‘I can take all the admin off your hands, all the annoying little things you shouldn’t really be dealing with, and anything else you need me to do; I really do pick up new tasks incredibly quickly. I bet there are a million things I could help with.’ I pulled forward to the edge of my seat, my hands moving excitedly in front of my face. The idea was coming to life in front of me and unlike the thought of working for Juliette, this felt right. ‘I know some brilliant recruitment firms who could fill the rest of the jobs – I’ve handled hiring before so I’m totally happy to handle all of that – and if I took some of the shit off your plate, you might have time to do your actual job.’

She picked up a third biscuit and broke it in half as she considered my proposal.

‘I haven’t had an assistant in years,’ she said eventually. ‘I don’t like having someone buzzing around all the time.’

‘I could work remotely!’ I replied, getting more and more giddy by the second. ‘A virtual assistant is just as efficient as an IRL person, if not more so. I just wouldn’t be here to make tea every day, that’s all.’

‘This is a good cup of tea,’ Sarah said thoughtfully, swirling the liquid in her mug.

‘You’re probably not leaving it to steep long enough,’ I said. ‘Most people rush their tea. If you had an assistant, you wouldn’t have to.’

Biting down on the inside of my cheek, I waited for her to consider my proposal and reached down for the third finger of my right hand to twist my mum’s wedding band. But the ring was still in my wallet, along with my engagement ring. I’d completely forgotten to put them back on.

‘I’ll need a couple of days to think about this,’ she said. ‘I’m just not sure.’

I couldn’t imagine a world where Sarah Pierce wasn’t sure about anything, but I kept my opinions to myself.

‘Completely understand but I really do think we’d be a good fit,’ I replied, not quite ready to give up. ‘I might not be very good at babysitting a celebrity but I’m a killer when it comes to pivot tables and presentations. No one runs an expense report like me. I mean, have you ever seen anyone this excited about spreadsheets? Give me a week’s trial and I’ll show you I can give you back hours of your day.’

‘And what’s in it for you?’ Sarah asked, reasonably suspicious.

‘A job,’ I answered truthfully. ‘And the chance to support and learn from someone at the top of her game.’