Picking up the menu, Ellie studied it for a moment. ‘Let’s try the jalapeño mescal cocktail: “grilled lime, slices of agave, chilli salt. Mexico’s sister to tequila”.’

‘Sure. And what about the blinis, jambon croquettes, mussels . . .’

‘Moules marinière, for me, with sourdough on the side.’ She smiled at him. ‘You always cheer me up. I haven’t felt hungry or eaten properly for ages.’

‘You’re easy to please.’ They ordered and Ellie started to relax a little, feeling less like an overwound spring.

Mike and Ellie had met at work and bonded over their interest in new developments in IT and ways to use it to build communities. They had kept in touch and occasionally met for coffee. Sometimes they had dinner or drinks in a favourite wine bar. He was funny, supportive and someone Ellie could talk to easily, though they both avoided talking shop, and Ellie didn’t share too much of her personal angst. She looked up to find Mike giving her a quizzical look.

‘Sorry, what did you say?’

‘Earth to Estelle: I asked, what next?’ He sipped his cocktail. ‘You said on the phone that you’d had a long talk with your mother. I heard her on the radio the other day, by the way, the “expert psychologist and physician”. What’s her advice?’

Ellie paused, then said, ‘I think she’s worried about me. She’s been giving me space, but she won’t let me drag my feet and sit around forever.’

‘Neither will I. You’ll be boring company if you don’t do something soon,’ he said briskly, but with a broad smile.

‘Mum doesn’t push buttons. She’s supportive but she doesn’t like to prescribe. While everything was falling apart at work, she never once reminded me that she’d said over and over that I was working too hard for too little recognition. You know, she never liked Charlie but she’s never said anything against him or muttered I told you so’s about our divorce.’ Ellie sat back in her chair.

‘Maybe, Ellie, but that’s in the past. What’s done is done.’ Mike paused, then asked, ‘What’s your next move? Have you thought that far ahead? You’re only thirty-six. You have to do something and you need to start now.’

‘I know.’ She fiddled with the stem of her cocktail glass. Ellie had always thought of herself as being confident and self-assured, but after the circumstances that had seen her lose her job, and worse, the unfair accusation that she had mismanaged her project, she felt as if she’d crumbled. She felt as if she was back to square one and had no clue what she was going to do about it.

She glanced at Mike. ‘Why’re you looking at me like that?’