I soon settled in at the museum, Laura was particularly helpful in telling me who was who, what their roles were, and how the museum operated. Marianne was a lot more open and useful in telling me who were the ‘good guys’ and who to watch out for. She was quite a gossip and, over coffee breaks, I soon knew more than I really wanted to or needed to know about most of my colleagues.

A few days later Marianne rushed into my office to see me, wearing a huge smile and obviously extremely excited.

"Have you seen your emails yet Jo?”

"No, why, is there something important.”

“I wouldn’t be in here if it wasn’t, open up your computer quickly and look at the mail from Jacqui, forwarding the message from Howard Shepherd of Infrastructure Construction, and go to the link in blue.”

There I was in the photo grinning like a ‘Cheshire Cat’ alongside Jacqui, Howard, and Professor Carter in the news section of the IC website, with a long description of the project and how IC were pleased and proud to be associated with it and the knowledgeable and experienced team that would be carrying out the investigation. There was even an individual photo of each of us and what our roles would be.

“That is brilliant Jo, you are definitely now the public face of the dig at Ostia, mixing with a university professor, the CEO of a large company and the museum director, You are a dark horse, I bet you never expected that all this would take off so quickly.”

“To be honest Marianne, it is all happening a bit too fast for me, I can’t take it all in sometimes.”

“ Look, just go with it, it can’t harm your career. Make the most of your time in the spotlight, you seem to be the flavour of the month, you never know how long it will last.”

“Jo, can you pop into my office please.” a phone call from Jacqui interrupted us.

"I’ve just seen the article and photo on the IC website, did you know they were doing it Jacqui?”

"They did ask, and I think it is a brilliant idea, we need to talk about this. Can you pull together something similar for our website, and maybe a weekly blog, keeping everyone up to date with what is happening on site.”

"It’s an awful photo, I am grinning like an idiot.”

"Don’t be silly, you look exactly how I want our image to be, young, attractive, enthusiastic, and you are quite photogenic. If you cannot manage to set it up, go and have a chat with Darren Gibson who does our PR, he will sort you out with the programs and tell you how to use them. After that it will be up to you to keep it all up to date. I don’t want it to be the normal stuffy image that people have of museum staff, i want you to present a youthful vibrant image to get younger people involved with the project so that when it is all completed and we open a specialist museum highlighting the background and findings that they will all be keen to visit.”

"Does it have to be me fronting it, can’t Darren just set it up and update it with information that i feed him?”

"I’ve just said to you that we want a young vibrant image for this project, you are ideal for it. Besides, being the public face of this project has always been part of your job description. Are you saying that you can’t handle it?”

"OK, I’ll sort it all out, it has just come as a bit of a surprise how high-profile my role will be.”

Rather than jump straight in with the blog, I went out to the dig site to have a bit of time to myself to think about how I would approach this and handle my image being constantly put out on the internet in a blog, or even a vlog as Jacqui had told me she preferred. The more that was out there about me, the more likely it would be that someone would put two and two together and realise that I was Joey not Jo. However, I had to accept that I did not really have a choice, if I wanted to keep this job it was something that I would have to do.

“ Hi Jack, how’s it going, anything exciting happening on site yet?”

“Not a lot of progress has been made on site that would be of general public interest, until the dig gets down to archaeological levels it will all appear slow and boring to the general public.”

“Is it ok for me to go and take a few photos of the dig team, down on their hands and knees using trowels to carefully move and sift the top soil. To you archaeologists it is the boring phase of the project, but to the general public it is exciting to see that something is happening. In case you have not heard, the sponsors, the council and the museum want to really go for a high public profile on this project. I have been press-ganged into being the public face for the more personal aspects, although obviously the Professor, you, and the university team will front the academic side of it all.”

“We have heard, and some of the guys on site have already seen the IC website news page and made comments about them doing all the work and others getting the glory. A bit of a show of some of the real work and the team involved wouldn’t do any harm.”

“I understand that, on other projects I have been where they are. Where’s a good place to start?”

“If you go up to the top of the site, they are just starting to expose the top of the foundation walls of one of the buildings, you might be able to get a few decent photos of where they are at.”

As Jack had said, it was still at a very early stage, but the team were happy to pose for a few photos against the background of a line of stone foundations. Sifting in my mind how I could make this interesting for the blog, I went to see Darren about setting it all up.

Walking into his office, i was surprised to see a smart-but-casually-dressed quite attractive young man in his late twenties with a pleasant smile. “Hi Darren, I’m Jo and I am working on the Ostia Septentrionalis project, has Jacqui McGregor had a word with you about helping me set up a vlog?”

"She called me about an hour ago, I have been expecting you to come over to see me. Now I’ve seen you I can understand why she wants you to be the public image for this project, she is definitely trying for the youth interest and you will have an appeal to both boys and girls.The boys will follow you because they will find you attractive and cute, and the girls because they will be able to relate to you, and all of them because you are young and you can talk to them in language that they will understand. How ‘tech savvy’ are you, how basic do I need to start to start off with the instructions?”

I blushed at his description of me as attractive and cute, but said nothing, I was still uncomfortable with comments about my looks, I was not used to so many compliments growing up as Joey.

“I know my way around computers, most of the usual programs needed for my Uni course, a few on-line games, social media and things like that, but I have never set up a blog. and don’t know where to start.”

Darren showed me a couple of programs that were much more professional and flexible than the ones most personal bloggers used, took me through how to set them up and manipulate things and gave me a lot of tips on presentation techniques.

"Apart from making sure that you have an appropriate backdrop, probably an image of the site, preferably a video, keep it simple. don’t use technical or academic language, or if you have to, explain what you mean in plain English. Go through your recording at least twice to edit out any coughs or throat-clearing, or especially any photobombing by other people on the site, before you upload it onto the news page of the museum website. When you get anything of special interest, put it up on Youtube, if you don’t know how, come and see me again.”

"Thank you so much Darren, you have been a big help. I’ll definitely come back when I have done my first vlog to let you critique it before it goes live, if that is ok.”

"Anytime you like, just give me a call, I’ll be glad to help. I am just about finished for the afternoon, do you fancy a quick drink to round off a busy day? There is a decent pub, The Woodman’s Arms, just round the corner, and I promise I will not talk shop.”

Thinking to myself “How would Josie react”, I agreed go with him. He went to the bar to get a couple of beers, and came back with a pint for him but just a half for me, another reminder of my new role in life. He was pleasant company and seemed to be interested in me and how I was settling in at my new job, asking about my time at university and an hour or so passed quite quickly. I was relaxed with him and surprised myself by hoping that we could do this again sometime.

I soon set off for home, pulled onto the drive and was just about to go in when I heard my name being called and turned around to see Maggie from over the road.

"I’m glad to see you Jo. After our chat the other day, I bookmarked ‘Ostia Septentrionalis”’and have seen the post from Infrastructure Construction and your photo etc. This is so exciting, I have never known anyone in the public eye before, why not come over and tell me a bit more about it all?”

"Give me some time to get out of my work clothes and clean up and I will be over in about a half-hour, ok?” She seemed so excited about it that I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I just wanted to get in, put on some casual clothes sit down and relax.

I quickly stripped, had a wash, freshened up my makeup and, since it was a warm evening, put on a light floating flowery skirt and peasant top and popped over to Maggie’s. She had already prepared scones with jam and cream, cake, biscuits and tea and was obviously in the mood for a long chat.

"It must be most interesting having a job like yours, I just work as a receptionist at the doctors and it can be so routine and boring sometimes, I envy young girls like you, you have so many more opportunities than I did my day. Most of the girls I was at school with became secretaries/typists, shop assistants or worked on production in the clothing factories, the lucky ones became nurses, which gave them a chance to meet and marry doctors.”

“You are not that much older than me, I’m sure that you could’ve done many things.”

"Times and attitudes change quickly. For many girls, when I was your age, it did not matter which job you got, it was only something you did to earn enough to keep you going until you married and had a family. Quite rightly, you all want to have a worthwhile career nowadays.”

"What about you Maggie, I’m ashamed to say that in the time since you moved here I have never said much more than hello to you when we passed in the street.”

"Life is a bit like that nowadays, everybody is so busy and wrapped up in their own lives that there is no time for anyone else."

She quickly ran through her life story school, marriage, divorce, no family and how she now spent her time.

"Anyway that is enough about me, tell me about this wonderful job of yours and the people you will be working with.”

Actually, talking with Maggie, who was a keen and interested listener gave me a lot of tips as to what to include on my website and vlog. Somethings really sparked her interest, such as what we knew about the roman occupation of Ostia Septentrionalis and how it was an important trading post, but how little we knew about what life was like for the people there at the time, it seemed that she and many like her would prefer to hear about personal details rather than obscure artefacts that we would turn up.

I enjoyed my evening with Maggie, she was so sociable and easy to talk with and was genuinely interested in what I was doing but it was soon time to go back home.

"Thank you so much for coming over, I have enjoyed myself this evening. During the days I have plenty to keep me occupied, work, lots of friends, and places to go, but everyone has their own lives and evenings can get a bit lonely sometimes. Anytime you want to unwind or share problems just come over. Let me know when you have set up your vlog and updated the museum website, I’ll be one of your first followers.”

She surprised me by giving me a goodbye hug and peck on the cheek. Even when I used to go out with Josie and her friends, I was never included in their round of goodbyes, it was strictly a females-only thing, I was not invited to join in, I supposed that I would now have to get used to being hugged more often, women were much more demonstrative with each other than men.

At work the next day I started on my vlog and opened an ‘Ostia Septentrionalis’ page on the museum website and pulled together the photos I had taken of the dig team and what they had found. Before I uploaded it all, I went to see Darren again to make sure that I had used the programs correctly and not done anything silly. As had been instructed to me, I had written the reports in a friendly chatty style rather than a more formal manner, so as to appeal to the youth target market. I was really just introducing myself and the project as there was not a lot of factual content on findings or discoveries to reveal yet, but I added a bit of background general detail about the lives of the Roman traders, settlers, and soldiers to try to generate a bit of interest..

We went through the report and before I could stop him Darren hit the ‘post’ key and it was all uploaded. “You can read through and re-edit these things until the cows come home, but you will be replacing it all next week, it is not as if it is a great work of literature that will be read for many many years, although it is pretty good and I like the style. Just continue like that and you will do alright, let’s see how many views and likes you generate.”

“Thanks for that Darren, you have been a big help, I couldn’t have done it without you, let me buy you lunch as payback, we can go down to the Woodman’s Arms and see what they have on if you have time.”

"I always have time for the Woodman’s, especially with you.” he replied with a smile, causing me to blush a little, he kept having this effect on me.

As we were leaving afterwards, he turned to me hesitantly “Would you like to go out properly with me sometime, rather than just work lunches and drinks, I am enjoying our little chats and it is always nice to go out with an attractive girl.”, causing me to blush even deeper.

"Of course I would love to, but let’s leave it for a while, I am still finding my feet at the museum and am quite worn out when I get back home, and will not be the best of company. That is not a brush-off by the way, I am looking forward to it.”

"Don’t leave it too long Jo, I might get snapped up by someone else.” he said as he went back to his office, leaving me with a smile on my face.

I thought to myself ‘What are you doing, you have only been acting as a girl for a few weeks and are already flirting and arranging dates, slow down Jo.’

When I arrived back at the office, Laura had a serious look on her face. “Jacqui has been looking for you and has said that she wants to see you in her office as soon as you turn up.” I hung up my coat and bag, knocked on her door, and warily went in.

"Ah, Jo, I see that you have been busy and already posted to the website and vlog. It would have been polite to let me see it before it was posted.” she said scowling at me.

"I’m sorry it was all uploaded by me by mistake, I meant to show it to you first.” I didn’t want to blame Darren as I appreciated what he had done for me, and, surprisingly, didn’t want to ruin the chances of a date with him.

"Water under the bridge Jo, don’t worry, I am actually very impressed with what you have done, it is exactly the approach I wanted you to take, and both the vlog and the web page are getting a lot of hits and likes, keep up the high standard you have set for yourself.” her scowl had changed to a friendly big smile.

"Go and spend a few days on site, get to know the dig staff and volunteers, you need to keep the human interest side going. Leave all the academic stuff to the Professor and his team, you concentrate on the personal touches, that is your target audience. As and when they make any significant findings you should obviously report that, but don’t forget about the people behind the finds. It might help to get to know them all if you actually spend some time down on your hands and knees with a trowel, getting your hands dirty with them, but I will leave that up to you. Well done Jo, keep it up.”

Back in the office, Laura had already been for coffees for us and sat down for a chat.

"How did it all go down with Jacqui, she seemed a bit surprised that you had posted it all without showing it to anybody.”

"I thought at first that she was tearing me off a strip, but she then said that she was very impressed with what i had done, and to keep on doing it. I didn’t mean to post it without showing her, but Darren just leaned across me and hit the ‘post’ button when I wasn’t looking.”

"What, Darren the hunk? You have only been here a few days and are already making a play for him, you don’t waste any time.”

"It’s not like that, he helped me set it all up and looked at my posts before uploading them, and we went for lunch and a drink as a thank you, but that is all.”

“Lunch and a drink! I bet he asked you out again and you have agreed. The look on your face says that I am right, As I said, you don’t waste any time, go for it girl, a lot of the other girls have been trying to get their claws into him!”

Later, I managed to get back into the house without being spotted by Maggie and was sitting with a coffee when the phone rang disturbing my peace and quiet.

Hi Jo, it’s Karen. Jen saw your vlog and told me about it and I’ve just had a look, you are amazing, you really come across well and explain things clearly. Do you fancy coming round sometime and telling me a bit more about what you are doing, I am very interested to find out about Ostia Septentrionalis, I have never heard about it before. Pop round tonight if you want, don’t worry about getting changed or anything, just come as you are.”

"Ok , give me an hour, I do need to get out of my work clothes and freshen up, but I will not be going mad like the last time I came.”

"I was glad to get out of the tight jeans and top I had worn for work, I was not totally used yet
to how snug all girls’ clothes fitted and felt a bit constricted. Funnily the only thing I did not feel squeezed by was the bra, which most girls never stopped complaining about, I was glad of the support it gave me.

A quick wash, refresh of my makeup and a brush of my hair into a loose style, slipping into a light summer skirt and top and I was soon on my way.

When I arrived, I wasn’t really too surprised to see Jen there as well, and after quick friendly welcoming hugs we sat down with a glass of wine to tell them what I had been up to. After looking at the blog and web page and telling them how I had prepared it all with Darren’s help, Jen butted in.”

"Who is this Darren then, tell us a bit more about him?”

"He is just someone who helped me set everything up , he does our PR and information sheets.”

"What’s he like then?” Jen kept pushing for more details

"I don’t know too much about him, other than that he is 28, good-looking, in fact my office mate Laura calls him ‘The Hunk’, single, and he is quite pleasant to be with and I have been out for a drink with him.”

"That all sounds great, when are you seeing him again.?”

"We have a sort of loose date arranged, no definite time set, we’ll see how it goes.”

"Don’t leave it too long, if he is that good he won’t be free too long. From the sound of him, if you don’t want him, pass him over to me.” which caused us all to burst into a fit of giggles.

“Jen, you’re as bad as Laura in the office, I’ve only met the guy twice and you are all trying to marry me off. As it is, I will be working at the dig site for the next few days and will probably be too tired to be good company anyway, maybe we’ll get together next week sometime.”

When I got back home, I sat and thought about Jen and Karen who were becoming very good friends, we got on well together and enjoyed each other’s company, it was particularly good for Karen to have a social life outside house and home, and working in the café. It was a change for me as well. since leaving university I had not had any really close friends. There were people down at the pub I could have a drink with, talk football, girls, and cars but that was as far as it went. In the short time that I had met Jen and Karen I already knew more about their lives problems and feelings than about the lives of anyone else, other than Josie.

The next few days on the site I really threw myself into the archaeological activities. The dig team were concentrating on the small part of the site already exposed by the people who had made the discovery, and had enough hands to do the immediate work, so I was assigned to filtering through the spoil heaps already created by the farmers. The first day was fairly uneventful and tedious, but the next I unearthed a couple of mud-caked old pots and an item of jewellery. These were cleaned up by the team looking after the artefacts, but they turned out to be medieval rather than roman, but at least it was a start. That is the way it goes with archeological digs, you go down through several layers before finding artefacts from earlier periods the deeper you go.

It did give me though a bit of a spark to include in my vlog some details of accidental finds when actually hoping for something else, and how the site staff can work for hours without finding anything until, all of a sudden, something magical is uncovered. It also gave me a chance to show me working on the dig to show that I was not just there as a monitor and reporter.

“I’ve just watched your vlog. That’s a wonderful view of you Jo, bending over and scraping away at the ground.” joked Josie when she called me that night. You really fill those tight jeans.”

“In case you are wondering, it is not all me, I do need a bit of help to give me a half-decent figure.”

“Well, anyone seeing that image should have no doubts that you are a girl, you are really settling into the role like a hand in a glove.”

“The way it looks Jo is going to be around for at least a couple of years, if not longer, so I am just trying to get used to it.”

“I have to rush, I can hear dragon-in-law coming, I’ll give you a call in a few days, bye for now.”

That made me realise what I had committed to and I sat brooding for a while about where my future was headed.