‘Oh I love it,’ he interrupted airily. ‘The girls have made me really welcome.’ That’d be a first. They hated anyone who wasn’t their own. ‘They remember me from the summer, of course.’

I wished to God I did. ‘So, what are you working on?’

But he never got to answer because Charlie suddenly stuck his head round the door.

‘Miss Warren. Not before time, some less patient than myself might say.’

‘Hi, Charlie.’

‘Everything all right? Excited to be back?’ He sauntered in holding a folder I didn’t much like the look of.

‘Oh yes, very excited.’ My smile was as genuine as Charlie’s signet ring as the blond boy slunk out of the room, obviously irritated that Charlie had ignored him.

‘Strange boy, that one.’ My boss plonked himself on the edge of my desk, crumpling my ‘Welcome Back’ card in the process.

‘He does seem a bit odd, yes.’ I moved the card.

‘Anyway, darling, we need to discuss the show –’

The phone rang and I snatched it up, glad of the distraction. ‘Maggie Warren.’ No one spoke. ‘Hello? Hello?’ Eventually I hung up.

‘So, look, I’ve been talking to the team about the You’re Dumped show.’ Charlie admired his reflection in the glass partition and adjusted his collar minutely. ‘Everyone’s very excited.’

I seriously doubted that.

‘But we do need to book a celeb couple pronto, for the kudos. Get Donna on it.’

‘Oh Charlie, come on.’ I actually laughed. ‘No one in the public eye is gonna dump their partner live on air, are they. Not even the Z-list.’

‘Really? What about Jade Goody? Or that blond kid from East-Enders, the one that’s always fighting in the clubs –’

I fought the urge to sink my head onto the desk. ‘If you say so,’ I murmured.

‘Pull all the stops out, Maggie, yeah? You know you can do it.’

‘I’m not sure I’m quite there yet, Charlie.’ I held his gaze.

‘Well, you’d better be, my darling. Because Sally and Donna are chomping at the bit for your job.’ Charlie flung the folder onto my desk. A photo fell out of the side. ‘I can’t stave them off for much longer.’

The photo looked horribly like –

‘Is that …?’ I pulled the picture towards me.

‘What? Oh yes, your little friend. She’s dying to appear on any show, apparently. I do love the fame-hungry, don’t you?’

I turned the black and white headshot round to face me. Fay.

Somehow I got through that first day, though I practically willed the clock to strike six. I was hugely relieved to realise I hadn’t forgotten everything I knew, although my memory and my concentration were still tested.

Around five I’d taken a deep breath and made a phone call. She was horribly pleased to hear from me.