There were a number of temp agencies for her to choose from,offering different types of work. She decided to go for one that specialised inoffice work. Working in an office was not something she aspired to, but shedidn’t think it would do any harm to get a couple of months’ experience in thatsphere. It would be something she could stick onto the CV after university.Competition for jobs at the BBC and Channel 4 would be fierce. She needed togive herself the best possible chance if she was to get to where she wanted tobe.
This seemingly unimportant choice of agency at the time wasone of many minor decisions that had led her to where she was today. Kayreflected that life was probably like that for most people, their whole livesmapped out via a series of random events and choices.
The first, and as it turned out the only, place the agency senther was a large, grey building on the outskirts of Oxford. It was the headoffice of one of Britain’s largest supermarket chains, and she was to providematernity cover for a clerk in the accounts department.
It was a dull, repetitive job which reaffirmed her desire tomake something of herself. She could face a few weeks of doing this sort ofwork, but to do it for a whole lifetime would have been soul-destroying.
Part of her job involved cashing cheques for staff. This wasstill a popular way of paying for things, as well as acquiring currency back inthose days. This meant she came into contact with a lot of people in thebusiness, especially toward the end of the month. Then everyone started cashingcheques a couple of days before payday, knowing they wouldn’t reach theiraccounts before their wages went in.
Her pretty looks didn’t go unnoticed and she frequentlyfound herself being chatted up by the male employees. They were delighted tofind an attractive nineteen-year-old girl manning the desk. Kay didn’t know it,but she was a popular topic of conversation among the men in the office whoreferred to her as “fresh meat”, some even placing bets on who could bed herfirst.
One man in particular seemed smitten by her, which waspretty obvious from the number of visits he made to the accounts department. Bythe end of her second week he was visiting the desk to cash small cheques on adaily basis.
She didn’t know it then, but this man was to become herfuture husband. Alan was much older than her, just turned thirty and a risingstar within the organisation. He had just been part of the marketing team thathad successfully launched the chain’s first loyalty card scheme, giving pointsto shoppers for their food purchases. As a result, he had been rewarded with anew role as a buyer in the wine department.
He was smart, attractive and confident. He was also a greatdeal more mature than some of the younger lads in the office who had madeclumsy attempts to ask her out. When he asked her if she would like to come outfor lunch with him, it seemed almost rude to say no. She also couldn’t denythat she was flattered by his charm and interest in her.
Lunch led on to dinner dates, and a host of other romanticgestures. When he told her he was going to France for a few days on a winebuying trip and asked if she would like to accompany him as his assistant, sheleapt at the chance.
They spent three wonderful days in the Champagne region inthe spring sunshine, all expenses paid, during which they inevitably became lovers.And what a lover he turned out to be – accomplished, confident and generous inbed, a million miles away from Glen’s clumsy and selfish fumbling. She was welland truly smitten.
When they returned to the UK he asked her to move in withhim. Her parents were opposed to the idea, but she was lovestruck and ignoredthem. What did they know? Just six weeks after meeting Alan, she packed asuitcase full of clothes and moved in with him.
Nearly a quarter of a century later she would find herselfpacking a suitcase again, but this time it was when he was showing her thedoor. There were no parents to run back to by then: they were both dead.Meanwhile, he was moving Lucy in – another young employee. The wheel had turnedfull circle.
Those first few months living with Alan were blissful. Hewas clearly doing very well for himself, living already in a spacioussemi-detached house. In those early days they spent every waking hour together.He drove her into work every day in his company Volvo, then they met for lunch,sometimes sneaking off to Shotover, a local beauty spot, for a bit of naughtyfun in the car.
In the evening he would drive her home again. They wouldprepare gourmet meals together in the kitchen, washing them down with the finewines that he acquired as a perk of his job. Later they would watch movies andmake love on the sofa. He had all the satellite channels, something she hadnever had at home. Her parents were of a generation who considered that four TVchannels was quite sufficient.
Alan was generous to a T back then, never asking her tocontribute a penny towards the food or bills. He made life as easy as hepossibly could for her, which made it all the more difficult to face thedecision that was looming on the horizon.
Living scot-free had enabled her to save money rapidly forthe travelling she hoped to do in the summer, but she was now facing a dilemmaabout whether or not she should go. She had told Alan of her plans to gotravelling when they had been away in France, but had avoided discussing itsince she had moved in with him. He had not mentioned it again either, whichdidn’t help. Perhaps he had just assumed that
