The Gap Year

Chapter 15

I stared at the wood panel ceiling, despairing, watching as the rusting gold plated fan span intermittently, reflecting the churning motion of my stomach. Please don't let it be today. Why can't I just be on vacation here like everyone else, languishing about the poolside on my lilo, sipping 7Up to keep my sugar levels up in the sun, instead of having to herd those wretchedly awful people as part of this wretchedly awful job? I think I've gained quite enough life experience now, thank you very much, to have earned spending the rest of the summer on the beaches of Malibu or perusing the promenades of Santa Monica, which is exactly what Lottie is doing now after just one month 'helping out' her daddy in South Africa. And I know for a fact that no one else in my family has ever worked this hard before, and I don't care in fifty percent of them are doctors, that's nothing compared to this. And okay I realise that being a doctor requires interaction with the public, but there is no way that even A&E can be as bad as the conditions they force me work in and the vulgar people they force me to interact with here. There are actually tears streaming down my face as I look at the clock on my bedside table. 08:30. Time to get out of bed, time for Bouzouki Boat day.

'No!!' I wailed in to my pillow, 'please make it go away. If anyone can hear me, then please, please help me.'

'Are you up Emma?!' The heavy bang at the bedroom door startled me, but I immediately recognised the booming estuary drawl. Dave the Head Rep, ugh. It's bad enough that I have to work with him, but surely the fact that he is here, in my apartment, summoning me before I have even risen for the day is an infringement of my civil rights? This is definitely being noted for future reference when i'm giving evidence against him at the tribunal we all know is coming.

'Emma, meet Rebecca.' Dave the Head Reps teeth were shining like a set of minty tic tacs as he gestured over to the beautiful blonde women standing at the kitchen counter, her hair tied neatly into an exacting chignon, her well ironed blouse tucked in to her pencil skirt, which with a yellow and blue neckerchief framed her bosom to perfection. She was a real life Barbie. And this it registered, this is the woman that Harry was with at Zorb's last night, only with her hair tied back she looked less supermodel and more super stewardess working the top deck of a Virgin Atlantic flight.

'I didn't realise we were using my apartment as a Welcome Meeting venue now?'

'Our apartment,' Katie corrected, 'and I told Dave he could meet Rebecca here before you all head off on the Bouzouki Boat.'

'We all head off?'

'Yes, you, Dave and Rebecca. Dave didn't you tell Emma about Rebecca?' Katie questioned Dave the Head Rep, apparently annoyed at his poor information provision.

'Tell me what about Rebecca?' God he better not say what I think she is eluding to, otherwise I will definitely be drowning myself by jumping overboard.

'Rebecca's our newest recruit,' Dave beamed, 'she'll be helping me at Pegasus Towers, since she's got the perfect look for our more sophisticated clients, don't you agree?'

'But she's not wearing our uniform.' I looked down at my own blue aertex t-shirt and yellow shorts. I hate this aertex, rubbing and itching all over the place, yet here we have Barbie rocking up in some sort of designer silk shirt.

'It's the new one!' Rebecca spoke for the first time, practically bursting, 'I still can't believe you picked me as the first rep to wear the new uniform. I'm so honoured.' Good Lord, she was actually hugging Dave the Head Rep. Yet another woman who is way too eager to touch his royal sweaty-pants, something which Katie had also noticed, judging by the laser beams which were darting from her now slitted eyes.