The next day I was worried things might be awkward with Mark. It hadn’t been a date, but I suspected it could easily have slid in that direction at the hint of welcome from my side. I’d been thinking about what I could say to Alex when he rang at the weekend. Would I mention bringing my colleague for drinks at the Goose Inn, or not? If I didn’t, would that count as deception?

Mark arrived, on time, but saying his usual run pace was way off that morning thanks to the second cider. “You’re a bad influence, Nina,” he said and went off to brew a coffee for us both in the break-room.

That was it, the only reference to our night out. He was pleasant and friendly, as usual, during the day. He helped me to do a big re-jig of our reference shelves upstairs and conti...

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