Fraser Mountain - Living the snow life

Chapter Thirty Six

I know one thing I never missed about London: travelling on the Underground. It seems like the entire world is trying to cram into my carriage as the train stops at Liverpool Street Station. I have to battle through the mass of bodies to escape, feeling my heart pounding in my chest. My stomach is churning with nervous tension as I weave through the commuters on the platform, glancing at my watch to check I’m not running late. Walking in heels seems like a million miles away from trudging up a mountain in my snowboard boots. Why can’t I stop thinking about Fraser when I should be focusing on the next few hours and landing my dream job. God knows.

I jog up the escalator, clutching the black portfolio to my chest. I hope I’ve chosen the right work to include, rehearsing clever things to say in my head about my experience. I’m sure they’ll see straight through me and realise I’m completely wrong for the role. These guys have won more D&AD’s awards than I’ve had hot dinners. Even the woman at my recruitment agency sounded surprised when she called to say I’d been short-listed for an interview.

‘Alexa McGinty to see Harley Jones’ I say, trying to look confident in front of the receptionist. She looks me up and down, her expression far from friendly.

‘Take a seat, please. She won’t be long.’

I smile sweetly through gritted teeth and perch on the end of the large leather chair, noticing the receptionist referred to Harley as a girl. More fool me for presuming the boss would be a bloke. My throat seems to have dried up.

‘Sorry. Could I get a glass of water?’ I ask.

She sighs and points to the water cooler in the corner. ‘Knock yourself out.’

I take short sips as I wait, willing myself to calm down. Whoever this Harley Jones lass is, she likes to make her interviewees sweat. I look at my watch and realize that I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes.

‘Ms McGinty?’

I’m startled out of my nerves by a young woman in glasses, looking down expectantly at me. She’s wearing a red t-shirt that reads ‘Sex, Drugs, Helvetica Bold’ on it. I smile and shake her hand. ‘Call me Lexie. Nice t-shirt.’

‘Thanks!’ She grins. ‘I’m Harley. Really sorry for keeping you waiting. We won a pitch for Sony last week, so things are a bit mental. Come through.’

I try not to feel sick. Sony. What amazing work do I have to show off: property brochures, Bostock Bank mortgages and Bob’s snowmobile tours. Bloody brilliant.

‘So, the agency told me you’ve just come back from a ski season in Canada?’

‘Yes.’ I smile. ‘I got home a couple of weeks ago.’

I try not to seem over-awed as I follow her through the glass-walled office, past row after row of desks occupied by trendy designer-types, clicking or typing on shiny MacBooks. The agency is buzzing with chat and laughter – always a good sign.

‘Must seem weird being back?’ She says, looking over her shoulder at me. ‘I did a season in Whistler a few years ago and it took me ages to get into the swing of things again.’

I instantly feel more relaxed, happy to hear we’ve got something in common – always a bonus in an interview situation. We go into what must be her office and she gestures at a seat, planting herself on the edge of the desk. ‘So, Lexie. Tell me a bit about yourself.’

Is it me, or is this interview actually going quite well? It’s been more than half-an-hour since I sat down and I’ve made Harley laugh a few times. Plus there’s the fact that I’ve stopped sweating.

‘…So, ‘ I say, getting to the last page of my portfolio. ‘I hope you think there’s a broad section of work in there. I don’t have a fixed design style and I’m very adaptable. I pay good attention to detail and I like working as part of a team. I appreciate Bostock Bank is very different to clients like Sony or Nokia, but I have a lot to offer. I’d jump at the chance to work here.’