“Where are we going?” Gladys asked Edward as she stepped out of the office bathroom. He‘d just come back after three weeks in China and though they‘d spent most of the past few days together, he never mentioned they‘d go out tonight. He only called this morning to ask her to take a change of clothes for an evening on the town with some friends.

“You‘ll know when we get there. It‘s a surprise.” He turned to smile at her before tidying up his papers and ushering her out of the office. “And you look good in that top.”

“Thanks, glad you like it. But don‘t dodge the question. Why won‘t you tell me now?”

“Not yet, wait till we get there. Or you can try guessing.”

“Oh Edward, you know I don‘t like surprises.”

They took the elevator to the underground car park and were soon on their way. Unlike most of their dates, this wasn‘t set in advance. He usually picked her up after work, either alone or with friends, to take her home or out for drinks. Sometimes, they went to her book club or similar literary events. Other times he introduced her to new places; some he‘d discovered as a university student during his first years in the city.