Sam gave his name at the desk, then sank into a large leather and chrome chair. He tried to collect his thoughts for the interview but the impact of Helen’s note blotted out everything else. He had found it on the kitchen table when he got back.

Dear Sam,

I’m going to Mummy’s. She thinks it would be better if I stayed with her for now, because of the riots and everything that’s going on. Please don’t take this the wrong way. You can go on using the flat till you find somewhere else.

Hx

If the letter was a bombshell, the call that followed it was worse. The first three times he’d tried it went to voicemail, but she picked up after the fourth.

‘What is this? Are you dumping me?’

‘I’m sorry, Sam.’

‘What’s your mother been saying?’

‘Just that it’s a bad time for us to be together.’

‘What the fuck does that mean?’ He was practically shouting down the phone.

‘I’ve got to go. Sorry.’

She rang off. He dialled again, then decided against it. He threw the phone at the wall. Tears of anger blurred his vision. It took him several minutes to grasp what Helen had meant. Nothing like this had happened before.

When he retrieved the phone he saw there was a voicemail. Even though it was late he had called the number and got straight through to a woman called Pippa, who sounded very important but terribly keen to meet ASAP.

A tall woman in her early thirties, in a smart suit with a silky blouse underneath, glided towards him. Her smile and her hair looked immovable.

He got to his feet. She put out a hand. ‘Hello! I’m Pippa. So, is it Sam or Sahim?’

Sam shook her hand, which felt limp and cool, and smiled. Usually he would have said ‘Sam’ emphatically. But the choice suggested opening himself to more possibilities. ‘Either’s fine.’

She tilted her head, sizing him up. ‘I rather like Sahim. Let’s go for that, shall we?’

She gestured for him to follow. Her carriage and manner reminded him of Helen, but he dismissed the thought.

She showed him into a boardroom with a long table and waved at a chair. A carafe of water had been placed in front of it.

‘We’re just waiting for Derek – he’s our marketing wizard. But he’s always late so let’s see if we can cover a few things first.’ She gave him a conspiratorial smile as she seated herself opposite him and opened a slim file. ‘We’re so glad you decided to give us a chance.’