by Sarah Pond
'It's a pleasure. It's been great spending time with you again. I'll have to ask Matt if he has any friends we can set you up with, just in case Jason isn't available!'
It was ten to eleven on Friday morning and Olivia was just approaching the office of JJ Publishing. She was so excited, and also rather nervous. Laura greeted her when she arrived, and showed her to Jasmine's office. She offered Olivia a drink, and this time she accepted, asking for a coffee. Jasmine's office was quite different to Jason's cosy office. It was tidy and had a light wooden desk, with cream chairs on either side and a cream sofa at the side, in front of a bookcase. It smelt fresh, with an almost indiscernible fragrance of citrus and flowers. Jasmine stood as Olivia entered, and they shook hands. 'Thank you for coming in this morning, I do appreciate it.'
Olivia was beaming, 'The pleasure is mine, I was thrilled when you offered me the job. I'm so excited, out of the interviews I had, this was the job that I really wanted.'
Jasmine smiled back, 'You are certainly the most enthusiastic applicant we had! To be honest, we knew there and then at the interview that we wanted you. Please, take a seat.'
Jasmine explained that the purpose of the visit was to arrange a start date, sign her contract, and get Olivia's bank details so that they could pay her salary directly to her bank account. They sat across the desk from one another, then Laura brought the drinks in. She gave Olivia her coffee, and a cup of tea to Jasmine. Jasmine and Olivia both thanked Laura, and she smiled as she left the office. Jasmine and Olivia went through the paperwork and arranged a start date of fifteenth of June. Olivia was thinking that this would give her a week to go home, pack up what she needed, and get back to London again. She wouldn't need many things as the room in Emma's flat was fully furnished. It would be mostly be clothes, really. She looked up to see Jasmine looking at her, and blushed. 'Sorry, I was just thinking about all the things I've got to do in the next week.'
Jasmine smiled kindly, 'Yes, it's going to be quite a change for you. If you want any help at all getting settled in, you will just ask, won't you?'
'Thank you, that's very kind of you. Emma, my old college friend, has been great, helping me get around. Our flat is nice and close for work, too.'
'Well, I think that's everything for now. Do you have any questions, Olivia?'
'I don't think so at the moment,' Olivia replied.
'Well, if you think of anything, just give us a call. I hope your trip back to Cornwall goes well. I'm so looking forward to having you here, you're going to fit in perfectly.' She looked Olivia in the eye as she smiled, and shook hands with her.
Jasmine walked Olivia to the door and as they were saying their goodbyes, Jason appeared at his office door. 'Olivia, wonderful. I'm so pleased you've accepted the job. Welcome on board!'
'Thank you, I'm really looking forward to it.' Olivia smiled at Jason.
With his twinkling eyes and ruffled hair, he had the air of a mischievous schoolboy. Yes, Olivia was going to enjoy working here.
CHAPTER TWO
From the office, Olivia set off to catch the train to Cornwall. It wasn't far to walk to Oxford Circus tube station, then it was only a few stops on the Bakerloo line to Paddington. The long part was the train journey to St Erth, which took nearly five hours, before the short train ride from there to St Ives. Olivia had books to read and music to listen to, to pass the time. She also enjoyed looking out of the window and watching the world go by. Arriving at Paddington, she found her train and went and sat down. It would be leaving shortly, and she put her bag on the over head rack, keeping her books, music and train ticket handy. She had bought a sandwich and a drink at a sandwich bar on the concourse to eat on the train. The train pulled away from the station, heading home. Well, what was home for the last twenty years. Soon her home would be in London, and this exciting thought gave her butterflies in her stomach.
Whilst the train made its way out of Paddington, Olivia began to think about the people she would be leaving behind when she moved to London. Her best friend, Becky, was still running her own gallery. Olivia and Becky had been friends since they were very young children, and they lived just a few doors away from one another. It had been fabulous working together at the gallery. Olivia got to meet lots of artists and really interesting people. But as much as she enjoyed it, Olivia knew that it was time to stretch her wings, and push her comfort zones. It would be easy to stay in St Ives, which she did love dearly, but she had been getting itchy feet for a while now. Becky said there would always be a job for her at the gallery if she wanted it. This was great for Olivia, knowing that she could come back if she wanted to. Knowing that Olivia would soon be leaving, Becky had reluctantly started looking for someone to take over Olivia's job in the gallery, although she was hoping that going to London would be a short term thing. There was a woman called Lucy who would often pop by the gallery, and when she heard that Becky might be looking for someone to take over from Olivia, asked if she could be considered. Olivia's thoughts turned to Liam. They had met when they were sixteen. She and Becky had gone to the cinema to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. They came out of the cinema, eagerly talking about the film. They noticed a couple of boys hanging around, then saw them coming over to talk to them. 'Hi, what did you think of the film?' asked Liam, looking at Olivia. He was blond, quite well built, and had a very boyish face.
'I really enjoyed it. Who would have thought that about Professor Snape. The films are getting pretty dark now,' Olivia replied, feeling self conscious, as Liam looked at her.
Liam and his friend Dan introduced themselves to Olivia and Becky, and invited them to go for a milkshake at a nearby cafe. The girls were excited, and Liam and Dan, trying not to show it, felt really nervous. They all made their way to the cafe, ordered their drinks and went to sit down. They chatted about the films that they all enjoyed. Dan worked at the cinema at weekends, so got to see nearly all of the new films, unless they were an eighteen certificate. He knew a lot of film trivia, and before they knew it, they had been at the cafe for over two hours. Olivia thought that Liam had a gentle way about him which she really liked. Dan was more outgoing, and he and Becky seemed to really hit it off. Olivia could see Becky's eyes shining whilst she looked at him, hanging on his very word, and he looked equally smitten with her.
Within a few weeks, the four of them had become firm friends, and hung out together after college and at weekends as much as they could. Becky was at art school now, and Olivia was doing A levels in English language, literature and art. Olivia, Liam and Becky would go to the cinema, and Dan would meet them after work. Becky and Dan were getting pretty serious now, they had really fallen for each other. Liam and Olivia were good friends, although Liam desperately wanted to to be Olivia's boyfriend. He just wasn't sure how to ask her, and he didn't want to risk messing up their friendship. One day on their way home from the cinema, they stopped off at the beach, and sat down side by side. Olivia watched the sea rippling, listening to the gentle sound it made. Being by the water always relaxed her. They chatted about the film, and were laughing and playfully nudging each other. Then Liam, his heart beating so fast, bent down and kissed Olivia. To his relief, she kissed him back. Liam was over the moon, he had wanted to kiss Olivia for such a long time, and they had been friends for nearly two years. Olivia's lips felt so soft to Liam, he couldn't believe that this was finally happening. Olivia felt so comfortable with Liam, she wondered why they hadn't kissed before. They pulled away from each other, giggling. Ever since then, they had been pretty inseparable, along with Becky and Dan. Over time though, as much as Olivia loved Liam, she had been talking about moving to London, it was something that she just knew that she had to do. Liam could see that she was getting restless, and didn't want her to stay because of him, and regret it later. He loved being in Cornwall, and Olivia knew that if she did go to London, it would be the end of their relationship. Liam was settled here, and it was too long a distance for a relationship to really work. It was because of t
his that she waited as long as she did to take the plunge and start applying for jobs in London. In the end it was Liam who suggested that they just be friends.
As the train pulled into the station, Olivia picked up her bag and looked out of the window. She could see her Mum waiting for her on the platform. Olivia got off of the train, and walked over to her Mum, and they embraced warmly. 'Hi, Mum, it's great to see you. Thanks for picking me up.'
Olivia's Mum smiled at her, 'Hello darling, did you have a good journey here?'
'Yes, very good. I've been thinking on the way here about how different things are going to be, friends I'll be leaving behind. I'm going to miss everyone, but I know this is something I have to do.'
Her Mum gave her another hug, 'You'll be fine, darling. And you know you can come back anytime you want to. So, tell me all about your new job.'
They made their way out of the station, Olivia telling her Mum all about the job, staying with Emma, and how excited she was about it all. Opening the front door, Olivia's Mum called out, 'Steve, we're back!'
Olivia's Dad walked into the hall, arms outstretched, 'Hello pumpkin,' and gave her a big warm hug. As long as Olivia could remember, her Dad had nicknamed her 'pumpkin', and she loved this term of endearment.
'Hi Dad,' Olivia said as she hugged him back.
She had a close relationship with both of her parents, and knew that although they were very supportive of her, they would miss her once she moved to London. At twenty two years old, she would have moved out soon anyway, but to leave home and move to London at the same time was a pretty big step for her. Olivia took in the familiar smell of home, realising that this would be the last time that she would be here for a while. This cottage had always been home to her, as she was too young to remember the house in Pinner. The front door opened straight into the lounge, where there was a fireplace to the left. Although it was June, and the fire was not being used, there was still a faint and familiar smell of woodsmoke. Around the large coffee table, there were two beige sofas opposite each other and a pale blue armchair facing the fireplace. The colours were all soft and washed out, giving the whole cottage an air of tranquility. The stairs led from the lounge up to the first floor, and straight ahead was the large kitchen diner, with a pine table in the middle where they ate all of their family meals, excitedly chattering about their day. Olivia took it all in, remembering many happy times here.
After all the travelling, it was already early evening, and they sat down for dinner. Olivia's brother Ben arrived, with his girlfriend Tina, 'Hi, Sis, how are you? Congratulations on the new job.'
'Thanks Ben, I'm so excited about it. I'll be home for a week, then I'm getting the train back on Saturday.'
The family sat around the table together, asking Olivia about her few days in London, the job and her new colleagues. Olivia spoke animatedly about everything, and her parents were thrilled to see her so happy. After dinner, they decided to have a game of Monopoly, happily chatting and laughing whilst they played. The family loved playing board games together. After this week, they probably wouldn't be getting together for a few months, so they all wanted to make the most of it.
It was Saturday morning, and Olivia was eating a cooked breakfast that her Dad had made for her. Olivia was going to catch up with Becky, Dan and Liam today. They arranged to meet at the same cafe where they had all gone for their first drink together. As Olivia walked in, she couldn't believe it had been nearly six years ago. Then she was just beginning a friendship with Liam, now it had gone full circle, and they were back to being friends again. Olivia could see the others sitting at a table laughing away together, Becky and Dan snuggled up tightly next to each other. They were as head over heals in love as they had been since the beginning. Olivia smiled, feeling so happy seeing her friends together. And there was Liam, lovely and gentle Liam. The others looked up and saw Olivia walking towards them. They jumped up and there was a mass of hugs and kisses as they all greeted each other. The friends sat down and talked animatedly about what they were all doing. Becky wanted to know every last detail about Olivia's trip to London, the interviews and her new job. When they got together like this, it was as if time had stood still, and they were teenagers again. Becky started teasing Liam, telling Olivia that Lucy, who would be taking over Olivia's job at the gallery, was often asking after Liam. 'I think she's got a bit of a thing for him,' she laughed. 'They did meet briefly at an event at the gallery one time.'
Liam replied, 'At the moment, I'm quite happy as I am, thank you.'
In truth, Liam wasn't ready to meet someone else yet, he was still getting over not being with Olivia. He hadn't really wanted to be the one who suggested just friendship, but could see it was inevitable. He knew Olivia was desperate to go to London, and as much as he wanted her to stay, he could see that she wasn't truly happy. Olivia hoped he would meet someone, he was a really sweet guy.
The friends spent the whole weekend together, going to the cinema, listening to music, and hanging out at the beach, just like they always had done. Olivia had a wonderful time. Although a part of her knew that she would be leaving behind something very special, she was really excited about the next part of her journey. Over the next few days, Olivia sorted through her room. She decided to get rid of quite a few things, including some old clothes and toys. She took a few bags to the local charity shop. Then she packed up two large suitcases with what she needed to take to London. If she needed anything else, she could get it on her next visit.
It seemed that in no time at all, Saturday had arrived, and it was time to head back to London. Olivia said goodbye to her Mum, Dad and Ben at home. Her Mum said, 'Make sure you call us as soon as you've arrived safely.'
'Of course, Mum.'
They hugged and kissed in the hallway, then there was a knock at the door. Becky, Dan and Liam were going to drive her to St Erth, so she wouldn't have to change trains with her luggage. They packed up the car, and headed off to the station. Olivia waved out of the car window until she couldn't see her parents and Ben any more. At the station, her friends helped Olivia onto the train with her bags. 'I'm going to miss you guys,' said Olivia.
'Go get 'em,' said Dan, giving her a hug.
Liam pulled her into a big hug, saying, 'See you soon, special girl,' and kissed her.
Olivia looked at Becky, suddenly feeling very emotional. They hugged one another tightly. Becky, with a catch in her voice, said, 'Call me when you get home, okay?'
Olivia nodded, she couldn't speak for a moment. Then regaining herself, she got on the train. 'I love you guys. See you soon.'
She waved through the window, and Becky, Dan and Liam waved and smiled back. Olivia sat down, pleased that the train wasn't busy. As she sat there, tears started rolling down her cheeks.
CHAPTER THREE
The train pulled into Paddington station. Whilst she waited for Emma, who was meeting her to help her with her cases, Olivia rang both her Mum and Becky to let them know that she had arrived safely, and that Emma was meeting her there. 'I'll call you tomorrow, Mum. Love you.'
'I love you too, darling, bye,' and they hung up.
She looked up to see Emma and Matt walking towards her, waving and smiling. 'Hey, city girl! This is where your new life starts!' Emma laughed as she hugged Olivia.
What Olivia had no idea of, was just how much her life was going to change. They made their way back to Emma's, and put Olivia's cases in her room. 'Matt is going to pop out and get a takeaway tonight. After your long journey, I thought you probably wouldn't fancy going out.'
Olivia replied, 'That sounds perfect, thank you. I am really tired, it's been quite an emotional week, actually.'
Whilst Matt went out for the food, Emma started getting out plates and prepared some drinks, and Olivia began to unpack. Matt arrived back with the curry, and it smelt really good. Olivia's rumbling stomach reminded her how hungry she was, and she decided that she had done enough for today. She would finish unpacking tomorrow, as she had all day.
Emma asked, 'So how was your week back at home?'
'It was lovely, but it's really dawned on me that I'm actually doing this. Saying goodbye to my friends and family was hard. I know it's not like I won't see them any more, it's just that now I've made the move, it all feels a bit real,' Olivia replied.
Emma smiled, 'I know what you mean, it took me a bit of time to adjust when I first moved here. Before you know it, this will feel like home.'
Emma took Olivia's hand and squeezed it. Olivia smiled back at her friend, 'Thank you, you've been so great, letting me stay here, helping me get settled.'
The three of them talked about the coming week and their plans, then Olivia said that she was going to go to bed, as she was exhausted. Matt started clearing up, and they said their good nights. Olivia got ready for bed, and snuggled in under the covers. She was so tired, that she fell asleep almost immediately.
Waking up on Sunday morning, Olivia felt refreshed. She looked at the clock, and realised that she had slept until nearly eleven. Well, I obviously really needed that, she thought to herself. She got out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. Matt and Emma were in the lounge reading magazines, and as Olivia appeared, Matt looked up, 'Morning sleepyhead! Did you sleep well?'
Olivia stretched and smiled, 'As a matter of fact, I slept like the proverbial log! I feel much better today. Sorry, I probably wasn't much company last night. Thank you for the curry.'
Emma said, 'I'm glad you slept well. If you want any help unpacking today, just let me know.'
'Thank you, I think I'll be fine. It's mostly clothes, really.'
