Page 27 of The Gin Lover's Guide to Dating

‘Bar experience-wise, you have how many years?’ She asks as she pores over my CV.

‘None. But I worked for Aaron as a restaurant supervisor when I was at university. He was the Food and Beverage Manager at the Old Town Hotel. It was years ago.’

Whenyouwere about ten, I think to myself.

‘Right.’ She screws up her face in disapproval. ‘Your experience is pretty out of date then. And almost irrelevant. Do you even know about the Responsible Service of Alcohol online learning? You can’t start work here without doing that first.’ She sits back in her seat smugly, thinking she’s caught me out.

‘Yes, I do. And I have.’ I pull the folded-up printed completion certificate out of my apron pocket and hand it to her.

She snatches it from me and examines it, then casts it aside. ‘You’ll certainly never have used a Waiter Pad.’

‘A what?’ I ask.

‘A Waiter Pad. An electronic device for taking drinks orders.’

‘I have an iPad,’ I offer. ‘I assume the technology is not that different. Not rocket science.’

Clara glances up from my CV, giving me a scathing look. ‘It’s not quite the same, Liv.’ Her voice is intentionally patronising. ‘You’ll need training to use it. In fact, you’ll need training in everything.’

She exhales loudly as she makes a note in her notepad. I’m stunned by her behaviour. This woman is a manager of people? She’s barely human herself. How the hell did she get that job acting like this?

‘I see you’ve been working in the corporate world till recently. At McArthur Cohen. That’s a prestigious name. Why did you leave?’ She eyes me suspiciously.

Who the hell does she think she is? My hackles start to rise. She’s not inducting me, she’s interviewing me. And from the looks of things, it seems she’s looking for a reason to not to keep me on. I’ve dealt with her type before. The key is to stay calm and let their derision wash over you. Their problem, not mine.

‘Mutual agreement.’ I decide to stick to my script. ‘There was a company restructure and I took the opportunity to go as I was looking for a move anyway. This is a temporary role for me to get some extra cash while I continue my job search.’

Clara’s face instantly clouds with annoyance. ‘Does Aaron know this? I’m sure he wouldn’t have agreed to take you on if he’d known you’re just going to skip off as soon as something better comes along.’

‘Actually, he does.’ I smile at her tightly. ‘And he didn’tagreeto take me on, he offered me this temporary work.’

I can almost see the steam rising from Clara’s ears as she furiously makes another note in her notebook. ‘The beast’. Really rather apt. Well done, Amir, whoever you are.

‘Right, well.’ Clara sniffs. ‘Let’s get your departmental induction and hotel tour done. You can go on the formal company induction next week – bit of a waste if you’re onlystopping by. Reyes can do your behind-the-bar training.’

‘I’ve already had the tour, so you can cross that one off.’ I’m keen to spend as little time with Clara as possible. ‘Aaron showed me around last week.’

A personal tour by Aaron is obviously the final insult for Clara. She snaps her notebook shut and, still fuming, starts to run me through essential departmental information. By the time she’s done, I’ve only heard, and taken in, a fraction of what she’s said. But I have developed, in my head, a full technicolour adaptation of how, given the chance, I would inflict the slowest and most painful death possible upon her. This beast needs to be slain.

‘She’s not just fierce,’ I say to Reyes as we’re stocking the bar fridges a little while later. ‘She’s vile. I can’t believe the way she spoke to me. And what is she, like twelve?’

‘She is twenty-two.’ Reyes laughs. ‘I know. It was a shock for me too. My husband and I come here to live for a couple of years to have different cultural experience – and it isverydifferent experience working for Clara. I did think to leave and find other work, but the pay is good for a hotel and so are the tips. And also, the people, as I say. Everyone, except the beast.’

‘Why would Aaron hire someone as a manager who behaves like that?’ I’m still bewildered by this. ‘He’s awkward himself, a bit of a smug bastard at times, sure, but he’s not offensive, nor malicious. I didn’t think he’d accept behaviour like that.’

‘You think that the beast speaks to Aaron like us?’ Reyes hoots. ‘No way! She is clever. With Aaron she is like butter that would not spread.’

‘You mean melt.’ I giggle.

‘Huh?’ Reyes looks confused.

‘The saying is: she acts like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. You mean she’s all angelic with him, right?’

‘Ah, yes! That is it, exactly.’ Reyes grins broadly. ‘She is a real jacket and hype.’

‘You mean Jekyll and Hyde!’ My giggles turn into full-on laughter.

‘You are good at this.’ Reyes looks impressed.

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