It was with some trepidation that I arrived, the following Friday evening, this was surely the moment for the s**t to hit the fan; I made a point of getting there late to provide Ali and I with a good excuse for leaving quickly. As Alison opened the door, Joan appeared in the hallway and her eyes locked on my overnight bag, my gut tightened as Joan began to speak: "If you're as late as Alison says, you two had better shoot off straight away; I'll put your bag upstairs for you Mike..." I managed nothing beyond a dumb nod as Joan took the bag from my hand "... there's no point in messing up two beds unnecessarily, so I'll drop it straight into Alison's room." Joan turned away as Ali while I looked at each other flabbergasted.
The following and indeed on all subsequent mornings, Joan deliver
