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But the Moroccan adventure was not mentioned again.

Leonard had not had a firm refusal from Leonora, so his policy was to let the idea stew in her head, and assume it was a given.

Leonora, on the other hand, assumed that because Leonard did not mention it again, that it was a non-starter. She had been disappointed before with potential travel companions backing out, which was one of the reasons she liked travelling on her own.

She crossed the idea - nice though it might have been - off her possible to-do list and went back to her original plans of a few weeks/months bumming around Europe as cheaply as possible as a middle aged woman can do, without looking like an out-of-date hippy.

The next few weeks passed pretty quickly anyway. Leonard was as good as his word and made sure that Leonora kept up to her exercises at home, and took her to the physio clinic on the odd occasion that they deigned to see her.

Oddly enough, Leonora and Leonard did not fall out. She even went geocaching a couple of times, and enjoyed the short walks. Tata was disappointed that Leonora was not up to doing anything more than walking, but she lived in hopes that the next visit would bring the much-promised running through rivers, and digging holes in the sand, and running round in crazy circles.

And suddenly there was no reason to stay any longer. So Leonora got the train home, and found herself back in her quiet flat, although she had still got the extended loan of the two little crutches, much to their relief.

The two little crutches had tried to socialise with their old friends in the store cupboard, but sadly a rift had developed between them. The other three had been abandoned by everyone and were jealous of the continued importance of "Leonora's" little crutches. These things happen in life and some friendships are destined not to continue.

Leonora hit the internet to order some food, and started flicking around on other sites.

Her life resumed its normality, whatever that was, and she realised that at some point she was going to have to collect her Land Rover which was still parked outside Leonard's. She idly wondered if she could get him to drive it up for her. And then, as she didn't really need it, she dismissed the idea.

Then Leonora got herself a job.

She was busy planning her European trip on the internet, but got distracted and noticed a job advertised fairly nearby on not bad money.

For some reason that she couldn't work out she went for it, and landed it.

She realised all her skinny work clothes from previous years didn't fit, so she went on a shopping spree which she did not enjoy. At all.

No more designer suits though, she just bought a few decent pairs of trousers and a few tops. She didn't like shirts as she never managed to look tidy in them.

There was only one small niggle about the new job. She wasn't sure about the boss. Mark.

He had seemed slightly smart at the interview but that didn't usually bother Leonora so she didn't pay too much attention to it. But as it got nearer to Monday's start date, it began to nag away at her.

Her fears were ungrounded though, and the first week passed uneventfully. So did the second.

After that though, she wasn't sure if Mark was starting to become more sarcastic, or was teasing, or just...something.

"Hi Leonora, you know a lot about everything. Have a look at this and let me know what you think," he'd said, chucking a report on her desk.

What was that supposed to mean, she wondered. Is he suggesting I'm a show-off know-all? And even if I am, there is no need to say so.

She read through the report quickly, corrected a few errors, well quite a few actually, commented on style, content, structure, and pointed out what she thought was missing. She threw it in his in-tray as she had no desire to wander into his office with it.

Mark read through her comments, pleased with her rapid response and incisive comments. He had not only got himself a very good office manager, he had got someone who was very capable of analysing reports.

He decided to see if Ms Smart Leonora could actually write anything herself.

The next day he wandered into her office again. "Leonora I'd really appreciate an independent view of the PR/Advertising department. As you've obviously worked in the industry in the past, I thought it would be right up your street. Can you let me have something by this time next week?"

Leonora was too stunned to reply and he walked out. This was not the job she had taken on. An office manager manages the office. She does not start writing reports on the performance of other departments. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became.

She stormed into Mark's office. He turned round and smiled at her.

"Mark, I've given that report you want some thought, and it is totally outside the remit of my job," she said pompously.

"Yeah, I know," he said.

Leonora looked at him. That was not the answer she had expected.

"In which case why did you ask me to do it?" she asked after a long pause.

"Because you are more than capable and I want an independent view of the PR/Advertising department," he answered.

"Plus I don't want a very good office manager getting bored so you might as well have something more interesting to occupy your time with."

"I'm not paid to review the performance of other departments," she said stiffly.

"Why don't we go out for lunch," said Mark, ignoring her last comment.

It was some time now since the last disastrous date with Paul, but Leonora couldn't help remembering it as soon as Mark mentioned lunch.

"I've brought a sandwich," she lied.

"I wasn't thinking of today, how about Sunday?"

"I'm vegetarian," she snapped. "In fact, I'm virtually vegan."

"So?"

"So a Sunday lunch out with roast beef isn't my idea of fun."

"I didn't mention roast beef. And now I know what you prefer to eat I'll find somewhere appropriate. Let's meet here in town at noon."

"Mark, I really prefer to keep my social life and my work life separate, if that's all the same with you," she said.

"Consider it a business lunch then," he replied. "And consider it compulsory too," he added.

"I really don't think you can tell me what to do at weekends," she snapped.

"I seem to remember at the interview you said you were happy to work out of hours if necessary. Take the rest of the afternoon off to compensate if you want," he said. And smiled.

"OK, that's a good idea. I will," she said, walking out of his office. She went back into her own, picked up her bag and went home.

Mark didn't mention lunch again, and Leonora felt pleased with herself that she had made a convincing stand. Although she wasn't quite sure what to do about the afternoon she had taken off.

But just before she left on Friday afternoon, she received an email from Mark, detailing exact venue and time.

She carefully composed a reply, detailing exactly why she thought it was inappropriate. Then she revised it, and edited it half a dozen times. Then she looked out of the window, realised his vehicle wasn't there, looked at the time and discovered she had spent three quarters of an hour faffing around on a redundant email. She sighed and called it a day.

Back home, she outlined her dilemma to the little crutches.

"Vomit," said the first little crutch. "On Sunday morning."

"And diarrhoea," added the second one, not to be outdone as usual. "No-one would want to take you out to lunch in that condition."

Leonora laughed. "Do you think he will believe it?" she asked.

"Doesn't matter," said the first one.

"He certainly won't want to risk it," said the second.

So that was the plan.