Mediterranean Boss, Convenient Mistress. Kathryn Ross

Charlie shook her head. ‘Anyway, I’ve already turned him down so it’s too late for all that. If we go out tomorrow it will be to discuss work. He’s quite happy with that. His interest in me is businesslike anyway. ‘

      ‘You’re just frightened of getting hurt again, aren’t you?’ Karen observed suddenly. ‘You can’t keep hiding yourself away like this, Charlie. You’ve been doing that since your divorce. You’ve got to get out there again.’

      ‘I know.’ Charlie reached out and poured the tea. ‘But I don’t think Marco is the right person for me. Now, let’s change the subject. I don’t want to think about him a moment longer. How are things at the agency?’

      To Charlie’s relief Karen let it drop. ‘Actually they are a bit chaotic.’

      Charlie was on the books of Karen’s employment agency and knew only too well that things were manic in there. From time to time in between contracts she went in to help her friend run the place and it was an arrangement that suited them both. Karen got extra help from someone she could trust implicitly, which meant she could take some time off to be with her children, and Charlie got a job to fill some of the gaps between her temping contracts.

      ‘It’s peaks and troughs, it will calm down next week probably,’ Charlie said soothingly.

      ‘Maybe.’ Karen put her cup down. ‘But I’m seriously considering selling the place, Charlie. You know I told you I’d had a take-over bid from a rival agency?’

      Charlie nodded. Her friend had been stressed for a while trying to balance her home life with work and had talked about selling last month, but hadn’t been offered enough money.

      ‘Well, they’ve upped the offer.’

      ‘That’s really good, Karen!’

      ‘Yes, except for one thing: I think they will close my office here. They are a big company and basically they are just interested in squeezing out the competition and covering contracts with their own people.’

      ‘I see.’ Charlie felt a pang of apprehension as she realised this probably wasn’t going to bode well for her future work. Then, seeing the worried expression on her friend’s face, she quickly pulled herself together. ‘Karen you must do what is right for you,’ she said sincerely.

      ‘I just hate the thought that this isn’t going to work well for my staff,’ Karen said with a shrug. ‘And then there is you. You’ve always been so brilliant at bailing me out in the office—’

      ‘Karen, nothing stays the same in life, and I’m probably lucky to have got away with temping for as long as I have.’ Charlie smiled and topped up her tea. ‘Whatever you decide, I’ll be behind you,’ she said firmly. ‘Don’t worry about me. I’m a survivor.’