The Forgotten Guide to Happiness. Sophie Jenkins

see that she’s odd and generally they make allowances for her. And that guy she met, she didn’t take him home, they went for a drink in the pub. She’s not stupid and she’s done nothing wrong. Police officers, they see bad things happening all the time and I get that. But most people live perfectly safe lives.’ He glanced at me. ‘You know what the secret is?’

      ‘No. What?’

      ‘Always keep under the radar.’

      We stood by the bus stop and watched the bus creep slowly down the hill towards us in the line of traffic. I was going home – it was too late to go boating now.

      ‘Where do you live?’ I asked him.

      ‘Mornington Terrace,’ he said. ‘You?’

      ‘Parliament Hill Fields. The other side of the Heath from Nancy’s.’ We were heading in opposite directions.

      The C11 bus pulled up alongside us, gusting hot air from the brakes.

      ‘I’m sorry our fake date didn’t work out,’ he said.

      The bus stopped and the doors slid open. I tapped my Oyster card and turned round to wave goodbye. Didn’t work out? He had a famous literary stepmother!

      I gave him my brightest smile to remember me by, because: ‘There’s always a next time,’ I said.