if not more.

4

GABY

‘How am I supposed to do that?’ I ask Poppy. She’s called, hoping I’ll convince Raff to agree to an interview withNouveau Life.

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