Chapter 9
Hitting the Call button, Zac leaned back in his chair, confidently holding his hands behind his head.
‘Ah, Zachary Sinclair. However may I help you?’ Mr Bob’s familiar jovial tone wafted down the phone.
Glancing behind him towards the other diners, Zac lowered the volume before greeting him. ‘Morning, Mr Bob. I have Polly Burrows with me. You’re on speaker.’
‘Morning, Polly. How are you both enjoying the inn? Beautiful, isn’t it? Mrs Bob and I visited last year for our anniversary. Stunning building in a great location…’
‘Yes, it’s nice. Thanks for arranging it.’ Zac cut him off. ‘That’s not the reason I’m calling, though. There seems to be a slight mix-up on the job front we want to clear up.’
Clasping her hands together, Polly leaned forward. Perhaps he wasn’t making it up. Zac seemed pretty agitated himself. Perhaps he really had thought he was coming here with the chance of getting the promotion? But if it was a mistake…
‘Yes, yes. I know exactly what you’re going to say, but to set the record straight, I didn’t have a clue either.
I didn’t realise the job roles would change.
I got you both the jobs I thought you’d be best suited to in good faith.
Declan always was one to pull the rug out from beneath the feet.
’ Mr Bob’s voice faltered before he spoke again.
‘He’s not there with you now, is he? With me on speaker? ’
‘He’s not.’
‘Good, good. He’s a decent man, has the best of intentions but is well known for being a bit of a maverick where the—’
‘Sorry to interrupt you, Mr Bob, but we’ve got to head into the office in a few minutes. The job roles were a bit of a surprise, yes, but that’s not the reason we’re calling.’
‘Right, right, of course. Time to start work soon, ay? What is it I can help you two with?’
Zac cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with where the conversation needed to go.
Lifting her hands to the table, still clasped, Polly spoke up. ‘Mr Bob, there seems to have been a bit of a misunderstanding with regard to the promotion you promised me.’
‘And the fact you told us we were both in the running.’ Zac shot her a look.
‘You seem to have promised us both the promotion to project manager, but I think there’ll only be one job opening when Declan retires, is that right?’ Please break the news to Zac that he’s misunderstood.
‘Yes, yes. One promotion. That’s right.’
‘Like I said…’ Zac narrowed his eyes as he pulled at the cuff of his sweatshirt sleeve.
‘As Zac said, either of you will be in the running for the promotion, of course! The best person for the job. That’s why you’re both there.’
‘Thank you.’ Zac nodded curtly.
Polly watched him grab the phone and bring it to his ear.
Without thinking, she leaned across the table and tapped Zac’s phone, indicating to him to put it back in the middle of the table so they could both hear Mr Bob’s answer.
How could Zac be right? And why hadn’t she been privy to this conversation?
‘…So you see…’
‘Sorry, Mr Bob. I didn’t hear what you’d said.’ Polly narrowed her eyes at Zac. ‘Can you repeat it, please?’
‘Of course, Polly. I was just saying that the promotion will go to the best candidate. And to be completely honest, things have worked out even better than I had anticipated. With you both being given new job roles, you’ll both be at the same starting point and therefore the competition will be much fairer than first anticipated. ’
‘This isn’t a competition, Mr Bob. This is my life.
I need this promotion.’ Polly swallowed as a lump formed in her throat.
She needed it. She had to have it. He’d promised it to her.
‘When you assured me of the promotion you didn’t say anything about any other candidates, you made out that it would be mine. That it was expected.’
‘I’m sorry, Polly. That wasn’t my intention. Not at all. Are you certain I didn’t mention you were both candidates? I’m sure—’
‘You did to me.’ Zac’s voice was low as he ran his palm across his face.
‘Well, if I didn’t to you, Polly, then I offer my sincerest apologies,’ Mr Bob continued.
‘Of course, I’m sure you’ll both be aware that the trust legally has to advertise the position externally too, but, of course, you’ll both have the advantage over any potential outside candidates as you’ll have been working there for a few months before then. ’
‘Right. Thanks. We’d better go.’ Stabbing the pad of his index finger against the phone screen, Zac ended the call.
Bringing the mug of pumpkin spice latte to her lips, Polly took a sip, forcing it down.
She felt as though her whole world had been torn apart.
Her dreams shattered and the promise of a better future felled.
What was she supposed to do now? Yes, she’d been volunteering at the Cotswold Wildlife and Wilderness Trust longer than Zac had been employed.
But he’d been employed and worked full-time, whereas, apart from the last few months, she’d had to fit in volunteering around her teaching job.
He had more experience. Plain and simple.
The trust… No wonder he didn’t seem bothered by the fact she was his competition.
‘I need to go.’ Pushing his untouched mug away towards the salt and pepper shakers at the end of the table, Zac stood up.
‘Zac, are you leaving already? Don’t you want your breakfast?’ Laura bustled towards their table, carrying two plates in her hands.
‘No, sorry. Something’s come up.’ He held his mobile aloft before striding out of the kitchen.
‘Did I take too long?’ Laura frowned as she watched the kitchen door close behind him.
‘No.’ Polly shook her head. ‘It was a work thing.’
‘Oh, right.’ Nodding, Laura laid Polly’s plate in front of her. ‘Are you okay? You look awfully pale.’
Picking up her knife and fork, Polly hovered them above her French toast. It smelt divine; it looked divine, and she could almost taste the cinnamonny sweetness already, but she wasn’t sure she could stomach eating it. Not after that conversation.
‘Sorry, I’m being nosey, aren’t I?’ Laura gave a quick smile. ‘Ignore me.’
‘No, no. Not at all.’ Polly placed her cutlery back down and brought her elbows to the table, cupping her chin in her hands. ‘I got some rubbish news about work, that’s all.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.’ Lowering herself to the chair Zac had vacated moments earlier, Laura indicated Polly’s sweatshirt. ‘What is it you do? I’m guessing you work at the nature reserve?’
Glancing down at the trust’s oak tree emblem stitched in navy on her sweatshirt, Polly nodded. ‘Yes, I came here for the job of outreach and education officer and instead was given a role in fundraising and development. Not quite what I was expecting.’
‘Ah, I imagine that was a bit of a shock! Are you still taking the job?’ Laura picked up a slice of Zac’s discarded toast and bit into it, crumbs falling back to the plate.
‘Yes. I don’t really have a choice. I quit my teaching job to take this one.’ Polly nodded. ‘Besides, it’s been a dream of mine for years to work for the trust. But it’s not just that. I was promised a promotion, only it’s not as clear-cut as I’d been led to believe.’
Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Laura frowned. ‘It’s not?’
‘No. There’s another internal candidate.
And then it’ll be advertised to the general public too.
’ Polly looked down as the realisation hit her.
She wasn’t going to get the promotion, was she?
Zac had more relevant experience than her.
He was charming – to everyone but her – and he was one of those people who always got what they wanted.
He drove the expensive car, wore the tailored suits, and with his parents’ history with the trust…
The job was his. It was bound to be. So why had Mr Bob even suggested it to her?
Why would he have been so cruel as to get her hopes up? To make the process appear ‘fair’?
‘Aw, that’s rubbish.’ Reaching over the table, Laura rubbed Polly’s arm. ‘There’s nothing to say you can’t get it, though.’
Scrunching up her nose, Polly shrugged. ‘I think there probably is. I think I’m just the person to make it look like a fair competition. I don’t stand a chance.’
‘Sure you do. You wouldn’t have been put in the position to apply for it if your old boss or whoever it was who got you this job didn’t believe in you.’
‘I don’t know. I was a volunteer, this is my first proper job at the trust, whereas the other candidate has been working there already.
’ She didn’t like to mention it was Zac who was the other candidate.
Somehow, she felt she could deal with living under the same roof as him if no one here knew about the sudden rivalry that had been placed upon them.
‘Volunteers are worth their weight in gold. Don’t dismiss your chances because this is your first paid job with them.
Someone has seen something special in you, and they believe you can do this.
’ Laura leaned back in her chair. ‘From where I’m sitting, the only person who doesn’t believe in you is yourself. ’
Picking up her fork, Polly stabbed at a piece of French toast. Maybe Laura was right.
Polly had known Mr Bob for five years now, and he’d been nothing but kind to her.
It wasn’t like him to play games. He wouldn’t mess with her life.
Yes, he could be scatty and forgetful, to the point of probably thinking he had mentioned Zac coming here to Polly, but not malicious. ‘Maybe.’
‘Nope. Not maybe. Definitely. I know I’ve only just met you, but bosses don’t put in a good word for their employees if they don’t think they have every chance of getting the job. It’s not in their best interests.’
Nodding slowly, Polly took a shuddering breath in. ‘You don’t think I should give up?’
‘Absolutely not! You want this promotion, don’t you?’
‘I need this promotion.’
‘Then go for it. If you do your very best, then you won’t be left thinking “what if”.’ Laura took another bite of Zac’s toast.
‘That’s true.’ Laura was right. Polly had two choices.
She could roll over, do the job she’d been given for these three months while she had free accommodation before quitting and going back to her grandparents’ flat and taking on another teaching job, or she could fight.
She could fight for the future she craved; she could fight for her dreams. It would be tough, and she might not succeed.
Heck, she probably wouldn’t, but at least she could tell herself that she’d tried.
Glancing behind her as the kitchen door opened, Laura stood up, Zac’s now empty plate in her hand. ‘I’d better go and seat the newcomers. Think about what I said though, won’t you?’
‘I will. Thank you.’ Polly nodded and picked up her cutlery again, this time actually cutting a square of French toast and popping it in her mouth. If she’d learned one thing from her grandparents, it was to try her best, and that’s what she’d do.
Watch out, Zac Sinclair. He may have the family backing, the money and the legacy behind him, but that didn’t mean she was going to hand over the chance of the promotion and leave quietly.