At the end of the programme, I hit the showers and decided to call it a day. Relieved that I’d found Ian. He was going to be a familiar face to me soon. Removing my contacts and placing them in the holder. I would be back again tomorrow but was now looking forward to some dinner and an early night. Fortunately, it was Halloween and droves of parents and their mini monsters were roaming the streets, knocking on doors to ‘trick or treat’. It made the area feel safer but all the same I stuck to the main roads and stayed in the glow of the street lights. I bought a Chinese takeaway from our local, two minutes from home, and knocked on Ben’s bedroom door as I went past.

‘Takeaway,’ I announced and a second later he was in the doorway to the kitchen. ‘Pork balls or chow mein?’ I asked as I opened the foil containers and spooned rice onto plates. I wasn’t sure if Ben had eaten, it was past seven, but any leftovers could be used tomorrow.

‘Balls please,’ he said, getting glasses out of the cupboard.

‘I’ve got wine as well.’ I handed Ben the bottle to open. ‘Loads of kids out tonight,’ I said, knowing we never got anyone knocking on Halloween. No one could be bothered to climb the stairs, and as the door on the street was between two shops, most people didn’t even realise it was there.

‘What’s this in aid of?’

I brought the containers and plates to the table and we sat down to eat.

‘A peace offering,’ I said hopefully. Today had been a successful day and I was in the mood to celebrate, even if I didn’t want to tell Ben why.

‘I’m sorry about yesterday,’ Ben said.

I stopped, fork halfway to my mouth. ‘I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean what I said. Are we good?’ I wanted us to go back to the way we were, but it still seemed as though there was a crevice between us.

‘Of course. Thanks for dinner.’

‘What are landladies for, eh?’

Ben rolled his eyes at my sarcasm. ‘I didn’t describe you as my landlady.’

‘How is Amy?’ I asked.

Ben coughed, spluttering so much he needed a drink.

‘Keen,’ he replied with a grin. His eyes streamed, and I had to laugh. I bet she was. Ben was a good catch; tall, dark, quirkily handsome. He was funny and kind. What wasn’t to like?

We cleared our plates and by the time we’d finished things were almost back to the way they had been.