Interview

Dave's heart was pounding. This interview would decide the rest of his life. A PhD in Statistics was up for grabs. A case study for Unilever, the third biggest advertiser in the world. There would be no stopping him after this.

'Just don't mess this up, Dave, stay calm, but not too calm, look interested, excited, no not excited, just keen, not too keen...'

Tick, Tock. It was only 11:30. 3 hrs till the main event.

"Don't worry," smiled Jean, as she picked out some clothes for him,"Just be yourself, it'll be fine."

'Myself. Be myself... oh crap who am I?...'

Tick, Tock. Every second brought it closer. Did he want the clock to speed up or slow down? He wasn't sure, not that it mattered, time passed at it's own pace.

12:00 noon.

Jean forced Dave to sit down and eat something. There was no way her special little monkey would be going out on an empty stomach.

Shoveling the food into his mouth he tried not to think of the task ahead.

1:00pm

'... if I can just get this PhD... no, no I said DON'T think about it, come on Dave, hold it together...'

2:00pm

Giving Jean a small kiss goodbye, he darted from the door and began the last mile. Oh boy, this was it...

2:30pm

"Call him in..." came the muffled voice from behind the door.

The door opened and Dr Cox invited Dave to sit.

'Stay calm, stay cool, don't make any jokes about his name...'

"Right, we just have a few questions, first of all..."

Dave didn't really remember what happened next, he was sitting there, trying his best to answer questions competently, then the questions kinda stopped. At some point they had gone from asking questions, to simply telling him what he would be doing.

"I hope that's all clear?"

"Yes," replied Dave, his head bobbing up and down like a toy dog.

"OK, you'll start on the 1st of September. Have a good holiday."

Dave shook both their hands and left as formally as he could manage.

'I start the 1st of September,' he thought as he strolled home, 'I START THE 1ST OF SEPTEMBER!'

'WHOOOHOOOOOO!!!!'

'Hmmmm...... I wonder if people will start calling me Doc....'