First Impressions

Chapter One

Anna checked Google Maps on her phone, trying to figure out where she was and, more importantly, where she needed to be. Knightsbridge was unfamiliar. To her horror, she realised she must have taken a wrong turn at the station and was walking in the opposite direction. If she didn’t get on the right track soon, she’d be late for her interview.

Muttering under her breath, Anna retraced her steps. The backs of her new shoes were rubbing against her heels, the pain intensifying as she walked. Maybe she should just give up on the idea of this job — she didn’t hold out much hope of getting it anyway.

The interview was for a photographer’s assistant to Daniel Redfern, a high-profile photographer with a bad reputation. He was right at the top of his game, commissioned by all the top fashion magazines. He was also drop-dead gorgeous — tall, well-muscled but lithe, with dark-blond hair, strong cheekbones, a square chin and piercing blue eyes. Since his divorce from former top model Lucinda Russell, he was often seen in public with a variety of beauties on his arm. If that wasn’t intimidating enough, he was reported to eat his assistants for breakfast, hence the current job vacancy.

Anna wondered if her life wasn’t stressful enough without jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. But the thought of carrying on where she was — having to face her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend as they flaunted their relationship in front of her — was too much to bear. No matter how horrible Daniel Redfern might be, surely it couldn’t be as bad as having her nose rubbed in that every day?

Filled with new resolve, Anna walked quickly, determined to ignore the pain stabbing at her heels. Just as she reached Knightsbridge Tube station and located the road she should have taken in the first place, the heavens opened. Not just a smattering of raindrops but a deluge, which would soon soak her. It had been sunny when she’d left home so, of course, she hadn’t brought an umbrella with her. This day was turning out to be a complete disaster.

* * *

Daniel Redfern looked at his watch. ‘She’s late.’

His friend, Charlotte, handed him a cup of coffee. ‘Here, drink this. It’s only a few minutes. I’m sure she’ll be here soon.’

‘Not exactly a good first impression, is it?’

‘No, but look at the weather. She might be sheltering somewhere.’

‘I suppose so.’ Daniel really wasn’t in the mood for interviewing a new assistant, but his workload was hectic. He couldn’t afford to be without one at the moment. The last one had left him in the lurch, not even serving a notice period. ‘She’d better be good, though. The rest have all been pretty useless and I can’t face going through this again.’

‘Maybe if you weren’t so difficult to work with, you wouldn’t have to keep finding new assistants,’ Charlotte said.

Daniel stared at her, open-mouthed. ‘I’m not difficult. I just like things to be done properly.’

‘You mean your way or the highway?’

He stared for a moment more, then smiled. ‘I wouldn’t take that from anyone else, you know.’

‘I do know. That’s why I can be honest with you. And it’s why I’m here to help you find the perfect person.’

‘I doubt that will happen, not judging by the shower we’ve interviewed already.’

‘Have faith, my friend, have faith,’ Charlotte replied.

Daniel’s phone rang.

‘Bet that’s her cancelling,’ he said as he picked up. Then, seeing the name on the screen, he groaned and answered it. ‘Hi, Lucinda. What’s up?’

‘I’m sorry, darling.’ She launched straight in. ‘I know it’s your weekend to have Ben, but Axel has sprung a last-minute surprise on us. He’s taking us all to Disney — Paris, not Florida. Can you do next weekend instead?’

For a moment Daniel was speechless. How dare she jeopardise access to his son for some momentary pop star with a name like Axel?

‘It’s a bit short notice, Lucinda. I was planning on leaving in a few hours. Can’t you go next weekend instead, rather than messing up my plans at the last minute?’

‘I’m sorry, the tickets are non-refundable. I do sympathise, but that’s Axel for you, always acting on impulse. He’s just trying to do something nice for Ben. He really wants to get to know him better.’

‘Buy his affections more like.’

‘Oh, don’t be like that!’ Lucinda’s voice turned sharp. ‘You can see him next weekend and the weekend after if you like. What difference does it make?’

‘It makes a difference to me.’

‘It never used to. You never used to see him from one week to the next.’ Her words cut into him as they always did, more so because she was right. But that was then. It was different now. ‘Shall I tell Ben the trip’s off, then? Because his father won’t let him go?’

‘No, of course not.’ How could he possibly compete with a trip to Disney? Either way it was a lose-lose situation, for him at least. ‘But you might have given me a bit more notice.’

‘I only just found out myself.’

‘Typical. Tell Axel that if he wants to take my son anywhere, in future, he does it on your time, not mine. Don’t start messing me around, Lucinda, or you’ll be hearing from my solicitor.’

‘Oh, Danny, don’t be like that. As I said, he’s only trying to do something nice.’

He cringed at the shortened version of his name that only she ever used. A term of endearment he didn’t want to hear anymore.

‘Well, seeing as I can’t see my son, can I at least speak to him?’

‘Sorry, darling, he’s gone out with Axel to get some treats for the journey. I’ll get him to video call you when we get there.’

‘Make sure you do.’ Daniel ended the call as the doorbell rang.

* * *

Anna finally found where her interview was — a white-fronted Georgian house, on a terrace of other white-fronted Georgian houses, each with railed steps up to brightly coloured front doors. Without an umbrella, her painstakingly straightened hair was framing her face in unsightly strings, and her new black suit, which she’d thought had fitted her so well, was limp and sodden. So not only was she fifteen minutes late but she looked like a drowned rat. She just hoped that she had made it at all showed her determination. In a hurry, Anna climbed the steps to Daniel Redfern’s house and rang the bell, praying her make-up hadn’t run and mascara wasn’t now streaking her face.

‘Oh my!’ The woman who opened the door was tall and slim, with a dark-brown shiny bob. She wore a crisp white linen shirt, buckled at the waist, and wide-legged black trousers. The whole effect was incredibly chic.

‘Hi, I’m, erm, I’m Anna Wright.’ Anna reached to wipe away a raindrop that was rolling down her forehead.

‘You’re here for the interview?’ the woman asked in a clear, clipped, upper-class voice.

‘Yes,’ Anna replied. ‘I’m sorry, I’m a bit late. I got lost.’

‘Of course, what am I thinking, leaving you dripping on the doorstep? Come on in.’

Anna walked through the door into the entrance hall, conscious of the obviously expensive parquet flooring beneath her wet feet.

‘Here, let me get you a towel.’ The woman disappeared behind a door further down the hallway. When she returned, proffering a white towel, thick and luxurious, Anna took it from her gratefully and began to dab her face, wondering if this day could possibly get any worse.

‘Let me take your jacket. It’s sopping wet,’ the woman said. ‘And then maybe you’d like to use the facilities?’

‘Yes, please.’ Anna shrugged herself out of her suit jacket and handed over the limp offering.

‘It’s just down here.’ The woman led her to a downstairs cloakroom.

‘Thank you.’

She closed the door behind her and searched in her handbag for a brush. She looked in the large ornate mirror. Her dark red hair was plastered to her head in a wet mess. She brushed it through, water dripping onto the floor. She looked a state, but she would just have to do her best, get the interview over with and leave. She’d probably blown any chance she might have had of getting the job anyway, so she had nothing to lose.

‘Is that her? Finally.’ A gruff voice came through the doorway.

‘Anna Wright, yes. She got caught in the rain, poor thing.’

‘She should have been on time, maybe then she would have avoided the rain.’

Anna quaked at his words. She presumed this was Daniel Redfern and he sounded as bad-tempered as his reputation suggested. She put her hairbrush back in her bag and opened the door.

He was standing in the hallway, looking even more handsome in the flesh than he did on social media, except for the deeply grooved frown creasing his forehead.

‘Hi, I’m Anna Wright,’ she said, holding out her hand for him to shake. He ignored it. Feeling like a fool, she returned it quickly to her side.

‘You’re late.’

‘I’m sorry about that. I got lost and caught in the rain, but I’m here now.’

‘You’d better come through, then.’ He turned towards the doorway of another room.

Meekly she followed him into a dining room, which contained a huge white polished table with ten tall chairs surrounding it. The carpet was pure white and so thick her feet sank into it with every step. She should have offered to remove her wet shoes and could only hope she wasn’t leaving muddy footsteps as she followed him.

‘Sit down.’ He pointed to a chair halfway down, while he sat himself at the head of the table. The woman who had let her in positioned herself to his right. Anna clasped her hands on her lap, hoping to quell the shaking. Her shirt felt damp against her skin and she prayed it hadn’t gone see-through.

‘This is Charlotte.’ Daniel Redfern gesticulated towards the woman. ‘She’s helping me with the interviews today.’

‘Pleased to meet you,’ Anna said.

Charlotte smiled back. ‘And you, Anna.’

Anna was glad there was at least one friendly face in the room.

Daniel Redfern glanced down at the papers in front of him and then looked up. Anna tried to settle her features into something resembling a calm expression, but as he scrutinised her face she couldn’t help noticing how startlingly blue his eyes were. If only they’d held a hint of kindness, he would be absolutely devastating.

‘I see you’re currently working at The Whigmore Gallery?’ he asked, forcing her to pull her thoughts away from how she would feel if he looked upon her with warmth. She needed to focus on getting this job, not whether she found her potential employer attractive.

‘Yes, that’s right.’

‘Why do you want to leave?’

‘Well, I’ve been there for the last four years and, while it’s a great job, I feel the need to move on to fresh challenges.’

‘Fresh challenges?’ he asked, and she bristled at the sarcasm in his voice.

‘I feel that I’ve learned all that I can in my current position and I want to do something that stretches me.’

‘Right.’ He sounded bored by her answer. ‘I need someone who is reliable. Is that you?’

‘I’m very reliable.’ She stared him straight in the eyes. She wasn’t going to be cowed by his abrupt manner. ‘And whatever job I do, I give it my all.’

‘Why does this particular job interest you?’ he asked, giving nothing back.

She’d rehearsed the answer to this question and had settled on what an honour it would be to work with such a celebrated photographer. But now that answer didn’t sound right. It wouldn’t be an honour working with him, it would be a complete nightmare. She decided to be honest. She was beyond caring now.

‘I’ve enjoyed working with the artists at the gallery, but my real interest is in photography. I feel I could learn a lot from working with you.’

His eyes widened in surprise and she congratulated herself that, for the first time today, she’d managed to elicit some kind of positive response.

‘So you fancy yourself as a photographer, then?’ he asked. ‘Done a media course at university and think you know everything?’

She clenched her teeth before replying, furious — it was obvious he hadn’t even bothered to read her application. How rude was that?

‘No, as my CV quite plainly states, I left school at sixteen and have worked ever since.’ She paused. ‘My mother died when I was fifteen which interrupted my studies. I’ve done a few evening classes but most of what I do is self-taught.’

‘Oh, I see.’ At least he managed to look contrite. ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

‘Thank you,’ Anna said. ‘You weren’t to know.’

‘All the same, that must have had a pretty big impact on your life.’

‘Yes,’ she said simply. ‘Which is why I want to learn as much as I can to follow my dream and make my mother proud.’

‘Of course.’ He nodded. Silence hung in the air, until he seemed to pull himself together. ‘There will be quite a lot of boring, dogsbody jobs to do, like making sure all my equipment is packed and ready for shoots, uploading photos onto the website and keeping my diary. How would you cope with that?’

‘I’d be quite happy to do whatever the job takes. Mundane or not.’

‘Good.’

‘Do you have any questions, Anna?’ Charlotte asked as silence descended once more.

Anna stood up. ‘Yes. Can I have my jacket back, please?’

* * *

‘So what do you think, then?’ Charlotte asked after Anna had left.

Daniel didn’t know what to think. He needed an assistant who was reliable, not one who got lost and had poor timekeeping, so even before the interview had begun, he’d written her off as unsuitable.

At first her answers had backed up his instinct. She’d looked as though she was visibly shaking, and her responses were predictable, as though she was saying what she thought he wanted to hear. Then part way through the interview she’d rallied and stood up to him. She’d shown herself to be assertive and that she knew what she wanted. But she had changed from mouse to tiger in an instant, with an unpredictability that he definitely didn’t want in an assistant.

There was something about her though, something that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He was intrigued by her and felt that he wanted to get to know her better. She had nowhere near the sophistication of the women who appealed to him. She was pretty, with large green eyes, a heart-shaped face and a straight nose, in a kind of a girl-next-door look. There was very little artifice about her, but that was probably because the rain had washed away most of her make-up. And the way her damp shirt had clung to her, accentuating her curves — well, he would defy any man not to be stirred by that. But as his employee? No, he didn’t think so.

‘None of them were suitable.’

‘Really?’ Charlotte asked. ‘I know she got off to a shaky start but I thought Anna was well qualified.’

‘Maybe, but she was spikey. She’d probably spend the whole time arguing whenever I asked her to do anything.’

Charlotte said nothing for a moment, then replied, ‘Well that might depend on how you asked her.’

Daniel shook his head. ‘She was the best of a bad bunch. I’m either going to have to carry on, on my own, or re-advertise the job.’

‘As you wish.’ Charlotte got up from the sofa. ‘You asked for my opinion but you obviously don’t want it, so I’ll leave you to it.’

‘Oh, Char, don’t get all huffy with me. I’m sorry, I am listening to you. I’m just so fed up with being messed around.’

‘I know. And I understand you must be really upset about not seeing Ben this weekend. But, Daniel, you can’t keep taking it out on everyone else. You’ll get yourself a bad reputation.’

Slowly Daniel smiled. ‘I think it’s too late for that. Have you read the papers recently?’

‘I never believe what I read in the papers, or on social media,’ she replied. ‘But seriously, have a re-think about Anna. She could be the one.’

He frowned. ‘I seem to remember you saying that before, and look how badly that ended.’