Status Updates From Riaffiorano le terre inabis...

That lunchtime, for a change, he walked downstream to Strand-on-the-Green and ate a hamburger sitting outside a pub called the City Barge while middle-aged women in yoga pants by Liquido and Spiritual Gangster exercised their miniature dogs between him and the river. Shaw felt as if he was sick of all that side of things

Compulsive and intriguing, despite having no real idea what’s going on

What she wanted was for him to take his tea and congratulate her, as he always did: 'Purr-fect! Not a drop spilled!'

She didn't want a book, especially not The Water Babies so she stood there offering it back to him, unsure what to say next but finally managing: 'I've already got this, thanks.’