With an impeccable sense of timing the email pinged into my inbox as I hung up on my embarrassing conversation with Alex about finding somebody to travel with. It was from Boss Lady, cc-ing Imelda from Library HQ, informing me that I’d be delighted to do a fortnight stint on the Mobile Library Unit starting in four days’ time.

It would be mortifying to see Alex at HQ so soon after nearly asking him to come on holidays with me, but working on the Mobile Library might be the only holiday I get this year. I’d enjoyed working with Imelda on the MLU previously. Getting to meet readers in small villages had been fun and time away from Linda was good for my mental health.

Then I read the thread of emails beneath and discovered I wouldn’t be working with Imelda. I’d be covering...

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