‘Ha! I don’t think so. I work in a supermarket, remember. I can get whatever I want to give her, all ready made, and with staff discount …’

‘It was just a thought.’

‘And a good one, but I’m no gardener, and neither is my mum, much as I think she might have liked to be.’

‘I still haven’t met your mum, by the way. Not even just passing on the stairs. I don’t even know her name.’

‘It’s Suzy. And she doesn’t go out much.’

‘What does she do? Work-wise, I mean.’

‘Telephone stuff, from home. Nothing too exciting, but it suits her.’

‘You should bring her up to me one day for a coffee and a chat.’

‘Yeah, maybe. Not to talk her into some sneaky weeding and planting plan though. We have a bloke who comes to do that sort of thing, remember? Well, maintenance generally, like I told you, not that he does a lot out there. Simon, I think he’s called. Why don’t you catch him next time he’s round and see what he says? To be honest, I don’t even know if we’ve got a spade anywhere. He carts it all about with him in the van. What is all this about anyway? You’ll be gone in a couple of weeks, so why bother?’

‘I just thought it might be nice, that’s all. To make a difference, leave something behind, you know. To remember me by.’

‘In other words, you’re bored. You’re looking for something to do.’

‘You could be right. I like green things. Gardens, trees, plants. I like being outdoors. Walking Mum’s dog. Photographing the wildlife. Fields are my thing!’

‘Well, that so-called garden of ours is a bit small to be classed as a field, but I’m not going to stop you, if you want to have a go. And I will remember you, by the way. When you’ve gone. I won’t need a garden for that, believe me.’

‘Thanks, Aaron.’

‘You’re welcome.’

‘So, where to next?’

‘Isn’t it getting a bit late for a country bumpkin like you? When you’ve got to be up for the milking?’

‘Oh, very funny. No, I want to make the most of it while I’m here. Noise. Bright lights. Stuff … going on. There’ll be plenty of time for the quiet life and early nights when I get back home, believe me.’

‘Okay. What about some fruit machines then? Noisy and bright enough for you? We’ll see if I can make a gambler of you.’

She laughed, pulling out the linings of her coat pockets to show they were empty. ‘When you don’t have it, you can’t lose it. Get me a bag of pennies and I’ll be happy as can be.’

‘Oh, I do like a cheap date. But are you? Happy, I mean?’

‘Never happier.’ She leaned across the table and kissed him, lightly, on the cheek. His skin was rough with the beginnings of stubble, and he smelled of soap and tomato sauce. ‘So what are we waiting for? Let’s go and make a killing.’