Page 41 of Another Lucky Number (Lucky Number #2)

Chapter Thirty-Six

‘ W hat? ’ I just about fall off my seat at this revelation. ‘Amber, you need to explain what’s going on – right now .’

‘I’m about to. Chill.’ She rolls her eyes at Cat, as if I’m the one causing the issue here.

‘No, I will not chill . Explain .’

‘All right. When we lost you yesterday, we split up to look for you and I passed by reception literally about thirty seconds after you spoke to Charnice.’

‘Right. And?’

‘You forget that I know you. I figured there was a high chance you’d act impulsively and pull out of the interview.

After a bit of coaxing, I managed to get it out of Charnice that you’d asked her to contact Sébastien – she had the phone in her hand, about to do it – and I convinced her not to pass the message on because I thought you’d regret your decision by this morning. ’

‘You did what? ’ I’m aghast (though if I’m honest, not altogether unsurprised) by Amber’s meddling. ‘You mean Sébastien’s still expecting me to show up this morning? Amber, what have you done? I need to get Charnice to contact him straight away.’

‘Or… you could go ahead with the interview.’ She raises her eyebrows suggestively.

I hesitate. ‘No… no , I can’t. I’m obviously not ready for that job. You even said it yourselves yesterday.’

‘And we were wrong. Because despite everything that happened, you got up at five this morning, and instead of having a little pity party yourself – which is something you might have done even a week ago – you stuck two fingers up to the situation and decided you were a winner. That’s a clear sign of someone who’s determined and one hundred per cent deserves this job. ’

I look to Cat uncertainly and she nods agreement with Amber.

‘Honey, if you hadn’t spoken to Charnice yesterday, do you think you would have wanted to go ahead with the interview this morning?’ Cat asks. ‘After a good sleep and some distance from things?’

I puff out my cheeks. ‘I’m not sure. I guess… with the humiliation of yesterday’s disaster having dulled, I probably would have gone ahead with it – because I committed to it more than anything else. I’d still be terrified and thinking I’d got ahead of myself though.’

‘And now that you’ve sneaked in that extra prep, and the interview’s still on…?’

‘I think… it’s a ridiculous long shot, but as Amber has stuck her oar in yet again, I need to do it, for the experience and feedback if nothing else.’ I blink at my two friends in semi-shock while I digest what this means.

‘ Boom .’ Amber simulates a mic drop. ‘ And… she’s back. ’

‘She sure is.’ Cat beams at me across the table.

‘Right, well, I’d better get some food in me and go get ready.’ I clutch my face in disbelief. ‘This is a curve ball I did not see coming. Thanks for believing in me, you guys.’

The waiter approaches to take our order and Amber holds up a finger to stall him for a second.

‘Once last tip for you, Emma: if at any point you blank, or there’s a question that feels impossible to answer, do nothing other than count to five slowly in your head. Don’t think, just do it. That will give your brain the chance to offer you something useful before you let the panic set in.’

I nod slowly, committing this nugget to memory. ‘OK, thanks, I’ll try to remember that.’

Ten minutes before my interview is due to start, I’m seated in the atrium, jangling with nerves. I’ve dressed in the most appropriate outfit I could find – a sophisticated (and not revealing) black evening dress paired with a cropped jacket and black heeled sandals.

Fiddling with the strap of my handbag, which is housing my new improved presentation ‘cue cards’, I self-consciously glance across to the reception desk and meet Charnice’s eye.

‘Good luck,’ she mouths to me with an encouraging smile.

‘Thank you,’ I mouth back.

‘Emma , ca va? ’ A smiling Sébastien appears from nowhere, as is his style, looking devastatingly handsome in a dark grey suit, but with no tie and his top shirt button open.

I waver. Now we’re doing the interview, I don’t know how to play things with him. It’s not often one has an intimate (and borderline raunchy) dance with their possible future boss. Or has unmistakable raw chemistry with them. I get to my feet and extend my hand.

‘Hello, Sébastien. I’m very well, thank you. How are you today? ’

He looks at my hand with amusement, then steps forward and plants a kiss on each cheek, giving me that same heady feeling I get every time he does it. And with today’s pre-interview nerves thrown into the mix, it almost ends me. I shift backwards to steady myself.

‘I am well too.’ He smiles and with a wave of his hand he guides me out of the atrium along one of the long corridors. ‘Please relax, Emma. There is no need for you to change how you are with me. How was your breakfast this morning?’

We chat lightly while we walk and thankfully my nerves settle a bit.

Sébastien is in the middle of telling me about his morning when he brings us to a stop outside a door with a sign that says ‘staff only’.

He opens it, gesturing for me to go inside ahead of him, and I find myself in another, much shorter corridor that leads to three meeting rooms.

‘In here.’ He points to one of them, the door of which is propped open. ‘Please make yourself comfortable.’

There’s not much in the room. Just a long table surrounded by twelve boardroom style chairs, which take up most of the available space, and a large monitor mounted on a metal arm so it can be moved and adjusted.

With it being such a tight space, my presentation audience will have to be very limited. Thank goodness .

I pull out a chair and sit down while Sébastien takes the seat opposite me.

‘Are you doing the interview alone?’ I ask.

‘ Ah, mais non, Emma. Did I not mention that my colleague will be the second interviewer? Pardon me. We will be joined remotely by my Director of Strategy, Eloise Lefebvre. Eloise and I, we go back a long way, as you might say, and I consider her to be one of the most capable people I have had the pleasure of knowing.’

My insides squirm. I’m going to be on trial with Sébastien’s right hand woman. No pressure or anything .

‘She is also a very kind and understanding person, Emma.’ He has clearly read me like a book, making my squirm even squirmier.

Before I can respond, the room is filled with an electronic ring tone and an incoming video call flashes up on the screen.

Sébastien grabs the remote control from the middle of the table, and moments later, the head and shoulders of a beautiful woman around Sébastien’s age appears on the screen.

She has long dark hair and a warm smile.

‘ Salut, Eloise, ca va? ’ Sébastien greets her fondly. ‘I am sorry to have you interviewing on your day off.’

‘ Salut, Sébastien. Pas du tout. ’ She smiles brightly. ‘With a bebé who wakes me up at the fifth hour every morning, I am never on a day off.’

‘How is he?’

‘He is nearly walking already. How has this happened so quickly? I cannot keep up with him.’

Sébastien’s eyes crinkle as he chuckles at this comment. ‘Eloise, may I introduce you to Emma?’

‘ Bonjour, Emma.’ She gives me a little wave. ‘Enchantée. Parles-tu francais ?’

Having learned some French at school, I’m quick to pick up that she’s using a familiar tone with me like Sébastien does – which is nice – and she’s also asking if I speak the language. However, I find myself grappling for a response.

‘ Bonjour, Eloise … Enchantée . I’m afraid I don’t speak much French anymore. Maybe just… un petit peu ?’

Eloise doesn’t seem fazed at all by this cop out. In fact, she looks delighted by my use of these three simple words.

‘You can pick it up again, Emma,’ she says. ‘It is like skiing. You never really forget once you learn – some practice and you will be gliding again.’

I gulp, sincerely hoping that the use of French is not a requirement for the role. In skiing terms, my aptitude for foreign languages is the equivalent of opting for the kiddie slopes and still ending up arse in the air at the end of it.

‘Shall we get started then?’ says Sébastien.

‘Sure.’ I give a nervous nod. ‘Ready when you are.’

‘ Bien . I expect this part of the interview will take an hour, then we will move elsewhere for the presentation…’

My heart sinks on hearing this. It undoubtedly means there will be a much bigger audience than I was hoping for.

‘Eloise and I will both ask you questions,’ Sébastien continues. ‘These will relate to our company values and how your previous work experience relates to the role. Is that all fine with you, Emma?’

‘Absolutely.’

Sébastien kicks off the questions and he and Eloise alternate between them in a very natural way.

It’s a far more relaxed experience than I had with Amber’s ‘interrogations’.

However, I’m still grateful that she grilled me to that level and got me ‘ready for anything’.

Fortunately, in this case, ‘anything’ has turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise.

Sébastien and Eloise go out of their way to make me feel at ease, to the point that the whole experience feels more like a pleasant chat between like-minded professionals than an interview.

If it weren’t for the fact that Amber tested me with some values-based example questions, I might even have wondered if it were an interview.

But the tell tales signs are there, and I’m pleased to note that I do feel a natural alignment with what the company is about.

‘Thank you, Emma,’ says Sébastien, after what feels like about ten minutes. ‘Those are all the questions we wanted to ask today. Shall we move on to the presentation?’

‘Sure.’ I try to look enthusiastic, while my stomach feels like it’s taken a dive into a cement mixer.

He turns his attention to the screen. ‘ Merci bien, Eloise . I will take things from here and call you later. ’

‘ De rien, Sébastien. It was nice to meet you, Emma. Good luck with your presentation.’ Eloise waves goodbye and disappears from the screen.