In spite of my misgivings, I was glad that he was somewhere, doing something, with somebody.

That evening, when the time came for me to leave to meet Mr Rainbird for dinner at the Italian restaurant, Lola was due back at any minute but hadn’t actually arrived yet. Jack was sprawled in the stifling kitchen watching television because I insisted that he come back home from Audrey’s by six o’clock every evening.

‘I’ve got to go,’ I told him, ‘or I’ll be late. Lola’ll be back soon. Will you be okay?’

He didn’t look at me. ‘Yeah. Where’re you going?’

I could have told him, but I chickened out. I didn’t have time to go into it now; I would tell him later that I had been on a hot date with his head of year.

Actually, strictly speaking, Mr Rainbird wasn’t even his head of year any longer now that Jack was moving up into Year Eight. I would find a way to make a joke out of it. Jack would groan, and then maybe even laugh.

‘To have dinner.’

‘Who with?’

‘Just a friend. Listen Jack, have you seen my keys anywhere?’

He wanted to know who, I could tell from the way his slouch had turned into a sideways lean, but he didn’t want to betray interest.

‘Nuh.’

‘Thank goodness, here they are. Will you ask Lo to ring my mobile as soon as she gets in?’

‘Yuh.’

I felt the accustomed twist of guilt as I left the house. I shouldn’t be going out to have a good time, should I, and leaving my child on his own? I knew this, surely, better than anyone else?

Lola called as I was walking down the street to the restaurant. There was a group of young men lounging against the window of a bookmakers’ just ahead and I turned aside to shield my phone from their view.

‘You’ll stay in the house with him?’

‘Yeah. Okay.’ Although Lola didn’t sound delighted at the prospect, on a rare night off. ‘Have fun, Mum, all right? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’

‘Plenty of scope, then.’

After this ritual exchange I dropped my phone back into my bag, zipped the bag up and held it tightly under my arm. I could feel six pairs of eyes on me as I walked on, but I didn’t look round and I told myself that I was imagining things. As soon as I pushed open the door of the restaurant I saw Mr Rainbird, at the corner table, waiting for me.