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you think you’ll be happy working here?’ Adam places his cutlery on the edge of his plate and leans his elbows on the table. His shoulder brushes mine.
    ‘Sylvia tells me that three of her assistants have left in the last year.’ I push a large forkful of food into my mouth, hoping he won’t ask anything else.
    ‘I said, do you think
you’ll
be happy working here?’ He laughs. ‘I know the others weren’t.’
    ‘Oh?’ I manage, forcing a reciprocal smile. I push in more food. My mouth is so full I can hardly breathe, let alone speak. I gesture apologetically.
    Adam turns back to his food. ‘Don’t choke,’ he says thoughtfully, satisfied with silence for the rest of the meal.

CHAPTER 7
    Nina was in the kitchen, preparing food, occasionally glancing at Josie who was curled up on the sofa by the French windows. The teen’s hair was wrapped in a pink towel and she was wearing a heart-covered dressing gown. Two hours ago, she’d asked to borrow Nina’s laptop, saying the computer in her bedroom was running too slow. Nina tried not to show much interest, tried not to notice the rainbow of emotion that swept over Josie’s face as she typed frantically. Nina guessed that she was on Afterlife. Josie sat hunched over the keyboard, her shoulders protectively winging the screen.
    She wondered what it was that stirred her daughter. Her expression showed a mix-up of anxiety and desire. Nina kept quiet, but when Josie slid off the seat, shut the computer lid and went up to the bathroom, Nina took the opportunity to find out. It was her computer, after all.
    Nina dried her hands, thinking that Josie had probably closed down the window she was using. But when she opened up the laptop, she was surprised to see that the page was still open and, as she suspected, Josie was logged in to Afterlife.
    Nina read.
    -Have 2 go soon,
Josie had typed in a chat window. A symbol clearly showed a hug between Josie’s character and another one. Nina caught her breath.
    -Don’t go yet.
Then the characters had shared a virtual kiss.
    -5 more mins or i’ll get it.
Nina imagined Josie’s fingers shaking as she typed.
    -Wot u wearing?
    -Duh.Wots it look like?
    She remembered Josie giggling out loud. Nina glanced at the door. She knew Josie was hanging out for the youth theatre’s new production to begin rehearsals, but she hadn’t expected her daughter to be passing the time quite like this.
    -Take them all off
the other character had typed. Nina saw that he was called Griff.
    -You know that’s not allowed. Game rules.
    At least she has some sense, Nina thought. She recalled Josie clapping a hand over her mouth. Probably when she was typing this. She thought back to all the times Josie and Nat were hunched over the computer in Josie’s room in fits of laughter. She shuddered.
    -Just ur knickers and bra then.
    -No way!
    Nina remembered Josie mentioning this boy in the past. Griff was in the year above Josie at school. Apparently all the girls adored him. Josie had said that he’d never be interested in someone like her. Suddenly Nina felt a huge sadness for her, that her social life had been reduced to sleazy talk on the computer.
    -I’m not taking my clothes off,
Josie had then typed, much to Nina’s relief. She knew her daughter was funny like that, even in front of her. She was very shy.
    -u going bowling tomoz?
Josie had continued. An attempt, Nina thought, to ask him out.
    -Nah,
Griff replied. She could almost sense Josie’s disappointment, thinking that maybe if her character had just put on a bikini that would have pleased Griff. But Nina saw that the next thing to have happened was that Griff’s character had faded to grey and vanished. He’d gone offline. Probably why Josie had left the room in a hurry.
    Nina snapped the computer lid closed and rushed up to the bathroom.
    ‘You OK in there, love? I’ve made a snack if you fancy something,’ she said through the door.
    ‘K,’ Josie replied sullenly. ‘I’m going