Kendra dropped her handbag on the sofa, as she ran her hand absentmindedly along the cat’s smooth black fur. “Hiya Carmen. How was your day?”

Carmen meowed and followed Kendra to the kitchen. She meowed again, instructions for her minion. Kendra poured some milk in Carmen’s bowl and all conversation between woman and cat ceased. Not even a thank you.

It had been a long day at work and Kendra hadn’t had a chance to go for lunch so she was starving and her fridge contents were not hopeful. Two day old pizza, last night’s leftover Chinese takeout and some mouldy cheese. She dumped the Chinese and pizza on a plate, popped it in the microwave and poured herself a glass of wine. Just when the beeper went on the microwave, she heard someone at the door of the flat. She heard the handle rattle and then something metal scarping on the lock. It sounded like the person was trying to break in! Carmen ran to the bedroom, she was on her own.

She looked around the kitchen for a weapon. She couldn’t deal with blood, so all sharp objects were out. That didn’t leave a lot of choice. Small frying pan or marble rolling pin? She went with the marble rolling pin and crept toward the door the rolling pin held above her head.

When she was closer to the door, she was positive someone was breaking in. They were fiddling with the lock, using something metal to jimmy it open. She leaned backwards to be sure she had a lot of momentum to bring the rolling pin down on the thief’s head when they got through the door.

The door burst open and just as the rolling pin was about to land on the man’s head he shouted, “Kendra! It’s me!”

Kendra fell against the wall of the passage, her breath coming hard. “Damn you, Will! What are you doing? I thought you gave me your keys? You can’t just get in here anymore. This is not your house. I thought you were a burglar.”

He took his arms off his now safe head. “Sorry. God you could have killed me with that thing.”

Kendra walked back to the kitchen thinking how that may not have been such a bad thing. She’d been back from Egypt for two weeks and Will had already called her six times and now here he was in her kitchen. They were supposed to be broken up. They talked more now than they did when they were living together. She held out her hand. “Give me the keys. This is just not on, Will.”

He dropped the keys in her hand. “You told me there was an audit at work so I thought you wouldn’t be here. I wanted to keep Carmen company. You know she’s my cat too.”

Kendra took her plate of food from the microwave and filled her glass of wine and headed for the sitting room, not offering Will anything. She wasn’t sure what he was up to. If he thought they were going to get back together after the way he had treated her, he was crazy. It was not going to happen. Bianca had been right. Going to Egypt had been the exact right thing to do to get perspective. Will was history. Suddenly all of his flaws were so obvious. He had zilch in the ambition department. He was short and very un-athletic. And he really did have the most unfortunate haircut. A big like a helmet made of light brown curls.

Although she’d likely never see Asra again, he had taught her a very important lesson. There were proper men out there somewhere. Men who had jobs. Men who cared about their women. Men who were polite and lovely. Men who kissed like that! Oh my god- as if Kendra could ever forget that kiss. It likely ruined her for all other kisses –for ever. Though she knew it made no practical sense, Kendra had hardly stopped thinking about Asra ever since that night. Even if she never saw him again, he had changed her. She was no longer willing to settle. She wanted something more from her life and something more certainly did not include Will. Kendra had settled for Will for far too long. She had convinced herself that he was good enough, but she wasn’t willing to settle for good enough anymore.