Ms. Bass locked eyes with Carrie for a silent moment, then placed the CV on her desk. She picked up a checklist and began ticking boxes.
"You don't suffer any chronic illnesses, do you?"
"No."
"Mental illness? Depression?"
"No."
"Good. That's very good." Ms. Bass nodded. "We have enough of that around here as it is."
She ticked a few more boxes. Carrie leaned forward to read the list, but Ms. Bass curled the paper up and away from her, smiling tightly. "Excuse me a moment." She got up from her desk, taking the checklist with her, and went to her office door. She peered down the corridor towards the chairs where Carrie had sat, alone, while waiting to be called in. She left, leaving the door ajar, and a moment later her shrill voice echoed up the corridor. "No one else applied at all? Not even a phone call?"
Carrie couldn't make out the reply but she soon heard footsteps thumping closer. Ms. Bass entered, sat and put on her glasses. Gathering up the papers on her desk, she fixed Carrie with a glare.
"When can you start?"
Carrie's mouth fell open. "You mean I've—?"
"Yes, yes. What's the earliest you can start? Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? Yes, I think I can start tomorrow."
"Good. Nine o'clock. I'll put you on the day shift, but we're open twenty-four hours and at other times you might have to do the evening or graveyard shift. Okay?" It was more of a challenge than a question.
Carrie opened her mouth.
"We can sort out the details tomorrow. See you then, Ms...Ms..." Ms. Bass stood and held out her hand.
"Hatchett." Carrie shook the offered hand.
"Ms. Hatchett. Welcome to the team."
***
As she finished unpacking that evening, Carrie could see Toodles and Rogue were as excited about her new job as she was. Toodles was, admittedly, hiding under the bed and throwing out her claws to scratch Carrie whenever she walked too close, and Rogue was sitting in the corner of the living room staring gloomily at the wall, his normally waggy tail motionless, but Carrie could tell that, deep down, they shared her happiness.
She removed newspaper wrappings from some glasses and put them away in a kitchen cupboard before starting on her mugs, bowls and plates. The kitchen in her new flat was a little poky and the door of the cupboard under the sink was stuck, but the flat would have to do for now.