‘Doing what?’

‘Hostess work.’

‘Oh, no!’

He leaned forward on the desk. ‘It’s legit. We don’t allow prostitutes in here. The police don’t like it. You’d have to be nice to the customers, but you don’t have to have sex with them.’

She hesitated, then asked, ‘How much would I earn?’

He named a sum which was twice as much as she’d earned in her other job.

‘That’s – not bad.’

‘You’ll be working long hours. Oh, and you’ll have to dress in the clothes we provide.’

‘I’m not going topless for anyone.’

He sighed and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. ‘Have I asked her to go topless?’ he asked it.

She still felt uneasy about working here but could see no alternative, so accepted his offer. He rang someone and a woman took her away and found her a skimpy outfit which only just covered her breasts and showed a lot of leg. It was a good thing she had a decent figure but even so she didn’t like the idea of walking around dressed like that. Still, think of the money, she told herself. You only need to work here for a short time, just till you find something better.

She was feeling marginally more cheerful as she made her way home. She didn’t want to go to the police about the money because they’d ask all sorts of awkward questions, she was sure, and it might come out that she’d been taking drugs.

Ross was making his lunch. ‘Did you get your money back?’

‘No, but I got a job.’

‘That’s good. Doing what?’

When she explained he looked at her in disgust. ‘They’ll have you on the game before you’re through.’

‘They will not! I’m just being a hostess.’

‘Softly, softly, catchee monkey,’ he said as he took his sandwiches across to the table. ‘You’re a bloody idiot, Andi.’

‘What else am I going to do?’

‘Get a proper job, like the rest of us. Sign on till then.’ He got out a book, ignoring her.

She didn’t feel hungry, so went up to her bedroom to have a lie-down because she was feeling a bit washed out. She’d better go easy on that stuff from now on. No wonder Mandy had given her a freebie. She’d been too spaced out to notice that her money had gone.

Sophie was up in her bedroom when she saw the group of people wandering round the garden next door. Jez and entourage, she thought with a wry smile. There were two small children and a tall young man who looked so like Jez he must be the long-lost son.

She wished she could see more of her own grandchildren, wished she wasn’t at odds with Andi. Oh dear, she was turning into a moaning Minnie – even if she was only moaning to herself.

The phone rang and she picked it up. Her agent.

‘How’s the book coming along?’

‘Quite well. I’ve had a few interruptions but I’m more or less on schedule.’