‘So how are things with you and Alice?’

He keeps nodding. I’m not sure what that means, but apparently it’s the only answer I’m going to get.

‘And how are things on the dating scene for you?’

His eyes can be so intense sometimes, I have to look away. I’m not great at deep and meaningful conversations, particularly sober at 5 p.m., but for Peter I try. Peter, who came all the way here with spring rolls to make sure I’m OK. I think Dad would have liked him.

One of the greatest things about puzzles is that they give your hands something to do and provide a perfect cover for avoiding eye contact. ‘Well, I’ve realized that it wasn’t really dating that I needed. Or wanted.’ I pop in a puzzle piece. ‘What I need to do is work on the things that actually make me happy. The things I want to succeed in.’

I am not entirely convinced these words all go together. Especially because Peter is staring at me, kind of vacantly.

‘So you’ve stopped dating?’

It’s a little bit more complicated than that, but essentially: ‘Yes.’

He goes back to the puzzle and tries to force a piece in.

‘I don’t think that goes there.’ I look again. ‘Actually, maybe it does, but flip it the other way around.’

He does exactly that and it fits perfectly. He looks extremely proud of himself.

‘Thanks for coming over, Peter.’

Today is not my favourite day, but him being here has made it slightly less shit.

CHAPTER 18

Now that I have a vague direction, I really want to get on with my life, but other people still keep getting in the way.

Other people like Joan. Why is she always such a cretin?

Work never gets me angry, but she’s managed the impossible.

She’s also angry back at me. And she’s here, standing over my desk.

Turns out Cathy was so impressed with Emily and the feedback that she wrote an email to our boss suggesting Emily be promoted.

Now, obviously Emily is not going to be promoted, as she still has no idea what she’s doing and has been with us for less than three months, but my boss was so taken aback by the fact Cathy had anything positive to say that she brought it up in the planning meeting, the planning meeting we have just come out of. The planning meeting where Emily publicly thanked me for the help I’d given her.

And Joan, Emily’s ‘manager’, was irrationally pissed. Pissed because apparently I’d interfered with Emily’s training. Personally, I think she’s pissed because the praise and spotlight weren’t on her for once.

‘You have no idea what you’re doing. Emily is my assistant, not yours. I gave her that task so she would purposefully mess up. She’s an assistant; she needs to know what it’s like to fuck up.’

My heart starts pounding and I can feel my face flush with indignation.

‘She doesn’t need to get tricked into messing up by her manager, who is meant to be teaching her. Instead of being so upset your game didn’t work, you might do well to focus on the fact that Emily used her initiative and did a really good job.’