“Ugh, no thanks. The trash that goes in there, I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole. And anyway, you’re a happily married woman. What would you know about the pulling possibilities at the Ace these days?”

Jacky smirked. “Nothing at all. I’m just guessing it hasn’t changed.”

Kath smiled. “No, not one bit, so I’ve heard.” She mock-shuddered. “I have no intention of setting foot in there again. Still, a one-night stand would be quite nice, actually. It’s just knowing where to go to meet someone who’d be interested.”

“Ever done the chat room thing? You could always use it just to find out where all the women go these days. Or have cybersex.”

Kath grimaced. “No thanks. I want a real woman, hands-on, thank you very much. But yeah, maybe going online just to find out where everyone goes would be a good way to start.”

* * *

Kath sat back in her chair and raised her arms above her head to stretch. She moaned loudly, the pull on the muscles of her back feeling so good. She’d been at her desk since eight thirty in the front-room-turned-office where she carried out her tax consulting work. It was now—she glanced at the clock in the top right of her screen—two in the afternoon. Although she’d looked after her mum’s needs during that time, she had neglected her own. Her water glass was empty, and she couldn’t remember when she’d last filled it. Had she eaten? Her stomach growled. Okay, that would be a no, then.

She pushed back the chair and stumbled to her feet, her legs wobbling from their lack of use. She did some more stretches and then headed out of the room to check on her mum. Kath paused at the doorway of her mum’s room, not wanting to march in if she was sleeping. Her mum was sitting up in her armchair, staring at the small flat-screen TV. Rather than stepping in and talking to her, Kath hesitated. She just didn’t have it in her right now, and from the looks of it, her mum was off in another world anyway.

Kath sighed, stepped quietly from the room, and headed to the kitchen. Sun streamed into the large room from the patio door at the back, and she took a few minutes to have a quick smoke outside before she made herself lunch. The garden looked as though it needed some work again. Maybe Saturday she’d help her mum out to one of the patio chairs while she worked out there. Maybe.