"Right, you can move in tomorrow. Have you got a lot of stuff, or will you be content with just clothes and personal items. I've got everything, fridge, cooker, all that sort of stuff, bed…"

"Sure." He couldn't believe what he had just suggested; furthermore he couldn't believe that she had just taken him up on it.

"Can I sleep here tonight? I can't go back, not now I've made my mind up. If I can stay here until Monday, I can get my stuff while Justin is at work and leave him a note explaining. I can't stand the thought of a huge row, and all the unpleasantness."

He hoped if she ever moved on from him that he would at least deserve a little bit of unpleasantness.

"Let's have a proper drink." He got up, walking around the room for several moments before, "We need a drink. A bloody good long stiff drink." He soon emerged from the kitchen carrying two glasses and a bottle of wine.

"Hey, red wine. Is that all I get from you? Is there no champagne?" She was on her feet, beaming at him.

"Only red wine she says when I offer her the finest wine.…" He held the bottle up high, "This is the best wine my good English lady. This is the fruit of the Gods."

He wondered as he watched her over his glass whether he should go for broke. He contemplated his options. Why would she have turned up on his doorstep. He raised his glass up high.

"We are mad. Completely and utterly insane. You know that, don't you?"

She nodded.

"We meet, we like each other. I am just getting to know the look of you, to find my way around you visually so to speak, and wham," he hesitated, "I have a house guest." He gulped back a great mouthful of wine and refilled their glasses.

She had been looking intently at him, following his movements, raising her glass, sipping at the wine. Now she sat down.

"Tell me about yourself, now, everything." She murmured into her glass.

"Not much to tell really. I've been buggered about by too many women, and all their crap has left me with a shell of a life. No real money. Fine, I have a job. It pays reasonably well. I can do most things but marriage brings much more."

She frowned.

"No, I mean it should bring much more. Marriage means two incomes in one life. Loads of money, put it into bricks and mortar, pensions and also you can have a good time. That includes kids and all that stuff. That was a good time for me. Then it all goes away. You get lonely, you feel hurt but most importantly you lose collateral. Money in the bank, cars, houses, furniture, everything - it all goes."

She shrugged, "And so?"

"So you get lonely. You get out there and play the field. You go looking again. Get caught again. Make mistakes again. Different mistakes, but still mistakes."

"So life's a shit and then you die. Is that the way it is for you?"

He chuckled, "No, I'm no shrinking violet nor am I a defeatist. I'll fight the bloody system until I drop. But...," and he threw himself down across the sofa, "but it is bloody hard work sometimes." He sunk more wine and reached for the bottle again.

"Hold on, you'll be falling over soon if you keep drinking so fast." She reached for the bottle and refilled her own glass.

They sat quietly, facing each other across the small coffee table. Neither spoke. Each reflecting upon the decisions they had just taken. Eventually he looked across at her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" His voice was grave.

"No and yes." She kept her head down, watching the wine swirling round. "No I am not sure we should be doing this, and yes, I have determined to change my life. Don't ask me why but I feel changed somehow. Really we have barely said two words to each other but already I feel different. That's it. My life must change. I can no longer live with Justin. He's my partner, not my husband, by the way," she stopped, looking shyly across at him. Slowly they both smiled.