Chapter 7 #3
“That’s a shame. I’m sure something will turn up.”
Peter drank some beer and gave her an assessing look. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in stepping in, would you?”
She stared at him. “Me?”
“Yes, you’d be perfect!” he said, warming to his theme.
“We’ve organised the careers fair around guest speakers coming in to chat to the kids about how the subjects they learned in school have directly helped them in their current jobs.
We want the kids to see that we’re not just forcing them to learn stuff and sit exams for the sake of it.
We want them to see that the subjects they’re studying can have a huge impact on what they do in life once they leave school. You’d be perfect.”
“I don’t see how. I didn’t study hospitality management until I went to university.”
“But you use language skills, right? You said you studied Spanish at school and because you enjoyed it you went on to study Spanish and Italian at university because you wanted to have language skills under your belt.”
She hesitated, realising where he was going with this. “Well, yes, I did say that.”
Peter looked thrilled. “Then that’s what you could talk about to the kids!
You could tell them about the amazing hotels you work in around the world and explain how your Spanish and Italian language skills were so important in getting those jobs, and that you first started learning Spanish in school and how that was the spark that got you going. Kids would love to hear all that.”
The conversation had taken a completely unexpected turn. “Peter, I’ve never done anything like that before. I’ve never given a talk to school kids.”
“But you’d be brilliant at it. You’re confident and personable and you’ve made a huge success of your life. You’re young enough for them to identify with you, which is a big deal when it comes to getting the kids to engage. And most important of all, I’m really, really desperate!”
His pleading expression was so pathetic she couldn’t help laughing.
“Look, put me in front of a couple of dozen hotel workers and I can talk and issue instructions and whip up team spirit like you wouldn’t believe.
But a bunch of scowling fifteen-year-olds?
I’d be a quivering wreck, Peter. I’d hate to mess it up and ruin your careers fair. ”
“You wouldn’t mess it up. And not all the kids will be scowling, only the really evil ones.”
“Peter!”
He laughed. “Come on, Gaby. Please do this. Look, if you can volunteer to help some random guy you never met just because you overheard him talking about a hotel staffing crisis, then you can volunteer to help your old teenage boyfriend out of a tight spot.”
He made a good point. She had jumped in and offered to help Harry Goodwin when she didn’t even know him, and Peter’s wielding of this fact in aid of his cause was ruthless and impressive.
“You should’ve gone into the law, Peter, with debate skills like that,” she said with an arched smile.
Instead of responding, he just gave her a look that was half-challenging and half-begging. Gaby sighed, knowing he had her cornered.
“Fine, I’ll come and give a talk to your school students. But just for the record, you should know that between now and then I’ll be living in terror.”
“You’ll be fine. In fact, you’ll blow them away. They’ll love you, Gaby. I promise.”
His smile was electric. Gaby wasn’t sure if that’s why her heart was racing again or if it was purely the prospect of talking to a room full of teenage kids that had caused it.
“So when exactly is this careers fair happening?” she asked. “And you’d better give me more information on what I should say and how I should structure this talk so I don’t end up looking like a fool.”
“No problem. How about another drink while we thrash it all out?”
“God yes, I need one.”
He laughed and got up from the table. “Thank you for agreeing to do this. You’re really helping me out.”
“I just hope I don’t let you down.”
“You could never do that, Gaby.”
He dropped his gaze and walked off to the bar to order their drinks. Gaby watched him go, thinking about what she’d just agreed to.
She was genuinely terrified at the prospect of standing up in front of a bunch of kids and talking about herself.
But agreeing to be a guest speaker at Peter’s school event also meant she’d have to spend more time with him, although that hadn’t exactly figured in her thinking when she’d reluctantly agreed to help.
The upside more than cancelled out the downside.
As she waited for him to return with their drinks, she wondered if she’d really needed an excuse to spend more time with him.
They were old friends, after all. Just catching up.
Making conversation. Remembering the old days.
She could’ve suggested they meet up again after tonight without the excuse of the school talk to bring them together.
A voice inside her head whispered that she was on dangerous ground.
Gaby ignored it. She’d agreed to help Peter with the school talk, so she was on the hook now whether it was a good idea or not.