Page 18 of The Gin Lover's Guide to Dating

I nod along obediently, then realise he’s expecting me to respond.

‘Oh, yeah, totally,’ I lie, when in fact I have no idea of my financial position. ‘I got a pay-out when I left.’

‘Good.’ He nods, sipping his americano. ‘Glad to hear you have a financial cushion. That means that you only have the career issue to deal with – for now. Just make sure you don’t let money problems creep up on you as well. You of all people know from experience how quickly that can spiral out of control.’

‘Of course.’ I wave my hand dismissively, but make a mental note to check my bank balance when I get home.

‘So, on the job front…’ Aaron eyes me, and it’s clear he’s not fully convinced by my bluff. ‘I can’t offer you anything in your field. But I could put a word in with Head Office, send across your CV to them. All our PR and communications roles are based there, and although I know there are no vacancies at the moment, something might come up. Staff turnover in the hotel industry is high.’

‘Wow, thanks, Aaron.’ It’s not a concrete lead, but the gesture and vote of confidence from him are so welcome at this stage. ‘I’d so appreciate that. Working for a luxury hotel brand would definitely be a great way of getting my CV back on track.’

‘It certainly would,’ he agrees. ‘I also wonder, to keep you in the black, as well as keeping a sense of routine and purpose, would you be interested in coming to work in the hotel temporarily? It would mean that you’d have a foot in the door and be making a name for yourself. Any role at Head Office that comes up would be advertised internally first, meaning you’d jump the queue so to speak – and be in early against the competition.’

‘Oh, right. Err… what did you have in mind?’ I know instantly that I’m not going to be filled with enthusiasm by what I’m about to hear.

‘I don’t have much by way of vacancies right now – there are plenty of casual workers around – but I do need an extra pair of hands in one of the bars.’

‘Bar work?’ I’m taken aback.

‘Yes,’ says Aaron. ‘It’s very busy and I’m about to lose a couple of part-time staff who are moving on. You could plug the gap for now?’

I take a moment to consider Aaron’s suggestion. It’s a kind offer and I can see some sense in what he’s saying, but this isn’t something I can do. I can’t afford to divert my energy away from my job hunt; even if it is only temporary. And would it just be that? It feels like it would be a big step backwards. What if taking him up on his offer inadvertently ended up throwing off my career plan? Long, unsociable hours wouldn’t mix well with trying to retain a sense of routine for the sake of interviews and job searching. I know this from experience, from the days of trying to juggle coursework on top of working thirty hours a week in the restaurant of the Old Town Hotel. I realise I need to play this very carefully. Aaron putting a good word in for me at their Head Office could be the key to my next positive career move, so I must avoid offending him.

‘Right… wow.’ I glug at my cappuccino, stalling for time. ‘Aaron, that’s quite an offer. Thank you. I think perhaps it’s best if I keep my focus on my job hunt for now. Anything else would be a distraction.’

‘You could just do a few nights a week.’ Aaron is eyeing me again. ‘That would still allow you plenty of time for your job hunt. Would keep days free for interviews as well.’

‘Yes, yes it would.’ I nod slowly, while trying to think of something to bolster my excuse. ‘But… I think Dylan said that there was some temping work going at his office if I needed some extra cash. Would probably be more suited to my skills, you know.’

‘Did he now?’ Aaron’s tone is deliberate as he takes his glasses off, and starts to polish them absent-mindedly. ‘Useful guy, this Dylan.’

I squirm a little in my seat.

‘That’s fine, Liv.’ Aaron puts his glasses back on and locks eyes with me. ‘Thought I’d make the offer. Just watch that stubborn pride of yours.’

‘It’s not that, honestly, it’s that Dylan—’

‘I know. You said.’ Aaron throws back the last of his coffee and gets up to leave. ‘Here’s my card. Send me your CV and I’ll forward it to Head Office.’

‘Great, I’ll do that.’ I take the business card from him. ‘Thanks again, Aaron.’

‘Nice to see you, Liv. And good luck with your temping.’ He gives me a knowing look and sweeps out of the café.

Chapter 5

‘You did what?’ Dylan aggressively stubs out his roll-up and stares at me in disbelief.

‘I politely declined his offer,’ I repeat.

‘Politely or not, what the bloody hell were you thinking, Squirt? The guy offers you a job and you turn him down? Now what’s he going to think of you?’

‘Don’t worry, I also told him I had another temporary option.’ I conveniently omit the fact that Aaron saw right through my fib.

‘But you don’t have another option.’ Dylan stares at me incredulously. ‘You don’t haveanyoptions, Liv.’

‘I don’t need you to remind me of that,’ I huff, as we make our way back inside my apartment from the balcony. ‘I’m perfectly aware of my situation.’

‘Are you though? Are you really? ’Cause from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’re living in bloody la-la land.’

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