The Dating Game by Susan Buchanan Read Free Book Online Page A

Glasgow area, this was starting to
change, due to word of mouth recommendations.  She was pleased to see that she
had already received a reply from Bryan Oliver.  She had called him back after
her final meeting yesterday, to discuss the agency’s services and to go through
the terms and conditions with him.  He wanted to arrange a meeting as soon as
possible to discuss filling three positions.  This was excellent news.  At
£2,500 per client placing, that would be nice revenue, if she could get it. 
Checking her online diary, she saw that she had a space the following Tuesday,
so quickly e-mailed him back to see if that would be convenient.
    Not long after Janice arrived and they had talked through
the schedule for the day, Gill left the office to head over to her first client
meeting, which was at quarter past ten.  She’d decided to ditch her attempt to
go green by taking the bus.  Quite frankly it simply wasn’t possible with
client meetings here, there, and everywhere.
    The traffic had eased a little due to the morning rush hour
having passed, but there was still a steady flow of cars and Gill seemed to get
stopped at every traffic light.
    Typical , she thought.  Taking advantage of being
stationary at a junction where she knew the lights took an age to change, Gill
checked her phone.  There was an e-mail from Caroline Morgan entitled
Profiles.  Excited, she clicked and read Caroline’s message,
     
    Dear Gill.  Here are the first three
profiles.  Let me know if you are interested in meeting any of them and I will
contact them on your behalf.  Regards, Caroline.
     
    Gill tried to click into the first profile, but just then
the lights turned green and, cursing under her breath, she eased the car into
first gear.  By the time she pulled into the client’s car park, she had ten
minutes to spare before her meeting.  She took the chance to open the profiles.
She could make out the photos, but the text was too small to read.  Number one
looked promising, though; broad shouldered, sandy blond hair.  Number two
seemed old, really old. What age had she said she would go up to?  Late
forties?  This guy could easily be in his early sixties.  Number three, she
wasn’t sure about number three.  She’d have to blow up his photo when she could
access her laptop and of course, she’d need to read his profile.
    Glancing at her watch, Gill saw she only had a few more
minutes and she was a stickler for punctuality, so she rapidly tapped out a
text to Debbie, ‘3 prfls recd.  Call l8r’.
    The meeting overran.  Gill knew today was going to be busy. 
With no time to check her messages, she jumped in the car and drove down to
Mauchline in Ayrshire, to meet her next client.  She was going to be late. 
Blasted average speed cameras.
    A smiling Gill emerged two and a half hours later, starving
but satisfied.  Her appointment had gone even better than expected.  The
company manufactured chemicals for use in personal care products, such as
shampoo, shower gel and hand wash.  They had grown their business thirty
percent last year, amazing in these tough times, but she supposed their line of
work was fairly recession-proof.  Beauty salons and hairdressers actually
seemed to make more money during tough times, as people wanted to at least look
good, when everything else was crumbling around them.  Now her client hoped to
expand by opening a plant in North Berwick on the east coast and intended to
recruit staff both for the new plant and also for the existing one, as some of
the key workers in the Ayrshire division would be relocated to North Berwick,
so their expertise could be utilised.  Business couldn’t be better.  Gill was
grateful for this, as she knew not every agency was in such an enviable
position.  It was very much a ‘dog eat dog’ industry, but she truly believed
that you got what you put in.  Gill was always decent towards people, and
likewise clients and candidates tended to treat her with