‘What’s up with you?’ Marie demanded when she noticed him staring at her.

‘Nothing,’ he muttered, tearing his gaze away. They’d been bickering about her Christmas plans for the last few days, and that was another thing he couldn’t be arsed with any more. Her food and gift lists were growing by the day, and he dreaded to think how much it was going to end up costing him. This would be the first time in six years that they had hosted it, or spent the day with her family instead of his, and he wasn’t looking forward to it at all.

‘Who was that on the phone?’ Marie asked, patting her thigh.

‘My dad,’ Evan said, grimacing when the dog leapt onto her lap and licked her mouth. ‘D’you have to do that?’

‘He’s my baby,’ she replied. ‘And he likes kissing his mummy – don’t you, Bubby Boo Boo?’ She addressed the dog affectionately. Then, voice back to normal, she said, ‘Who’s the woman you were asking about?’

‘His neighbour, Yvonne.’

‘What’s she got to do with Prague?’

‘For fuck’s sake,’ Evan snapped, irritated to think that she’d been eavesdropping. ‘Were you out there with a glass pressed against the door, or what?’

‘No, you’ve just got a big gob,’ Marie replied curtly. ‘So what was it about?’

‘If you must know, we were talking about Prague last time I saw her,’ Evan lied. ‘And I was thinking of taking you there for a holiday, so I wanted to know if she could recommend a good hotel.’

‘Why would I want to go to a filthy place like that?’ Marie pulled a face.

‘You’re talking through your arse, it’s gorgeous over there,’ Evan said, snatching his phone up off the table. ‘And if you want to talk about filthy, take a look at this place, ’cos I can’t remember the last time you dusted or ran the Hoover round.’

‘I’m not the only one who lives here,’ Marie reminded him. ‘And you had two hands last time I checked, so do it yourself if it’s bothering you.’

‘I work twelve hours a day.’

‘Yeah, and so did I before I got ill. And you’ve got the week off, so quit bellyaching and get on with it.’

Evan opened his mouth to argue that the mess was all hers, because she never put anything away after she’d used it, but he couldn’t be bothered.

‘Where are you going?’ Marie asked when he stood up.

‘I told Billy Hicks I’d give him a lift to hospital to see his missus.’

‘Again? That’s three times in the last two weeks, and I bet you haven’t asked him to help out with petrol, have you? You must think we’re made of money.’

‘Says her who thinks nothing of blowing thirty quid on bingo twice a week.’