1982
Kim climbed up the stairs to the office of Tate Haulage and Son. It was one of the tallest buildings in Skipdale, with a huge haulage yard out back.
She'd known, walking down these steps after her interview, that she had secured a job here. Chris Tate, the 'son' of the business name, who had interviewed her, had obviously fancied her. She had a feeling that she could wrap him around her little finger. However, it wasn't Chris who greeted her as she stepped through the doors, but an older man. Kim guessed immediately that this was Chris's father. Like his son, he had a pleasantly handsome, smiling face and brown curling hair.
"Kim Barker?" asked the man, holding out his hand to shake. "Frank Tate. Pleased to meet you. Is it alright if I call you Kim?"
"Of course," said Kim politely, returning the firm handshake.
"Step this way." Frank showed her into his office. It was a spacious room with three desks, one of which had a telephone on the surface. "I can see what Chris meant," Frank said, glancing over his shoulder at Kim. "You're much better-looking than my last secretary. Oh, don't worry," he added, seeing Kim's forced smile. "I'm a happily married man. I can't say the same for my son, though." He pointed to a photograph on his desk of two young people. Kim recognised Chris from her interview. In the photo he had his arm around a very pretty teenage girl with long black hair and braces.
"Is that your daughter?" Kim asked.
"Yes, that's Zoe. She's got no interest in the family business, of course. Wants to be a vet, of all things." Frank raised his eyes heavenwards, but Kim could tell that he didn't really mind. "At least I've got Christopher to carry on the business."
"You must get on well, working together."
"Oh, we have our moments. I'm actually thinking of retiring in the next few years, handing the business over to Chris. I've got my eye on an estate over in Beckindale."
Inwardly, Kim felt a surge of resentment towards people who could talk about buying property like they were talking about popping down the shops for some milk. Outwardly she smiled and said, "You hardly look old enough to retire, Frank."
"Flattery on your first day!" Frank laughed as he held the door open for her. "I can see we're going to get on well!"
Later that day, after Frank had popped out for lunch, Kim sat at her desk and checked her reflection in her hand mirror. She'd been desperate for work when she started looking, but maybe it had been fate finding this job in particular. She thought of Frank's none-too-subtle hints that his son was single, and his plans to eventually hand the business over to him. One day, the entire empire would belong to Chris.
Kim touched up her lipstick and smiled to herself as she put the mirror away. Maybe she wouldn't have to be Kim Barker for much longer.