When I looked back up, I found him nodding.
“Overall business management.”
“And you think you can handle that?” I quizzed. “The number of job offers I’ve received in the past year has tripled, and I can barely read through them enough to organise and prioritise projects that interest me.”
“We can devise a system,” Morgan said. “Once I know what kind of projects you are drawn too, I can categorise which jobs to prioritise and which ones not to.”
I nodded and looked back down to my questions.
“You said you had experience, and I’ve read what you’ve previously done, but what do you think you can bring to my business?”
“A strong work ethic that will achieve efficiency for your company,” Morgan answered. “I will do everythin’ that keeps you from sketchin’ right now, and I’ll make it better.”
I looked up and grinned at his confidence.
“Make it better how?”
“Your work is outstandin’, but as of right now, you don’t market that very well.”
“Job offers have tripled for me in the past year,” I repeated. “That seems like marketin’ is doin’ just fine.”
“But that is through word of mouth and referrals, correct?”
I hesitated. “I guess.”
Morgan nodded. “That is fantastic, but I can market you on a higher level and reach people who don’t know you from Adam. Advertisement is the key to success in graphic design. We need your work pushed into potential clients’ faces. You need to be picky and aim for projects that will be successful on their platforms. I’ve seen your designs on book covers, but only one of those has become relatively successful.”
“So, you think I should work on projects where they will be successful in their own market to draw attention to my designs?”
“Exactly.” He nodded. “I’m not sayin’ you shouldn’t work on other projects because success can come from anywhere, but right now, you need to get your name known.”
I nodded, finding myself agreeing with him.
“That’s another thing,” he said tentatively. “Your business name.”
I frowned. “What’s wrong with Go-to Designs?”
“It’s quirky, but not somethin’ that reflects your talent at first glance. You need a business name that will make people take the time to click on your website or social media pages. The name will draw ’em in, and your designs will keep ’em interested. You aren’t a typical graphic designer. You don’t use someone else’s images to create a design; you sketch and make somethin’ completely original. Your images don’t look sketched unless it’s a client’s preference. Your designs look like photos before you scan them to a computer, and we need to market that talent.”
I felt my ears burn at the praise.
I lifted my cup of tea and took a sip. “I’m assumin’ you have some names in mind?”
Morgan’s lips twitched. “A few.”
“Let’s hear ’em then.”
“By a few, I really mean one.”
I laughed. “Go on.”
“Enigma Creations.”
I blinked. “I ... I actually really like that.”
“Brilliant.” Morgan smiled. “Your designs are a mystery to me sometimes because when you draw somethin’, it looks so lifelike, I have to remind meself that you hand drew it.”
I bit the insides of my cheeks.
“Thanks, I think Enigma Creations is perfect.”
“Glad you think so.”
I went through a few more questions with Morgan, and the more he spoke, the more I wanted to stop him from talking and offer him the job completely. By the time I had asked him the last question, I was grinning like a fool. He smiled back at me.
“Does that smile mean I got the job?”
“It most definitely does.”
Morgan beamed. “Deadly.”
“I’m goin’ to convert me spare bedroom into an office, so eventually, I’ll have a place for you to come and work. I originally intended just to have you as an online manager of things, but I think havin’ a work space will be much better. Does that suit you?”
“You have no idea how much.”
We worked out an hourly wage and work schedule, and then we chatted a little bit. I learned Morgan was twenty-one, and he was originally from Finglas but moved to Tallaght with his parents when he was a kid. Like me, he attended the Dublin Institute of Design and had just graduated with his BA in graphic design. He was an only child and wasn’t very close to his parents. After I finished another cup of tea and Morgan drank a coffee, we stood to leave the café.
“I’ll email you tomorrow, and we can go over everythin’ and make the changes we discussed today.”
“Sounds good, we’ve finished just in time for me to meet up with me girlfriend.” Morgan said, fixing his bag’s straps over his shoulders. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow, Miss Ryan.”
“Please, call me Alannah.”
“Alannah,” Morgan smiled and bowed his head. “Thank you for givin’ me a chance, I won’t let you down.”
I was going to offer him a lift but decided against it. I didn’t want to jump straight into a friendship with Morgan; my business came first, and he was now my employee, so I had to keep boundaries. When we parted, I watched him walk away, and I noticed that a group of girls and women stopped and focused on him as he fit his earbuds into his ears. I smiled and shook my head, wondering if he knew just how good looking he was.
As I walked to the multi-storey car park to retrieve my car, my phone rang.
“Heya, Ma,” I said upon answering. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m just callin’ to say me and Da are goin’ shoppin’, so I won’t be home if you stop by.”
I frowned. “Okay, will you be home tomorrow?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll pop around then,” I said. “I’ll call you tonight before you go to sleep. What time do you think that’ll be?”
“You don’t have to phone me, love.”
I got into my car. “I want to.”
Ma chuckled. “I’m usually asleep by half nine.”
“I’ll call at quarter to.”
“Okay,” she said. “How was your interview with that lad?”
“Brilliant.” I beamed. “I hired ’im, and I’m so pleased about it. I’m excited because he has some great ideas for the business.”
“I’m chuffed for you, love.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
“I’ll speak to you later.”
“Okay, bye. I love you.”
“I love you too, bear.”
After we hung up, I drove back to Tallaght and headed straight for Bronagh’s house. I was pleased to see no cars in the garden apart from Nico’s because it meant no one else was in the house with them. I loved our group, but it had grown so much over the years that it was rare for Bronagh and me to hang out one on one. After I parked my car in the driveway, I headed towards the front door. I was about to knock but decided to test the handle first and was pleased to find it gave way and opened.
I didn’t think to announce myself. The sitting room was empty, so the next obvious place for me to check was the kitchen.
“Hey, Bee,” I said, pushing the door open. “Wait till I tell you about—OHMYGOD!”
I screamed, Bronagh screamed, and Nico laughed.
Currently, my best friend was bent over the kitchen table with her jeans and knickers around her ankles. Nico’s tight bare arse was on display for all, or just me, to see, and his jeans were pushed down to his mid thighs. I had no doubt from the position he was in behind Bronagh and the grip he had on her bare hips where the rest of his body was.
“Oh, Jesus Christ!” I paled. “I’m so sorry.”
I need to bleach my eyes.
That thought ran wild in my head as I pulled the kitchen door shut with a firm slam, turned and ran down the hallway, only to crash into a body of muscle when I opened the front door. I yelped and instantly fell backwards, only to be grabbed mid-air, swung around, and pressed against a hard body as I hit the ground. Or as the body I landed on hit the ground. The impact knocked the breath out of me, so when I gasped, the person under me struggled to sit us up.