Amy's Christmas Guest Ch. 09

I raised my glass in a toast, and we clinked our glasses gently before sipping the sparkling wine.

We ordered food, and talked as we ate. "Amy," I said, "I have an idea. Your course allows you to opt for a whole year's sandwich placement if you want, doesn't it?" She nodded.

"How about you spend the whole of the next academic year at the company?" I went on. "You'll get paid a real salary and it'll look great on your CV. And actually, I think some of your ideas are really going to be useful."

Amy beamed. She got to her feet and came round to my chair to hug me.

"That's great," she said. "And that means I'll still be at uni when Laura finishes, so that'll give her a great reason to stay around – you could get a performance year, Laura, is that what they call it?"

Laura nodded, her eyes bright. "Perfect," she said.

We finished our meal and set off on the drive home, the two girls chatting in the back seat. "You need to get me a chauffeur's hat," I joked, opening the car door for them at the house.