20 LONDON, 2021 AD
Disturbed and distracted by a hangover of dream images, Jake momentarily forgot that he was living alone. The hollow in Alice’s pillow escaped his notice as he rose and struggled sleepily into the bathroom. The force of the water striking his face from the showerhead completed his awakening and he remembered that he was not alone. Normal brain activity had resumed so he asked himself two questions as he vigorously towelled his body: where’s Alice and what time is it?
The answer to the second question explained the first. The alarm icon wasn’t showing on the digital clock by the bed, so she’d switched it off and had prepared herself for work in silence, letting him sleep in. Behaving thoughtfully, she’d managed to close the front door without a sound – quite an achievem
