Two-Hundred Steps Home Volume One

By Amanda Martin

"Claire's life revolves around Starbucks, stilettos and her career as an Advertising Account Director for AJC. That is until her boss Carl decides to send her on a mission to visit every one of the 200 YHA hostel in England and Wales as part of a marketing campaign. More used to five-star spa resorts than 'flea-infested hostels' Claire only takes the assignment to save face. It becomes clear to her the 'mission' is a ruse to make her resign.

Together with her hated 1980s Skoda Estelle - another part of the assignment - Claire sets off for Berwick-Upon-Tweed and a new way of life.

Will Claire get used to sharing a room, going without skinny lattes and travelling in an Eastern European rust bucket. More importantly, will travelling the length and breadth of her home country enable Claire to forget her lost love Michael?"

Volume 1 of 'Two-Hundred Steps Home' contains the first 31 instalments of Amanda Martin's daily challenge on her WriterMummy blog. February's instalments will be published as Volume 2 in March 2013.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amanda Martin
• Release date: Feb 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301009411

Amanda Martin

Amanda Martin was born in Hertfordshire, England. After graduating with first class honours from Leeds University she wandered around the world trying to find her place in it. She tried various roles, in England and New Zealand, including Bar Manager, Marketing Manager, Consultant and Artist before deciding that WriterMummy summed her up best. She lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, two children and labradoodle Kara. She can mostly be found at http://writermummy.wordpress.com

Book preview

AMANDA MARTIN

TWO-HUNDRED STEPS HOME

VOLUME ONE

Amanda Martin was born in Hertfordshire in 1976. After graduating with first class honours from Leeds University she wandered around the world trying to find her place in it. She tried various roles, in England and New Zealand, including Bar Manager, Marketing Manager, Consultant and Artist, before deciding that Writer/Mummy best summed her up. She lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, two children and labradoodle Kara and can mostly be found at http://writermummy.wordpress.com or on Twitter or Facebook.

Two-Hundred Steps Home is her latest work. Amanda is writing the novel in daily instalments on her WriterMummy blog as part of her 2013 365 post-a-day challenge. This ebook is Volume 1 and contains the first 31 instalments.

COPYRIGHT

Published by 3AD Publishers at Smashwords

Copyright © Amanda Martin 2013

Amanda Martin asserts the moral right to be

identified as the author of this work

Also by Amanda Martin:

Two-Hundred Steps Home: Volume 2

Two-Hundred Steps Home: Volume 3

Two-Hundred Steps Home: Volume 4

Two-Hundred Steps Home: Volume 5

Two-Hundred Steps Home: Volume 6

Two-Hundred Steps Home: Volume 7

Two-Hundred Steps Home: Volume 8

Dragon Wraiths

Baby Blues and Wedding Shoes

This novel is entirely a work of fiction although based loosely on the YHA Hostels of England and Wales. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved.

Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

http://www.amanda-martin.co.uk

http://writermummy.wordpress.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title

Copyright

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Follow the Blog

About the Author

ONE

Claire, could you come into my office for a quick chat?

Claire looked up from the stack of artwork on her desk and resisted the urge to frown, knowing it would leave creases in her foundation.

Sure Carl, now?

Yes please, he said over his shoulder as he headed back to his own, larger, glass cube on the other side of the office.

Intrigued that he hadn't sent Julia or phoned through his summons, Claire slipped on her heels, pulled on her jacket and headed after her boss.

Come in, sit down, would you like a drink?

Carl was already seated when Claire scratched on his door and opened it.

Earl Grey please, black, no sugar, Claire said as she lowered herself onto the black leather chair, glad she was wearing tights.

Carl pressed a button on his desk. Earl Grey and an espresso please Jules.

Carl shuffled the paper on his desk and didn't look up. How's the Birds Eye piece coming together?  

Claire looked at the bald patch starting to appear on Carl's crown and answered in a monotone. Fine. No dramas.

And the Vodafone ad?

Shooting next week.

Right. Carl took an audible breath.

Just spit it out, Claire thought as she watched the words fighting to be released from his mouth.

The Board would like you to hand over your existing clients to Steve.

Claire sat forward. She hadn't been expecting that. Aware of her movement she immediately sat back and looked sardonically at Carl.

Am I being fired?

No, he said quickly, of course not. You're one of our best Account Directors. No, think of it more as a change of direction. We've secured a new deal with Happy Cola.

Claire raised her eyebrows before dropping them quickly. Coke? That was a big deal.

They're sponsoring the YHA.

The what?

Youth Hostel Association.

Claire looked blankly for a minute, not making the connection. Then her brain kicked in. That doesn’t seem a likely combination - isn’t youth hostelling all about being healthy and the great outdoors. Not something you associate with Happy Cola.

That’s the point. After the Olympics they want to improve their healthy image. They’ve decided a year’s sponsorship of the YHA will improve the perception of their brand in the UK.

So I’m getting that account? It doesn’t mean I have to hand over all my other deals, surely? Even someone as big as Coke must understand they’re not our only client.

Of course not. Actually you won’t be managing the account, I will.

Claire felt her heartbeat begin to speed up. Something wasn’t right. Carl was looking shifty and he never looked shifty. It was as if he was bracing himself.

So, come on then, what am I going to be doing?

Um. You’re going to be staying in the hostels.

What? Claire nearly stood up but remembered at the last minute to relax back into her chair. Stay in control, Claire, don’t let him get to you.

The bigwigs want someone on the ground, living the hostelling dream. They want someone to visit all the hostels during the year of promotion, to feedback stories on Twitter and Facebook, you know how it goes.

Why can't you send one of the interns? Claire could hear her voice sounded higher than usual. She swallowed and took some deep breaths.

Polly and Molly have finals this year and Sally has a cat.

Claire looked incredulously at Carl, then over his head through the glass wall of the office.

What about Julia, she looks like she could use a holiday.

This is not a holiday and my PA is indispensable.

And I'm not?

Their eyes clashed and fought before Carl smiled and leaned forward across his desk. Come on Claire, be reasonable. Think of it as an adventure.

You want me to go and sleep in bug-infested bunk-beds in the same room as a bunch of smelly, over-sexed, students for a whole year? You must be mad. She looked around the office as if seeking something to help her escape. The office was bare except for some piece of modern art and a photograph of Carl’s inexplicably beautiful wife.

No Claire, Carl said in a quiet voice. Claire turned to face him, her pulse beating loudly in her ears. Like any predator, Carl was at his most dangerous when he was silent. Forcing herself to meet his eyes she saw the glint in them and swallowed. Carl didn't frighten her; she'd been around too long and knew she was good at her job. Even so she felt her palms getting clammy as Carl stared at her, one eyebrow slightly raised.

Who did I offend? Claire could hear the resignation in her voice. Resignation, was that her only option?

No one my dear. Think of it more as an initiation challenge.

It was Claire's turn to raise an eyebrow. This was unexpected.

The Board feel you have potential but they're not convinced of your loyalty, to them or to our clients. Think of this as a sabbatical to consider your next career move.

Up or out? Claire suggested, her lips twisting sarcastically.

Well I wouldn't put it quite so crudely but yes, as usual, you have encapsulated the essence in a pithy one-liner. That's why you're such a valuable member of the team.

Right, thought Claire as she stalked back to her office. What a load of crap.

***

TWO

Back at her desk, Claire resisted the urge to put her head in her hands. Living in a glass office surrounded by advertising people had taught her self-control in a way her parents’ strictures on The Correct Way to Behave in Public never had. She had risen through the ranks quickly since arriving at AJC and that generally made people want to find out a person’s weaknesses.

Claire looked out through her glass wall at the Account Managers and Execs working hard at their desks. She could see Julia in close conversation with one of the other PAs. The sight made Claire’s stomach twist and she looked away. There was no doubt Julia had a fair