Well, there wouldn’t be any problems here. As for what might happen in the restaurant…

Jade watched Mark walk towards his bedroom, looking troubled, as he would be by his wife’s peculiar behaviour and trollopy appearance. Then, humming softly to herself, she headed along the landing to her own room, where she retrieved a shoebox from the top of her wardrobe. Pondering the side effects of the various drugs, she was replacing the packet of slow-release capsules under the few bits of memorabilia she kept there when someone tapped lightly on her door.

Quickly snapping the lid back on the shoebox, Jade stuffed it well back on the shelf. It was Mark at the door – Melissa always called out ‘just me’ in an irritating singsong voice. Jade’s mouth curved into a smile. Turning for the door, she hitched her T-shirt over her head, tugged it off and unsnapped her bra. Then, reaching for the dressing gown Melissa had so kindly provided her, she pushed her arms into it, holding it loosely enough at the front to expose a good expanse of milky white breast as she yanked the door open.

‘Oh, my!’ Jade blinked, suitably mortified, as Mark got the desired eyeful before turning away. ‘I’m really sorry,’ she mumbled, the door now partly closed as she peeped shyly around it. ‘I thought it was Melissa.’

‘My fault,’ Mark said, as a gentleman would. ‘Please accept my apologies. I’ll announce myself next time.’ He was kneading his forehead in that way he did – flustered, obviously. Bound to be.

‘Apology accepted,’ Jade assured him, tying her dressing gown tight to expose a lot less of herself. ‘I’m decent now. You can turn around.’

Nodding, Mark turned back, looking decidedly uncomfortable. That was to be expected, she supposed. Jade continued smiling, her gaze grazing over him as he stood there, looking achingly sexy in a navy linen jacket with a light blue shirt underneath, dark jeans and leather belt. Her eyes rested briefly at belt level before travelling back to his face. Tall, dark and heart-stoppingly handsome; he was hers. Or he very soon would be.

‘I just wanted to let you know we were leaving.’ He smiled nervously. ‘Poppy’s still in the lounge. We’ll be back around eleven.’

‘I’ll come right down and fetch her. Enjoy,’ Jade said brightly, as he headed for the stairs. ‘Don’t drink too much.’

‘I won’t. I’m driving.’ Mark waved a hand as he went on down.

‘All the more for Melissa then,’ Jade called after him. The whole bottle would be good.

---

Poppy fell asleep in record time, Bedtime Peppa tucked cosily up with her and Hercules lying protectively at her feet. Jade scowled at the dog and then tiptoed out. Then back in again to feed the goldfish. Sprinkling the requisite pinch of food into the bowl, she bent down to peer at the fish, eyes wide and making a guppy mouth as she did. The water was getting dirty again, she noticed. Sighing, she tipped another more generous dollop of food in. Knock yourself out, Nemo. What kind of a life was it, swimming around in circles in shitty water anyway? Cruel, Jade thought. She gave him another sprinkle for good measure, and then, turning to poke out her tongue at Hercules, eased the door quietly shut behind her and crept out.

Peeping into the nursery, she noticed a little hand flailing in the cot and realised it was time for Evie’s feed. ‘Coming, sweetheart,’ she assured her, and then, humming, she went back to her room to collect her Boots bag before carrying on down to the kitchen, where she picked up the sealed container of milk Melissa had left in the fridge and tipped it down the sink. It was a good job she’d started weaning Evie as soon as she’d moved in – she congratulated herself on her foresight as she prepared the formula. With her careless mother stuffed full of drugs, breast milk would obviously harm the poor little mite.

Milk in the microwave, she slipped back upstairs and lifted Evie out of her cot. She was now wide-eyed and alert, looking forward to her bath, followed by a warm, cosy feed and a soft lullaby.

‘She’d probably let you slip through her hands and drown you in the bath, wouldn’t she, Angel, hmm? Or stuff you in the kiln and fire you. Silly Melissa.’ In sweet singsong tones, she addressed Evie by her proper name, which suited her far better. She laid her carefully on the changing mat to undress her.

‘You’re a gorgeous little girl, aren’t you?’ Pulling her little sausage arms and legs gently from her pink stripy sleepsuit, she saucered her eyes and smiled down at her, laughing as Evie smiled back. Then she blew on her tummy, causing Evie to chuckle delightedly.

‘Mummy’s perfect little Angel, aren’t you?’ she said, standing up and hoisting the naked little baby high in the air. ‘Don’t you worry, sweet girl, Mummy won’t let naughty Melissa hurt you. Daddy would be heartbroken, wouldn’t he, hmm?’

Holding her as high as she could, which Evie just loved, Jade twirled her around and around. ‘Piss off,’ she hissed over her shoulder, as Hercules growled at her from the landing.