Citrus Blossom Read online

  Citrus Blossom

  by

  Sarah Pond

  Citrus Blossom

  by Sarah Pond

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2016 Sarah Pond

  ISBN: 9781311679444

  Cover art by Janet Nethercott-Cable

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters and events described in this novel are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or part without written permission of the author.

  ~~~~~

  For the girl who didn't think she could, and never dreamed she would

  ~~~~~

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Chapter Twenty Three

  About Sarah Pond

  Connect with Sarah Pond

  Other books by Sarah Pond

  PROLOGUE

  She didn't know when it started, when things had changed. Had there been signs, and she had been too caught up in other things to see them... Maybe it was just a phase, or was she starting to lose it? Or maybe she was beginning to find herself. Perhaps she could just give in to it, let herself go...

  CHAPTER ONE

  Not so long ago things were different, they seemed more straightforward. As a child, Olivia loved to read. Her parents would often find her curled up on her bed or the sofa, with her nose in a book. Her green eyes would occasionally look over the top, she would smile at them, then carry on reading, her long brown hair falling over her face. She loved to get lost in stories of other people and far away places, and the adventures that they would have. Olivia had been a good student, and did well at school and college. She decided not to go to university in favour of getting into the 'real world' of work and earning a living. She had been working in her friend Becky's art gallery in St Ives, Cornwall for nearly four years. Olivia had loved working there, but she now wanted to have some experience away from home. She had always had a yearning to go to London. Olivia and her boyfriend Liam had broken up a few months ago, mutually deciding that although they really cared about each other, that something extra wasn't there anymore. Also Olivia would often talk about moving to London. Liam thought that it was quite amusing, usually you would hear about people wanting to do it the other way around, like her parents had done, moving away from London for a quieter life. Olivia had applied for three jobs, and the one that really attracted her was at the small publishing company in Cavendish Square, not far from Oxford Circus. She didn't want to work for a big faceless company, but somewhere smaller where things were more hands on. The company were looking for a second assistant. If Olivia got the job, she would begin by doing general office duties, such as answering the telephone, typing letters and keeping the office diary. Over time, she may get a chance to do some proof reading too, hopefully. At twenty two years old, Olivia was really ready to begin living a more independent life. At the moment, she was still living at home. She knew that moving to London from Cornwall would be a real change of culture, and this was one of the things that excited her about it. When Olivia was a child, she used to dream of working in London, the buzz and excitement. Her family had originally lived in Middlesex, and her Dad had worked in central London, travelling by tube from Pinner every day. Once she and her brother Ben were born, her parents had wanted a change of pace, and moved the family down to Cornwall when she was two years old, and her brother was four. Olivia had very fond memories of growing up in Cornwall, with what seemed like endless summers on the beach. Living in St Ives, Olivia and Ben had grown up with a familiar community of people around them, and it seemed that everyone knew everyone else.

  Olivia turned up ten minutes before her interview with Jason Albright and Jasmine Carter, who ran JJ Publishing. She had decided to wear a black trouser suit for her interview, hoping that she looked smart and professional enough. Olivia was welcomed in by a lady who introduced herself as Laura, Jason's assistant. Olivia thought that she was probably in her early thirties at a guess. Laura had short, dark brown hair, and grey eyes. She seemed very friendly, and Olivia found herself wondering how long Laura had worked there. Laura asked, 'Would you like a drink? We have tea, coffee, water or juice.'

  'No thank you, I'm fine.'

  Olivia had remembered some advice that she was given when she was at college. If you accept a drink, with a bag or case in one hand, and holding a drink in the other, you wouldn't be able to shake hands with anyone. Also, still feeling a bit nervous, she couldn't trust her hands not to shake whilst she tried to drink it. She would treat herself to a coffee at this lovely cafe she had recently found, just around the corner from the office, if the interview went well. Or if it didn't.

  Olivia had tied her hair back in a pony tail, and when the loose strands slipped down, she nervously tucked them behind her ear. Laura offered her a seat, and she sat down and waited in the reception area, taking in her surroundings. The office was a large area which seemed to be quite open plan, with a blue sofa, the one that she was sitting on, in front of which was a large wooden coffee table with magazines strewn across it. There were bookcases on the opposite wall, crammed full. Then there was Laura's desk, and next to it, another desk, which was empty, and would hopefully be hers if all went well. Opposite the desks were two offices, presumably one for each of the partners. Laura chatted to Olivia, asking about her journey, and how far she had travelled. Olivia liked Laura, and thought that if she got the job, they would get on well.

  The door to the office on the left opened, and a friendly face appeared. The man was probably in his late twenties, and clean-shaven. He was slim, and wearing jeans, with a blue open neck shirt and a tweed jacket. He had soft wavy light auburn hair, and a twinkle in his pale blue eyes. Olivia liked him immediately. He walked over to the sofa, hand outstretched towards Olivia, and she stood up. 'Hi, you must be Olivia. I'm Jason, thank you for coming, and being so prompt. Come through to my office.'

  Olivia rose, and shook his hand, thinking that she was glad she hadn't accepted a drink. 'Yes, thank you,' and followed Jason into the office.

  'Do take a seat.' Jason gestured to the comfy looking chair opposite his desk. His office had a cosy feel about it, with books and papers everywhere. It was lived-in rather than untidy, and had an old-book smell to it, like a second hand book shop. Olivia thought that he probably spent a lot of time in it. 'Jasmine will be here in a moment, we are joint business partners, as I think you already know. Laura has been working for both of us, and we have had temporary help in as and when we needed to. We really need so
meone full time now. Once that person has learned the ropes, they will work mostly with Jasmine, although we all muck in together when we have a lot of work on.'

  'I like the fact that it's a small office. I've been used to just two of us working at the gallery,' Olivia said as she sat down.

  The chair was very comfortable, and Olivia was beginning to relax a little. Then there was a movement behind her, and Olivia saw a striking woman walking into the office. She was quite tall and slim, with long dark wavy hair and dark brown eyes. Her skin had a sun kissed glow about it. She wore a tailored navy trouser suit, and a white blouse. She exuded class and beauty in the way that she moved. She was probably a similar age to Jason, maybe a bit older. Olivia began to feel nervous again, and stood up as the woman walked towards her.

  'Hello, I'm Jasmine, you must be Olivia,' and reached out her hand to shake Olivia's. Jasmine's hand felt soft and warm, and Olivia flushed, aware that her hands were sweaty because she was nervous. 'Please, do sit down again. Sorry I'm a bit late, I got caught up reading a manuscript.'

  She smiled warmly, and Olivia began to relax again. They asked Olivia about college, working at the art gallery in Cornwall, and why she wanted to move to London. Jason asked why she particularly wanted to work for JJ Publishing.

  Olivia explained that as much as she loved Cornwall, she was ready for some new experiences, and how as a child she had wanted to come to London. She talked about how she loved working with her friend Becky, and how much experience she had gained working there. She got to meet artists, and help them promote their work. For some time now, though, she had had a calling to move away, and it was London that she was drawn to. Voicing this dream, Olivia hoped that Jason and Jasmine wouldn't think that she was immature. On the contrary, they saw her determination and dedication, and appreciated her honesty. Jasmine noticed that Olivia was nervous, her hands fidgeting, until she talked about her friend, and moving to London. Then, the nervousness gave way to passion about her ambitions, and she emanated a different kind of energy, her face lighting up as she spoke. Olivia went on to explain that she would love to work with a publisher, as she loved books. She was also excited about being involved with something that started out as an author's idea, and developed into a book, which could be read and shared by an infinite amount of people. She said it was a bit like artists bringing their work into the gallery, something that had started as a thought in the artist's mind, now took a physical form that could be appreciated by others. As Olivia spoke, Jason and Jasmine exchanged a look, and smiled. Olivia thought that Jason and Jasmine seemed to be good friends, and the whole office had a comfortable feel about it. This is somewhere I'd really love to work, thought Olivia.

  When the interview came to an end, they all stood, and Jason shook her hand, thanking her for coming along. Then Jasmine shook Olivia's hand, and with her left hand touched Olivia's arm, saying, 'It was such a pleasure to meet you. We will have a chat and let you know within a few days. Thank you.'

  Laura showed Olivia to the door, and she stepped outside into the fresh air. It was a warm early June day, with a light breeze, perfect. Olivia looked at her watch and was delighted to see that well over an hour had gone by, although it hadn't felt like it. That was a good sign, unlike a previous interview which had finished after just over twenty minutes. She knew that she wasn't going to get that job.

  After Olivia left, Jasmine sat back in her chair. She knew immediately that Olivia was the person for the job. She was so passionate, so fresh. The way that she had spoken about books and paintings starting as a thought had really touched her. Jason called Laura into the office so that they could all have a chat. Jasmine asked Laura what she thought of Olivia. Laura said that she liked her, and thought that she would fit in well. Jason agreed, Olivia was by far the best person who had applied for the job. There had been a couple of people with experience in publishing, but they didn't have the passion that Olivia had. So it was decided, they all agreed that Olivia would be offered the job.

  As she had promised herself, Olivia walked along the road and headed towards Joe's Cafe. In addition to a large latte, Olivia thought a chocolate brownie would be a lovely treat. She collected her coffee, then went and found a little table where she could sit and go over the interview. On the whole, she thought it had gone well, although she had been rather nervous. She was sure that they would take that into consideration, though. She really liked everyone there, which was obviously a big bonus. As this was the third and final interview for the time being, she was going to be going back to Cornwall in a couple of days. This week she had been staying at her friend's flat. Emma had a great place, not far from Bond Street tube station. Emma's last roommate was a journalist who had moved out to go travelling, which was perfect timing. Olivia had fun catching up with Emma. She had moved to London straight from college, and if Olivia could get a job here Emma said that she would be able to help her settle in.

  Emma and Olivia had met at college. They had become firm friends when they both realised that they loved the same kind of music, particularly Pink. They would play her albums at full blast and sing along to them, then roll around in fits of giggles. At college, Emma had a succession of boyfriends, and Olivia found it hard to keep up with her and who she was dating. As soon as Emma had left college, she had applied for jobs in London. Then she got a job at an advertising agency, just as she'd always said she that she would. In the four years that she had been there, she had progressed swiftly. She was intelligent, full of great ideas and very outgoing. She was popular with her colleagues and worked hard. Emma found her job fun, but it could also be quite pressured, and she found physical exercise a great way of letting off steam, which kept her fit as well. She found that the gym was good for meeting people too, and there were plenty of guys who liked to keep in good shape. With her blond wavy hair, beautiful blue eyes and lovely figure, not to mention her outgoing personality, she was always getting attention from guys. Her current boyfriend was a really nice guy called Matt. Emma had met him at the gym a few weeks ago.

  It was now Thursday, and this weekend Olivia would be heading back home to St Ives. She couldn't stop thinking about the publishing job, though. Olivia wanted it so much, the thought of it gave her butterflies. She and Emma were walking through Covent Garden, arms linked together, when Olivia's phone began ringing. 'Hello, Olivia speaking.'

  'Hi, it's Jasmine, from JJ Publishing,' Olivia's stomach began twisting with anxiety, now was the moment of truth. 'We would like to offer you the job. Would you like to think about it?'

  'No. Yes. I mean yes, please, I'd love to take the job, thank you, this is wonderful,' Olivia said excitedly, her face beaming.

  'That's wonderful,' said Jasmine warmly, 'I'll give you a call tomorrow and we'll go through some details, sort your start date etcetera. Actually, if you are able to pop in to the office, we can go through everything in person. How about tomorrow at eleven?'

  'Thank you, thank you so much, yes I will be there at eleven.'

  'Until tomorrow, then.' Olivia put her phone back in her bag, practically jumping for joy. Emma hugged her, Olivia laughing, thinking that this was one of the best moments in her life.

  Emma said, 'Right, time to celebrate! I'm treating you to dinner, there's a great Mexican restaurant just around the corner. They do the best fajitas ever!'

  Jasmine put the phone down, smiling to herself. Olivia was so natural and free, no pretence. She was an honest and genuine person, that had come through clearly at the interview, as had her sincerity and passion. Yes, it was going to be great working with Olivia, Jasmine was really looking forward to it.

  The Mexican restaurant was a really cosy and vibrant place, painted in warm, bright colours, and it had a wonderful atmosphere. The bar was on the right as you walked in, with the restaurant at the back. The smells coming from the food were wonderful. There was a painting on the whole of one wall, and pictures everywhere. There were not many dining tables, but fortunately there was a free table for E
mma and Olivia. They both ordered chicken fajitas. They decided to celebrate with cocktails, a margarita for Emma, and a pina colada for Olivia. When the drinks came, Emma raised her glass, 'A toast, to your new job and a new life in London.'

  They clinked glasses, and Olivia took a sip of her cocktail. 'Um, delicious. I hope everything here tastes this good!'

  'What's your new boss like, then?' Emma asked expectantly.

  'Well there are two, Jason and Jasmine are partners. Laura works for Jason. I think she might be about thirty, and she seems really nice, very friendly. I think she's been there quite a long time, they all seem to get on very well with each other. Laura will be teaching me the job. I liked Jason the moment I met him. He's got twinkly eyes, I think it will be fun working with him. His office is very messy, with books and manuscripts all over the place. I felt like I'd walked into one of the teachers' rooms at Hogwarts! He's probably in his late twenties too, but he has a mix of maturity and boyishness. I'll be working for Jasmine, once I know what I'm doing. She seems really nice too, and very pretty. She really looks at you when she's talking to you, she makes you feel important.'

  Emma smiled, 'That sounds brilliant. It also sounds like you've got a bit of a crush on Jason!'

  'No, don't be silly. He just really nice, that's all.' Olivia blushed.

  Emma laughed, 'Anyway, I'm so pleased you've got this job. It's going to be brilliant fun having you as a flat mate.'

  They had a great evening. Emma told her about the clubs and bars they could go to, although that wasn't really Olivia's scene. Still, she wanted to have some new experiences, so she could give it a go. Olivia was looking forward to going to films and concerts, as there would be a lot more choice here in London than she was used to back home. 'Thank you so much Emma. You've been amazing, putting me up, helping me get around.'