I had to pass about 20 shops, half of which were closed, before arriving at the entrance door. As I neared the office, I donned my mask again, just in case it was required. I discovered that new cream venetian blinds had been fitted to the main window and door, while the windows had been replaced with tinted glass.

A sign on the door read: 'West London Temporary Hire has moved. If you require our services, please contact our head office on the number below'.

I recognised the London number for I had called head office hundreds of times. At the side of the door there was a speaker/camera bell. I pushed it and waited.

There was a click. 'Push the door open, Terri, and you can remove your mask', Jane's crackly tones informed me. I did as I was told and discovered that a small entrance lobby had been built to keep anyone entering, separate from the front office. 'Please leave your jacket and bag on the hook, use the hand sanitizer and come on through'. Were the additional crackly instructions.

When I worked on the reception desk, Jane insisted I wear my jacket, so her instruction was a departure from normal practice. After removing my jacket, hanging my bag on a peg and rubbing some sanitizer on my hands, I pushed the second door open and entered the 'front' office.

Once again, everything had changed. The 'L' shaped seating area had been reduced to just 3 upholstered chairs and a rosewood desk stood in the gained space. Behind the desk sat Tom Stewart, dressed in a smart light blue shirt and navy-blue tie. He had managed to find a barber somewhere for his normally unruly dark hair had been neatly cut.

He was on the phone and raised his free hand to greet me. I smiled and waved back, then turned to the desk I used to sit at. I came face to face with my old boss, Jane Wild. Well, to be accurate, I stared at her through a Perspex screen, attached to the back of the desk.

"Terri, thanks for coming in," she said sternly, in her normal schoolmistress manner. She wasn't even thirty, but she acted like a fifty-year-old. "You look very smart, as usual. I'm sorry I couldn't say anything on the phone, on Friday. At that time, decisions were still being made about our future."

"Oh, I see..." I replied uncertainly. "I noticed the sign above the window has been taken down. Does that mean I've lost my job?"

I decided during the walk that I would try and be positive if the news was bad. I wanted to be brave, but I could feel my eyes starting to water from the realization that I was about to be made redundant.

"Sadly, Terri, it does, but Mr. Stewart will explain everything to you about the redundancy package." Crestfallen and tearful, I looked around at the handsome young businessman.

"John, I've got to go. I'll speak to you later," he said, then put his handset down. He stood up and held out his hand. "Terri. How are you?" His polite inquiry threw me. I lifted my hand but hesitated with it a foot away from his. "I washed my hands ten minutes ago, Terri."

"Oh, okay." Once he had a grip of my hand, he held on for a couple of seconds then let go.

"Terri, pull up a chair so I can explain the situation to you." I fetched a chair and placed it facing him across the desk. "No, bring it to the side so I can see you."

"Oh, okay." Once I positioned the chair, he swivelled his seat and stretched his legs out, pointing straight at me.

I was wearing a knee length navy-blue skirt, black hold-ups and 2" black platforms. Being only 5'3" tall, the platforms were a necessity.

"Did Jane tell you that your job and hers are among the redundancies decided by the board?" he asked softly.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Jane reading a document. She didn't look up. "Um, no, but she confirmed that I was being made redundant."

"Okay, good. It was decided at our Friday board meeting to scale back the employment agency to eight locations, including our Oxford Street head office. This office is one of the casualties. That means unfortunately, that your job no longer exists."

I glanced around the room. "The company has spent a lot on making this office virus friendly."

"I know. Having made the changes, the board decided to utilize this premises for another part of the business, Network Gold Broadcasting. While demand for jobs is on the decrease, out internet entertainment division has seen a huge spike. So, Hendon is going to be the head office for a new internet entertainment channel. We're calling it Twenty-Five K Gold, or TFKG for short."

"That sounds catchy and interesting," I said, trying to show I was enthusiastic about their plan. There was no harm in hoping he'd consider me for another position.

"We think so, Terri. Jane has agreed to work for the new company as a daytime receptionist. I have another Lady who will work the evening hours while we're broadcasting. So, I'm afraid, I haven't got anything on the clerical side."

I leant forward. "Mr. Stewart, I'm very versatile, I'm prepared to turn my hand to any job in the day or at night. I really do need to be working..."

He tapped the fingers of his left hand on the desk, then held his hand up. "Let's talk about the redundancy package first."

I sat back and slumped a little. "Okay. How does that work while I'm on furlough?"

"The government pays you up to today and West London Temporary Hire will pay you your redundancy, which is a day for every month you've worked. That was only six months, but we'll bump it up to two weeks. That means your earnings for the month of July will be virtually a full month's wages."

I was totally numb and I didn't know what to say to the pleasant businessman. "Is that all? Haven't you got any other vacancies?"

"Look, Terri. I do have a vacancy, but not on the clerical side. I'm looking for a new face to help with presenting the new channel. Someone who's prepared to work long hours. Someone who wants to learn about the adult internet business..."

It suddenly dawned on me what Adult internet entertainment involved. "Do you film girls doing stuff on camera?"

"We do, Terri, but we make the videos in another studio or on location. This studio..."

I shook my head. "I... I'm not into that stuff. Sorry. Mr. Stewart."

He leant forward. "The vacancy I need to fill isn't for a porn actress. Terri, we only employ girls for those roles who are experienced performers. I need a girl I can train to present the show beside Kelly Brown, a vastly experienced young lady. I want the girl to be the face of the new channel. Someone young and attractive, like yourself. The salary would be £25 an hour, double what we were paying you in your old job."

The position he was describing would be going way beyond my comfort zone, but it sounded like a good opportunity. Also, I would be working alongside an experienced presenter. "Are you offering me the job?"

"I want to know if you're interested. The job includes some semi-nudity, so I'll need to have a look at your figure, in your undies..."

I blinked in surprise. "Oh! What... why, um, what for?"

"The girl I eventually employ will need to do promotional videos for the channel. You're far more attractive than the other girls I'm considering, but I need to check out your body and whether its camera friendly."

"I'm in good shape. Can't you take my word for it?"

"Terri, it's important that you're comfortable in front of the camera while wearing very little. I've seen all the others, but I have to say, you have the look I want. The audition won't take ten minutes. If you can get over that one hurdle and we agree on the salary, then the job of trainee presenter is yours..."