Chapter 9

I couldn't help but wonder, though, as I left Kathryn's office, just how I had managed to 'snag' this job. The more I looked into the experience and publications lists of her previous assistants the more inadequate and underqualified I felt. Not only that, there were things - just the odd thing here and there, like her not being sure what age I was, and being surprised to hear about one of my postgraduate placements - that made me wonder just how closely she'd actually been involved in my selection. Surely she must have vetted her potential assistants fairly carefully?

Nevertheless, I'll admit that I was really enjoying working with her. I mean, she was incredibly busy most of the time, but she made time for me when I needed it and always seemed to put full effort into our collaborations despite her heavy workload.

In the meantime, I was settling into life in [wherever] pretty well. Lynn, in addition to being arty and cute and fun to flirt with, turned out to be quite the social hub, and I was immediately welcomed into her group of friends with open arms. They were mostly closer to my age than hers, more artists and writers and academics, and I quickly began to feel reasonably at home. There was still that itch, that feeling that I was still looking for something, something I could see out of the corner of my eye which seemed to disappear when I turned my head. But for now, life was good.

Since I was pretty well-supplied with potential friends in my 'real life', I didn't have to worry too much about chumming it up with people at work. Still, they were a nice bunch and I usually found myself in the staffroom at least once a day with a couple of them and we would chat pleasantly enough while eating our biscuits.

Sarah in particular seemed to consider providing me with company and conversation to be part of her job, and she performed it diligently, always sitting with me if she appeared in the staffroom to find me sitting alone.

On one such afternoon she bustled in, flipping the switch on the kettle and pulling her special tin of tea out of the cupboard with a cheery "Hullo! And how is Alex this fine day?"

"Cold - is it just me or is the weather turning nippy?" I commented as she turned to lean back against the counter while she waited for the water to come back to the boil. "How's yourself?"

"Oh, just fine, just fine... keeping myself busy. And you're right, it is a little nippy... we'll have to see what we can do to keep things at a decent temperature in here. Those big picture windows are lovely but they just suck all the heat right out of a room, don't they?"

"Well, I have my little space heater in the office, so at least there's no danger of me freezing at my desk."

"Well isn't that clever?" Sarah said, grinning. "Maybe I'll just put in a budget request and get us all our own personal heater."

"Could be a plan if it gets colder," I agreed with a grin, sipping at my tea.

"Mmhmm!" she said brightly. A few minutes later she had made her tea just so and was settled in the chair next to me, picking out a biscuit from the neatly-arranged tray. "How are all your projects coming along? Professor S seems very happy with your progress so far."

"Well, I think - thanks," I said with a nod. "It looks as though we're well on track to have everything prepped for the classes before the end of this semester - I mean, inevitably I'll end up finishing some stuff up along with my marking over the break, but we'll definitely be ready to go in January."

Sarah nodded. "It's incredible you were able to slide into the role like you did - we all thought that with Keira leaving like she did that things would be be in a shambles forever."

"Oh?" I tried to keep my tone - and my expression - one of innocent enquiry. It was unclear quite why Keira Ford had left her post as Kathryn's assistant so suddenly, and this only confirmed my suspicions that the circumstances had been in some way convoluted.

"Well, you know, she left so abruptly," Sarah said in a conspiratorial voice, shaking her head. "And with Dr S leaving as well... things were in a bit of a state around here for a while."

"Keith Sinclair was formerly in this unit?"

"Yes, of course - you didn't know?" Sarah didn't wait for my confirmation before going on. "He and Professor S practically built this department from the ground up, so you can imagine how everybody felt when he did what he did."

My mind whirred. Suddenly a few gears clicked into place. "He became involved with Keira Ford."

"Bingo," Sarah said, nodding grimly. "And then she quit, and he went off on sabbatical and poor Professor S was left picking up the pieces. Not that she'd put it that way, mind," she added. "But still, after all she went through. It's no wonder she couldn't face hiring... well. I'm sure you understand."

I nodded, every conversation I'd had with Kathryn Sinclair in the first few days I'd been here suddenly making sense. She didn't know anything about me because she wasn't the one who hired me. "Of course," I said eventually, when I realised that Sarah was still waiting for a response.

"At any rate, here we are now! Sometimes things all work out for the best in the end."

I smiled a little, although I'm not sure my heart was in it. I'd been so surprised and confused when I had been given this job - not that I didn't think I could do it, but it wasn't the sort of thing that generally went to someone with as spotted and random an academic career as me, someone with so little direction. But the past few weeks, I suppose I had let myself think that maybe Kathryn Sinclair had seen something in me that I hadn't in myself, that maybe she knew somehow where I was going even if I didn't.

And now it turned out that she hadn't even seen my CV.

 

Sarah chattered at me for a while longer, but I finished my tea as soon as I could and politely excused myself at the first opportunity. I just wanted to get back to my office and get on with my work, so I was surprised as anyone when my steps led me not down the hallway to my office but instead to that of Kathryn Sinclair, who looked up as I entered, eyebrows raised.

"Hello, Alex. Something I can help you with?"

"You didn't hire me." I blinked a little at my own abruptness, immediately wondering what the hell I was thinking.

"Excuse me?"

"I, um..." I took a breath, shaking my head a little. "Sorry. What I mean to say is... Am I right in thinking that you weren't actually involved in my being placed with you?"

"I'm head of the department," Kathryn said, frowning slightly. "All hiring requests have to come through me."

"So you did read my letter and CV?" I raised my eyebrows.

She hesitated. I had observed enough by now to know that Kathryn Sinclair was a pretty forthright person; she didn't hold back her opinions or soften them for other people's comfort. I braced myself for the worst. "No, I didn't." Kathryn sighed and looked up at me. "Professor Weaver went through all the applicants. I just signed the contract offer."

I let out the breath I hadn't realised I was holding. "All... right." So what now? I had got it from her lips, but what did I have to say now? I'd already been quite agressive enough; I wasn't about to challenge her on her decision not to involve herself in my appointment. And even if I did what would I say? Eventually I managed a stiff "Thank you," and I turned to go.

"Dr Webb." I stopped in spite of myself at her tone, slowly turning back to face her. "I understand your consternation at this revelation, but I hope it won't affect our working relationship. I have been very pleased with your work so far."

"Of course." I shook my head, although I really had no way of making any such guarantee. "It's... fine," I added. "It just... explains... some things." I felt my brow furrow. "It's fine," I said again.

She frowned again and looked down at her desktop diary. "Perhaps we should continue our discussion later. Would you be able to join me for a drink after work?"

"I..." I was supposed to be meeting one of Lynn's friends for a drink after work. "...Sure."

"Alright." She named a bar that I knew was nearby, leaning in to pencil it into her own diary. "Seven o'clock?"

Still a little confused - why would she want to talk more about this? - I nodded again. "I'll see you there."

 

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