Page 12 of The Gin Lover's Guide to Dating

Anya’s usual vibrancy has wilted like a dying flower; she edges closer to Tom’s side.

‘OK… sure.’ Tom looks a bit pained as he takes a long swig from his pint of craft beer. ‘They’ve only announced the senior roles so far. Sharon’s going to take on a new Executive Director role for our division.’

‘Sharon?’ I forget to hide my disgust.

‘Yes. And I think she’ll do a good job.’ Tom gives me a curious look. ‘She’s certainly got the experience. Don’t you think?’

‘Sure, yeah, of course.’ I silently curse myself for not being more circumspect. ‘What else?’

‘Derek’s going to be the Director of PR.’

It takes all my effort not to swear out loud. Derek? Derek – that walking communication-free zone who has no interest in people, or interactions of any kind – is going to be Director of Public Relations?

‘Interesting choices.’ I keep my voice neutral to stop my real feelings surfacing again. ‘What about senior management level?’

Anya lets out an involuntary peep of discomfort. I look at her quizzically.

‘Liv. Seriously.’ Tom regards me, clearly concerned. ‘Is that not enough?’

‘No. Tell me,’ I command.

I know full well that I’m not going to like this one bit.

‘OK, here goes.’ Tom takes a sharp intake of breath. ‘Apparently there were quite a few other “mutual” exits last week…’

I flinch as he says this. That’s my cover story well and truly blown.

‘That left a few vacant posts. There were two in our area.’

‘There were?’ My eyes bore into the back of Sharon’s head; what a lying cow.

I’m trying my best to stay calm, but I can feel the anger beginning to smoulder.

‘So, what roles, and who do you think will apply?’ I ask.

Tom looks at Anya, who’s starting to look more like a toddler clinging to its mother’s leg than Tom’s current love interest. He sighs loudly. I brace myself.

‘They didn’t open up the vacancies. They decided to appoint people from the Corporate Future Leaders Programme.’ Tom pauses for a moment. ‘I got one of the jobs and Stella got the other.’

My sparking anger is instantly extinguished by blunt shock. For a moment, I feel like I’m going to faint. Why am I only hearing this now? Anya should have told me, so I was prepared. Tom and Stella got the jobs, while I got the boot? No wonder Stella made a run for it when I asked her. She doesn’t even work in our department.

I was just as good as them. What did I do that was so wrong?

The unwelcome and all too familiar voice inside my head pipes up again.

‘You’ll no’ fit in, so don’t bother yer backside tryin’.’

It’s joined by Dylan’s voice.

‘When you gonna accept that this just isn’t you?’

I feel like I can’t breathe. A blanket of nausea engulfs me. The outdoor bar area suddenly feels really distant, and I realise that if I don’t get out of here fast, I’m going to humiliate myself in front of all my colleagues.

‘Liv, are you OK?’ Tom puts a concerned hand on my arm.

I can see Anya peering at me from behind him.

‘I’m… yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Too much champagne on an empty stomach. I’ll be right back.’

---