Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Gwen walked into her spacious lounge-diner and sighed with relief. She’d finished the housework and now could, legitimately, have a nice glass of red wine. So what if it was 3pm? She loved having Thursdays off, even if it did mean she worked on a Saturday. Being a shop manager of a well known manufacturer of china and porcelain ware meant that she was expected to be on call whenever she was needed and had, at times, worked 7 days a week.

She took a sip of the rather nice Chilean red she’d had breathing on the kitchen counter and sighed, contented.

The phone rang and she let the answer machine kick in, not wanting to move.

She heard the front door open and called out.

“Erin? Is that you?”

“Who else would it be? Jamie’s not due back till 7pm and it’s hardly likely that a burglar would have the front door keys is it? You daft moo.” Erin retorted, smiling.

“I was just asking.” replied Gwen in her soft Welsh lilt.

Gwen looked up as Erin walked into the lounge, limping.

“What the hell happened to you girl?” she asked concerned, placing her glass of wine onto the coffee table.

“My shoe broke, just as I was looking for that album you wanted. What a shit day I’ve had. Any of that wine left?” Erin asked as she dumped her handbag on the dining room table.

“yeah sure, it’s on the side. Help yourself.”

Erin poured herself a glass and joined Gwen on the terracotta sofa.

She removed her shoes and plonked her feet up onto the coffee table.

“So your shoe broke? Did you get to any agencies before that?” Gwen asked.

“Trying to get rid of me already?” Erin grinned.

“No, of course not. You’re welcome to stay as long as. I just know what it’s like not to have any money coming in.”

“I know, I was just kidding,” Erin sipped her wine, “yes I did manage to get to two agencies and sign on with them before the bloody shoe broke. I went down a grate, can you believe that? Oh and then the icing on the bloody cake, when the heel broke, I went arse over tit backwards, in the shop, right into this bloke who was standing behind me.”

Gwen spluttered her wine over her tee shirt with laughter.

“So you fell for him in a big way then?” she cackled.

“It gets worse. Not only did I fall onto him but I also knocked him flat onto his arse with me landing on top of him, so there we were lying on the floor, me with my arse on show, I bet the CCTV operators were killing themselves laughing at this point, and him with a huge coffee stain over the front of his tee shirt. It was so embarrassing, even if he was the cutest guy I’ve ever seen in my life. Those eyes. Amazing.”

Gwen was holding her sides with laughter.

“Oh Erin, only you could manage to do something like that. Anyway I thought you’d sworn off guys for a while? After Michael?”

“I have but he was just so damn cute, with these huge chocolate brown eyes. Anyway he asked me to get off him.”

“He did what?” Gwen laughed.

“Well we just stared at each other for a while and I think I forgot to get off him so he had to ask.” Erin said, sheepishly.

“You are one dozy mare, you know that?” Gwen giggled, holding her glass out for a refill.

Erin got up to go get the wine and noticed the answer machine flashing.

“Oh yeah, it rang and I was just so cozy like, I couldn’t be bothered to move.” Gwen admitted.

Erin shook her head and pressed the play button.

“Hello, this is a message for Erin Matthews. This is The Adele Agency. A position has come up we feel you would be suited to. Please call Caroline to discuss this. Thank you.”

Erin flashed a look at Gwen who was beaming at her, partly due to the amount of red wine in her system.

“Hi, this is Erin Matthews, can I talk to Caroline please?

“This is Caroline, Hello Miss Matthews, thank you for calling back. This position came in just after you had left and I think you will be perfect for it. It is a temporary position for six months. The job itself is that of PA but there are a couple of conditions.”

“What conditions?” Erin asked, crossing her fingers that they wouldn’t put her off.

“The first condition is that it is in house work.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sorry, I mean it’s live in work. The client is an American musician who is over here to write and produce his album and needs a live in PA as he will be working from home.”

“Ok, so far so good. What’s the second?”

“Apparently he can’t cook and needs someone who can. That’s why I thought of you as I remembered you saying that you love to cook.”

“On the weekends yes but not everyday.” She muttered.

“Oh and the salary is £30,000.”

“So £15,000 for the six months?” it didn’t sound too bad.

“No Miss Matthews, £30,000 for the six months, £60,000 pro rata.”

“Wow! I’ll do it, when does he need me to move in?” She asked, her bank balance sitting up and begging for this money, “Sorry did I sound too desperate there?” Erin laughed.

“That’s ok Miss Matthews,“ Caroline laughed, “I’ll just double check on the start date then email you the details as to where you’ll need to go.”

“Thank you, thank you so much.”

“You are very welcome.”

“Bye.” Erin put the phone down and turned to look at Gwen.

“Whoo Hoo I got a job!!! “ she began to a shuffle around the lounge to some imaginary music.

“Oh did you manage to get my album?” asked Gwen, by this time quite sloshed.

“No. Sorry.” Erin danced her way round the coffee table.

“Oh pity,” Gwen sighed, “I had the space picked out ready for it, just next to ‘Undiscovered Soul’.”

“Is that another Bon Jovi album then?” Erin asked, her mind off shopping for shoes.

“No, it’s the guitarist from the band, Richie Sambora. Here have a look.”

Erin forced her mind off shoes and looked at the album Gwen was holding out. She looked at the picture on the cover.

“Oh my fuck, that’s him!”

“I know it’s him” Gwen said, puzzled.

“No you moo, him! The guy I fell on today.”

“No way!” Gwen slurred slightly.

“Shit! I tripped up Richie Sambora. Well fuck me.” Erin intoned, grabbing her wine and taking a huge gulp.