"Jesus," I said in relief as we rounded a corner and we couldn't hear him anymore. Adam smiled briefly, but things still felt tense and uncomfortable.

We got to the gym and he tersely signed me in. I went off to the women's changing rooms and eventually sidled out, as self-conscious as a virgin bride in my leotard and leggings, hugging the wall for fear that anyone would catch a twenty-twenty, full-on, four-square view of my butt.

But I needn't have bothered. He barely glanced at me.

"The bikes are over there" he said, pointing. "And the free weights are in this room here. The rest of the machines are over that way."

And he left me to get on with things.

"That's lovely," I thought resentfully. "I could be pulling muscles left, right and center and he doesn't give a damn." I stood for a moment waiting for him to come back and show me how to do things.

To be perfectly honest, I suppose that I had entertained all kinds of thoughts, albeit guilty ones, about him bending over me as I lay flat on my back on the bench press, to adjust the weight or something. And for us to suddenly realize that we were close enough to kiss.166.

That kind of romantic stuff.

But Adam ignored me completely, so I reluctantly decided that I might as well get a grip on my runaway imagination and do a bit of exercise.

I did my warm-ups and my stretches.

And before I knew it, I realized that I was enjoying myself.

"I'm not actually happy," I assured myself. "It's the artificial high that people get from exercise. Pheromones or something. No, it's endorphins, isn't it?"

Good God, I was turning into Helen.

I stole a glance at Adam.

(Whoops! That was very Romantic Novelish. People are always "stealing"

glances in them.) All right then, I stole nothing.

Not guilty of any kind of larceny.

Although I did know a guy in a pub who would have taken a couple of boxes of glances off my hands for a decent price. No questions asked.

But I did look at Adam when he didn't know that I was.

He pushed and lifted vast quantities of weights.

He looked wonderful.

Very grim and serious-looking and handsome.

A man who took his body seriously.

And with good reason.

Although he was just wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt he was pretty spectacular-looking.

Beautiful strong arms, with a glistening of sweat on them.

And a really lovely butt.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.

But he did.

After about an hour or so I decided that I had had enough.

"Okay." He smiled. "Go and have a shower and I'll meet you in the cafe."

He was already sitting in the cafe when I emerged, having spent far too long doing my makeup.

His hair was all wet and shiny and he had what looked like about twenty cartons of milk in front of him.

"Finally," he said when he saw me. "Well, did you enjoy that?"

"It was great," I told him.167.

"Glad you came?" he asked with a deadpan expression.

"Yes," I said, looking him in the eye.

"Good," he said, and started to laugh.

So did I.

Thank God! I was so relieved that he didn't seem to be annoyed with me anymore.

I got myself a cup of coffee and joined him. We were the only two people in the cafe. It was a Friday evening, and I suppose most sensible people had better things to do. Going to the pub and getting drunk, I'd bet.

Suddenly things were very nice with Adam again. The tension was gone.

We didn't talk about anything unpleasant or sensible. I didn't ask him if Helen was his girlfriend and he returned the favor by not asking me anything about James. I didn't ask him about his lectures and he very decently reciprocated by not asking me about my job.

He asked me what my favorite animal was.

And I asked him what his earliest memory was.

We talked about going to discos when we were fifteen.

And we discussed what one ability we would choose if we could choose anything.

"I'd like to be able to fly," he said.

"Well, why don't you learn?" I asked him.

"No, I wish I I could fly," he said, laughing. "You know, without a plane or anything. And what about you, what would you like?" could fly," he said, laughing. "You know, without a plane or anything. And what about you, what would you like?"

"Sometimes I wish I could see into the future," I told him. "Not everything and not years ahead or anything. Maybe a couple of hours ahead."

"That'd be great," said Adam. "Think of all the money you could win on the horses."

I laughed.

"Or I wish I could be invisible. That would be great fun. I bet you can find out much more about a person when they don't think that you're there."

"You're right," he said.

There was a little pause.

"I'd love to be able to travel through time," he said after a while.

"Oh, that's a good one," I said, excited. "Imagine going 168 into the future. Or imagine going back to really exciting times, like ancient Egypt. Though knowing my luck I'd end up as some poor old gladiator."

"I'm not sure if there were any gladiators in ancient Egypt," he said. But in a nice way.

I suppose he's used to correcting Helen.

"Anyway," he continued, "I'm sure you'd be a princess. Maybe not Cleopatra. Your coloring is too fair," he said, lightly touching my hair. "But you'd definitely be a princess."

"Um, would I?" I mumbled.

Witty and gracious, that's me.

Sparkling and Repartee are my middle names.

"When would you like to travel back to?" I asked him, anxious for the conversation to return to a less intimate footing and for my breathing to return to normal.

"Well," he said, "sometimes I wish I could travel back in my own life.

You know, go back to a time when I was really happy. Or go back and change things. Fix things that I did wrong. Or do things that I should have done and didn't."

I was absolutely intrigued. What What had gone on in his life that sounded so traumatic? But before I could probe I suddenly noticed the time. had gone on in his life that sounded so traumatic? But before I could probe I suddenly noticed the time.

It was ten past seven.

"Jesus!" I said, jumping up in alarm. "Look at the time. I thought it was about five o'clock."

I picked up my bag and made for the door.

"I have to go. Thanks for bringing me. Bye."

"Wait," he said. "I'll walk you to your car."

"No, there's no need," I told him.

And off I ran.

I was in a total panic.

Where had the time gone?

How could I have neglected Kate like this? God would punish me.

Something was bound to have happened to her.

I drove home at high speed, the roads clear of rush hour traffic because it was so late. Mum was tight-lipped and suspicious when I arrived. "What kind of time do you call this?" she demanded.

"Sorry," I gasped. "I lost track of the time."

"I've fed Kate," she told me.169.

(Thank God! That must mean that she's still alive!) "Thanks, Mum."

"Five times."

"Thanks, Mum."

"And I've changed her."

"Thanks, Mum."

"Three times."

"Thanks, Mum."

"I hope you're grateful."

"Oh, I am, Mum."

"She's not my child, you know."

"I know, Mum."

"My childbearing days are over."

"I know, Mum."

Then she was really suspicious.

Why was I being so nice?

Hurriedly, I raised my voice at her.

"She's your flesh and blood too, you know," I told her.