Without saying a word we both got out of our clothes and I would begin to service him. It had been almost a month since we had last met and I was happ... to receive his not asking me to meet him. I found me a spot beneath the old oak and acted as if I was reading a novel, Robert walked past and went straight to the boiler room and entered. I waited about ten minutes and gathered up my things and walked around the building entering after him. Hurrying to secure the door I quickly made my way back. She inhaled another centimetre of cigarette and reluctantly tossed the butt onto the earth where it smouldered. It burnt off its final centimetre of ash before extinguishing itself. She regarded it sadly and wondered whether she might have to light up another to fend off her boredom. She glanced up at the people in the walled town. Some of them wore djalabas. Some wore jeans and tee-shirts. And one wore the very stiff and awkward-fitting uniform of a hotel porter. Phillippa was still not sure. ’ She had no intention of telling him about Matt Hudson. ‘It adds to the spice. And it means there’s no secrets to come between us.’ Rachel nodded. ‘That’s true. We’ll try it and see how it goes. If either of us feels uncomfortable talking about it, we can change the rules.’ ‘Agreed.’ ‘I also want more financial independence. Instead of pooling our incomes, as we always have, I’d like my own bank account.’ Paul looked doubtful. He thought, perhaps, it was all going too far. ‘That means changing. Norman was already there,sitting at a corner table facing the door so as not tomiss me. After the usual pleasantries of sitting medown, getting me a drink and ordering some sandwiches,we sat opposite each other. He hadn’t changed, the sameflorid face and rough hands, but he had made an effortto smarten himself up a bit. Between gulps of his beerhe told me what had transpired after I left and he waspretty matter of fact about it, it seemed that he wasnow living in that large house on his.