Fiona turned to look at him, face pinched, clearly annoyed. ‘Right, I see,’ she said, her voice cutting the air like a pair of scissors, all snippy and sharp.

‘I’m sorry about football,’ Sara mumbled, her face burning. ‘I didn’t… I couldn’t…’ She ground to a halt, aware that there was no excuse for her bare-faced lie earlier in the day.

‘I told Chelsea we could all go out afterwards. She was so excited.’ Fiona’s lips disappeared into a thin line. ‘I was looking forward to a catch-up too. We only have time for business here, don’t we? And I want to…’ She gave James another hard look, and their eyes locked for a moment before James glanced at his watch, then at Sara.

‘I’m sorry to rush things along, but we’d better be off.’

Sara’s gaze fell to the floor, unable to deal with the stare that Fiona was giving her – a look so full of accusations and questions and disapproval that her body burned with shame. She hated letting people down, and that was all she’d managed to do tonight, Fiona being another one to add to the list. Although Fiona was technically her boss, she’d also been a good friend to Sara over the last few years, and she didn’t want to think she might have done something to bruise their relationship.

She followed James out of the building, feeling the prickle of Fiona’s glare on her back until James opened the car door for her and she got in. She won’t say anything, she reassured herself as she fastened her seat belt. She might be cross with me but she’s very discreet. Her heart raced; she wasn’t completely convinced. What if she says something to Hailey? Or the girls? She clung on to the seat belt as James whipped the car round a corner, shushing the voice in her head. She couldn’t listen, not now.

‘That was like being caught out doing something naughty by the headmistress,’ she said into the silence of the car as she watched the outskirts of the town fade away. She turned to James. ‘If looks could kill, you’d be dead.’

He was quiet for a moment, then a wry smile twitched at his lips. ‘Yeah, I think she’d quite like me to be dead.’

‘I’ve noticed a bit of… a niggle between you two.’ Sara watched his reaction, saw a frown appear.

He sighed. ‘Okay, if I tell you this, it stays in the car.’ He glanced at her.

‘I’m not going to tell anyone anything. Who have I got to tell anyway?’

‘Fiona, for one. It’s better if she thinks you don’t know.’

‘I promise I won’t utter a word. You’ve got me intrigued now.’