I laughed, flustered. “You’re not going to believe this,” I said. “I’ve just had my first dirty phone call.”

“What? Who was it?”

“I don’t know. The number was withheld. I thought it might be someone calling about a job.”

“What did he say?”

I told her, imitating his deep, rough voice, and she grimaced. “You poor thing. I haven’t had one of those calls for years. They seemed to disappear once we had mobiles, didn’t they? And if he withheld his number, you can’t block him. What a pathetic man he must be, pestering women like that.” She settled back at her desk. “I’m afraid there’s not much work in at the moment and I have to give priority to my regulars. I’m sure you understand. The longer you work for us the more choice you’ll get.” My heart sank. This didn’t sound good. “The only thing I have available now is to start on Thursday. It’s a receptionist job in a small company on the Wirral. Someone’s getting married and they’re taking three weeks off, so they’re looking for a stand-in.” She told me the hourly rate and I winced. I’d always earned much more than that.

“I’ll do it.” I needed something—anything—to get me out of my flat and to help bring some money in.

She typed the details onto an e-mail and sent it to me. “I’ll look out for something more suitable for when that job finishes. It’s pretty slow this year because of the economy. A lot of companies are making do rather than employing temps. You’ll have a lot more luck when you’re ready to take on a permanent position.”

When I left the agency I walked through the city center and into a café that I used to go to years ago. I ordered coffee and sat at a table at the back, watching groups of people chatting. Everyone seemed so carefree. I knew that they’d have their own problems, but right at that moment I couldn’t see what they were. I straightened my shoulders. I had to stop myself from getting depressed. I’d got myself into this mess and I had to get myself out of it. I sent Tom a text:

What shall we do about putting the house up for sale? Do you think we should do any work on it first?

He replied straightaway. It should be OK as it is. I’ve painted the hallway and some of the woodwork outside. The rest is fine. I’ll get the Molly Maid team to give it a good clean, then get the agents round to value it. Do you want to be there to talk to them? x