Shadows of the Heart

Chapter One

"Rain is an unusual name." She smiled a little shyly. Always the first thing someone noticed; always their first comment. Sometimes she wondered if making it her official name had been the right decision but it was hers, she reflected and something that couldn't be taken away. Forcing a smile onto her lips she nodded.

"Well it gets me noticed for sure," she replied. The woman opposite her gave a short nod and then pushed back her chair, smoothing down her pencil skirt as she stood. Rain scrambled to her feet too, holding her bag close to her.

"I like it," the woman replied, with a genuine smile. "And to be clear you are here because you are the best person for the job. Your application and interview were superb." This time Rain's smile was genuine too. She had the feeling that her new boss had got the measure of her very quickly, recognising her lack of complete confidence in herself but still willing to give her a chance.

"Thank you Mrs Lee."

"Call me Mai. We don't stand on formality here. I will show you to your office. IT have set up your PC and netbook so that they are synced. You just need to change the password. We are paperless here so your diary and everything you need will be there. The netbook is touchscreen and the keyboard can be detached or folded away if you prefer. There is a drinks machine and fridge in the staff room. Staff meets are Monday at nine and Friday at three on the days you are office based. Otherwise your diary is your own. When you join the tours you and I will check in regularly but it's tough going on tour so you'll have plenty of rest time in between yes?"

"Great; thank you." Rain reflected that she understood the pressures of touring pretty well and being on the road didn't really worry her. When you were on the move all the time it made you more difficult to follow. And in her old life the touring had been one of the things she had genuinely enjoyed; having the opportunity to travel and see the world was a huge privilege and she had missed it in the last couple of years. Mai stopped and pushed open the door to a small but sunny office, with a desk and chair as well as a lower table surrounded with easy chairs for meetings. "This is really lovely."

"Well as a lead reporter you need space to meet with talent to do interviews when we are based at home. It can be more difficult on tour which is why the live blog seems a good plan. I know you've some experience of blogging and that coupled with your journalistic experience is what made your CV stand out for us. Rarely we might ask you to go out to someone's home for an interview, but that would be in exceptional circumstances or if the home was part of the story."

"That all sounds great," said Rain, with a bright smile.

"There are a couple of webinars I'd like you to do today which will explain some of the company policies and ensure you have the best possible induction but obviously any questions can come to me and I'll do my best to answer."

Rain smiled, thanked her and took a seat behind her desk. Mai nodded and stepped towards the door.

"I'll leave you to it," she said. "If you need me buzz me on Skype."

Rain sighed contentedly. Running a hand over the smooth oak she picked up her netbook and saw a sticker with her username and password. Setting herself up on the netbook and PC she spent some time watching the webinars about all things admin, saved her certificates and then allowed herself time to consider how lucky she was. Journalism was in her blood and after a couple of years at the UFC magazine it had been long since time to branch out. This company wanted a fresh feel to their online magazine, with a brand new live blog to meet the needs of the current audience and she could do that. What did it matter if the people she wrote about had huge egos and sometimes more scandal than was appropriate for the industry? She could sell that where needed as part of the product, making everything exciting but more than anything else real.