Impatience rising

"We'll let you know on Thursday," they had said at the interview on Monday. A watched pot never boils, and my phone, never out of my reach all day, had chosen not to ring.

What had happened?

• They've offered the job to someone else, who is still thinking about it
• They're deliberating between the candidates
• They were waiting for references before deciding

"Don't worry," said Karen, "they've got a lot of candidates to consider."
"Don't worry," said Laura, "I've never been offered a job on the day that they said they'd get back to me by. They're overly optimistic. It always takes longer than they think it will."
I felt pessimistic. A trough of gloom after the elated peak of Monday.