I took a gulp of the water they’d given me. Was this happening? Was it real?

Bloody hell! My head was scrambling to make sense of it all. My mind whirred with a combination of surprise and trepidation. They wanted me and a journalism position was being offered. But how could they gauge me as a suitable candidate when they hadn’t completed the interview?

I fought to make a coherent decision. They must have just decided that from the brief interview I did have, and my CV, I was suited to the job. But working for Athena Mayhew… I could handle her, couldn’t I? I mean, she hadn’t seemed that terrifying so far, although I hadn’t been on the receiving end of one of her tirades.

I realised with an embarrassed jolt that I wasn’t saying anything.

The three faces cross-examined mine across the table. An opportunity with the magazine of the moment, working with Athena Mayhew… It all seemed rather rushed though. But time wasn’t on my side to faff around and debate it all. I had to make a choice.

“Yes,” I blurted, ignoring a hissing voice in my head, concerned at the speed and unconventionality of it all. “I would be delighted to accept your offer. I’ll speak to my editor when I get home. I’m sure he’ll be fine about me handing in my notice and leaving a little earlier than anticipated.”

“Excellent!” clipped Athena, rising up from her chair. “Barbara here will attend to your contract and the paperwork and have that with you ASAP. If you have any questions about leave and conditions, she can answer them.” She clattered away on her thin heels, before whirling back to face me. Her eyes grazed me from head to toe. “As the new beauty reporter here at Goddess, I think your… shall we say, more natural appearance will be refreshing.”

I’d reached down by the side of my chair for my bag, but shot straight up again, as though a bolt of electricity had been fired through me. Noooo. I must have misheard. Did she just say beauty reporter?

I stood and fiddled with the strap of my bag. “Pardon?”

Oli gazed everywhere but at me and Barbara’s pale cheeks flipped to a heated red.

“You’re going to be our new beauty writer,” Athena repeated in a matter-of-fact tone. “About time we stopped going for the gormless but well-groomed types.”

Her eyes, swept with sparkly coffee shadow, bored into me. “You have more of the earthy, country girl image. You should appeal to a wider audience.”

Her words zoomed over my head. No. This was some sort of mistake.

I had stepped into someone else’s body. That was it. I was witnessing all this on behalf of someone else. The new beauty writer?