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‘You know,’ I said, finally, ‘I could have been horrible to you back there I could have pointed out that you do nothing either’

‘I’ood odds on ,’ Will said

‘I know it’s a joke,’ I continued, discarding a long piece of potato peel ‘But you justto bet onlife, did you have to make me aware of it? Couldn’t you and Nathan just have had it as so for a bit When I finally looked up, he atching me ‘Sorry,’ he said

‘You don’t look sorry’

‘Well … okay … maybe I wanted you to hear it I wanted you to think about what you’re doing’

‘What, how I’ my life slip by … ?’

‘Yes, actually’

‘God, Will I wish you’d stop tellingtelevision? What if I don’t want to do much else other than read a book?’ My voice had becoet home? What if I don’t need to fill my days with frenetic activity?’

‘But one day you ht wish you had,’ he said, quietly ‘Do you knohat I would do if I were you?’

I put downto tellyou I’d be doing night school I’d be training as a seaner or whatever it is that taps into what you really love’ He gestured at my minidress, a Sixties-inspired Pucci-type dress, made with fabric that had once been a pair of Granddad’s curtains

The first time Dad had seen it he had pointed at ether!’ It had taken hi out what I could do that didn’t cost , whatever I’d be teaching , or –’

‘Okay, okay, I get the e,’ I said, irritably ‘But I’m not you, Will’

‘Luckily for you’

We sat there for a bit Will wheeled hiht of his chair so that we faced each other over the table

‘Okay,’ I said ‘So what did you do after work? That was so valuable?’

‘Well, there wasn’tevery day I did rock cli at an indoor centre, and squash, and I went to concerts, and tried new restaurants –’

‘It’s easy to do those things if you haveYes, really,’ he said, as I raised an eyebrow

‘And I tried to learn new languages for places I thought I ht visit one day And I saw ht were my friends … ’ He hesitated for a moment ‘And I planned trips I looked for places I’d never been, things that would frighten me or pushI walked up ain Yes –’ he said, as I made to interrupt ‘– I know a lot of these need money, but a lot of them don’t And besides, how do you think Ipeople off in the City?’

‘I worked out ould make me happy, and I worked out what I wanted to do, and I trained s happen’

‘You make it sound so si is, it’s also a lot of hard work And people don’t want to put in a lot of work’

I had finished the potatoes I threw the peel into the bin, and put the pan on to the stove ready for later I turned and liftedhi life, didn’t you?’

‘Yeah, I did’ He moved a bit closer, and raised his chair so that he was almost at eye level ‘That’s why you piss me off, Clark Because I see all this talent, all this … ’ He shrugged ‘This energy and brightness, and –’

‘Don’t say potential …’

‘ … potential Yes Potential And I cannot for the life of me see how you can be content to live this tiny life This life that will take place almost entirely within a five-mile radius and contain nobody ill ever surprise you or push you or show you things that will leave your head spinning and unable to sleep at night’

‘This is your way of tellingfaryou there’s a whole world out there But that I’d be very grateful if you’d do me some potatoes first’ He smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back

‘Don’t you think –’ I started, and then broke off

‘Go on’