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

respect.  To many
agencies you were just a number.  Even with the enormous amount of applicants,
she tried her best not to let that be the case with her agency. Algaeonics
intended to hire another fifteen people initially.  With the new Algaeonics
contract won, Gill found herself hoping she received some replies to her SRC ad
soon.
    Stopping at a supermarket in Kilmarnock to grab a sandwich
and a cup of tea in the café, she scrolled through her texts and e-mails. 
Seeing the number of unread e-mails, she wondered how she was going to get
through them and prayed for divine intervention.  Pressing speed dial for the
office, she quickly connected with Janice, who ran through what had been
happening.  After advising Janice that she would be back in just over an hour, Gill
hung up and resumed drinking her tea, shutting out the cacophony that was a
crowded supermarket café.  At least the schools had gone back now, as during
the holidays she didn’t dare enter supermarkets during the day.  Gill loved
kids and doted on her brother’s two.  Harry was four and George had just turned
six and didn’t he want to tell you all about it.  Actually he wanted to tell
you about everything, just like his dad as a child.  It was other people’s
kids, particularly in supermarkets, who drove Gill mad.  She tried to ignore
their tantrums or when they threw themselves on the floor, refusing to get back
up.  If they looked between two and three, Gill gave the parents some leeway. 
After all, even she had heard of the terrible twos.  Although her brother,
Christopher, did seem to have got off lightly in that regard with his pair, who
were angels – well, most of the time.  But if they were older than that, Gill
often wanted to strangle the parents.  She knew it must be hard being a
parent.  Debbie had told her often enough what a trial it could be, but there
were limits to what she felt the general public should be subjected to, and
shrieking which would shatter glass she felt was well beyond that limit.
    After returning her empty tray to a vacant spot on the
catering trolley, Gill dialled Debbie.  She answered on the second ring.
    ‘Hi, it’s me.’
    ‘I know. I can see your number.’
    ‘Right, anyway, did you get my text?’
    ‘Yes, very exciting.  So what do you think?’
    ‘Well, I haven’t actually been able to read any profiles
yet, as I’ve only seen them on my phone and you know how blind I am.’
    Debbie knew.  Gill was known for being clumsy, always
falling over things and also for losing her contact lenses on nights out.  She
was as blind as a bat without her glasses or lenses in.
    ‘Oh, right,’ said Debbie. ‘So, where are you?’
    Gill explained to her friend about her morning and how the
meetings had gone.  ‘I’m just heading back to the office now.  I was going to
ask, I know we met up last night, but I was thinking I could print the profiles
off and we could have a look at them together.’
    ‘We-ell,’ Debbie hesitated.
    ‘Or do you need to pick Olivia up?’
    ‘No, my mum’s doing that, it’s just I haven’t seen much of
Gerry this past week.  He’s been working a lot of overtime.’
    ‘Oh right, don’t worry then.  I’ll just phone you when I’ve
had a look at them.’
    ‘No, let me see if I can work something out. I’ll call you
back,’ and with that Debbie hung up.
    It took Gill less than forty-five minutes to get back into
the west end of Glasgow, as traffic was still relatively light.  Everyone was
still in work.  The rush hour would probably start within the next hour.
    When she arrived in the office, the normally unruffled
Janice appeared stressed out.
    ‘You OK?’ she asked with concern.
    ‘Yes, it’s just been bonkers in here today.  The phones have
been ringing off the hook.  Three people have dropped in about the SRC role you
advertised, bringing their CVs in person, and the e-mail is totally choked up. 
Plus the server went down just after you called