This wasn’t such a bad way to repay a debt, was it? If that was in fact what she was doing. She had no idea, and that bothered her. Even if it didn’t count – and this was just James being nice to her – it was good to have a bit of time outside the workplace to get to know him better, and maybe get a firmer grasp on the limitations of their deal. Is there a timescale? she wondered. And how will I know when the debt is paid in full?

It was all a bit vague for her liking, and she knew she’d feel more comfortable if she could tick off progress, like a loan repayment scheme, so she knew how much further she had to go. The longer it went on, the more chance there was of Matt finding out, and that would be a disaster. She shuddered at the very thought.

James came back with a couple of halves of beer and two glasses of sparkling water.

‘I know you said water, but I thought a half wouldn’t do any harm.’ He put the glasses on the table. ‘Your choice.’ He smiled. ‘I’ll drink it if you don’t want it.’

Sara looked at the beer, a sheen of condensation on the side of the glass, so cool and inviting. What the hell, she thought. Live a little. And before she could think about it any more, she’d picked up the glass and taken a sip. ‘Nice,’ she said, savouring the taste of hops as it rolled around her tongue. ‘Thank you.’

‘They said the food should only be fifteen minutes, so you don’t have to worry about us being out for too long. And I can stay and help this afternoon for an hour to make up for lost time.’ He took a sip of his own beer, eyes twinkling at her over the rim of his glass. ‘Can’t have my staff worrying.’

She laughed, and they slipped into easy conversation, discussing the community centre and how it worked. A bit of gossip about board members, which made her giggle.

‘Fiona is a little scary, don’t you think?’ she said after she’d finished her beer, feeling tipsy. She didn’t really drink these days, and on an empty stomach, her inhibitions had definitely been lifted. In fact, she was so relaxed she’d practically melted into her chair, and James looked equally chilled sitting opposite. He really was easy company outside the office. Quite charming, and full of anecdotes.

He laughed. ‘I’m glad you said it, not me. I’d be way too frightened to voice an opinion like that.’ He looked around, lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘Walls have ears, you know. Better be careful. Do not diss the all-powerful one.’