Lauren sat in front of Country File on the television, her legs curled under her, a bowl of stale muesli on her lap. The programme was very informative regarding the festive preparations that were taking place in the Cotswolds ready for Christmas. Lauren assumed that it was a repeat from last year as it was still the height of summer, but you could never be quite sure.

She should call Annie, make sure that she was all right. As she left her sister’s home yesterday, it looked like World War Three was about to erupt. She hesitated to pick up the phone in case Greg answered. No doubt she’d be in the firing line too and she just wasn’t feeling strong enough to deal with that. Annie’s husband would be more than happy to blame her for leading his wife astray.

Lauren could fully understand why her sister wanted to go off on this jaunt. Greg was such a stick-in-the-mud, getting old before his time. Annie had never been given the chance to try her wings. Now was her time.

Instead, she settled on texting Annie. R u ok?

Her sister replied. Fine. Greg out.

All well?

So so.

Want me 2 cum up?

No. C u in week?

Luv u Lauren texted back.

Luv u 2 from Annie.

Lauren clicked off her phone. So that was it. Another Sunday stretching ahead of her. Jude hadn’t phoned yesterday and there’d been nothing from him this morning even though it was nearly ten o’clock. Some days he feigned going for an early-morning run so that he could pay her a fleeting visit, but that clearly wasn’t on the cards for today.

Country File was failing to hold her interest. Who, these days, had time to collect their own branches to fashion a Christmas wreath? Lauren sank back on the sofa. She hadn’t liked to ask Annie whether she planned to do the cheesy car wash on her own or whether she’d abandoned the idea.

Her fingers toyed with the buttons of her phone. Should she text Zak, see what he was up to today? It was wrong of her to keep using him as her fallback plan, she knew that. She should spend the day at home, catch up with some chores, clean the place, go shopping for some food. But that sounded duller than dull. Before she could think better of it, she speed-dialled Zak’s number.

‘Hey,’ he said a moment later. ‘I was just thinking of you.’

‘Yeah?’

‘I thought you were up at your sister’s place this weekend.’

‘Slight change of plan,’ she admitted.

‘So you’re phoning to see what Uncle Zak’s doing?’

‘Do you mind?’

‘No. In fact, that’s why I was thinking of you. I have a very exciting day ahead of me which is just up your street. Or several streets, to be more accurate.’