****ROOM TO LET****

In modern 2-bedroom flat

Ten minutes walk from THIS NOTICEBOARD

Large shared kitchen & living room

Non-smokers only please

Ring ANNA ext. 1842


Kristoff had lived with Sven since their second year of university. They'd shared a grotty flat, then a grotty two-up-two-down terraced house, then a slightly nicer flat, and now the nicest flat yet. But now Sven was getting married, which apparently meant that it was time for Kristoff to sling his hook. And he could do with living somewhere more convenient for work, anyway.

The 18- extensions were in marketing. Was there an Anna in marketing? Presumably.

She was probably looking for another woman.

But she hadn't said it had to be a woman. And, honestly, everything he'd found so far had either been miles away or falling down or filthy or the size of a broom cupboard. A call wouldn't hurt.


"Good-afternoon-Anna-speaking-how-may-I-help-you?"

"Ah, hi - I'm ringing about the ad you put up in the break room? About the room to let?"

"Oh! Yes! Hi! Are you interested? I mean of course you're interested or you wouldn't have rung. It's on Station Road, near the top end by the Vauxhall dealership. I used to live with my sister but she's moving to Japan, well, her company sent her there for a year? So I need someone else for her room. It's a nice room, it's a double room, and it's furnished and everything. Do you want to come and have a look?"

He waited a moment to make sure she'd actually finished talking. "Yes, sure, if that's okay."

"Okay! After work? What department are you in? And what's your name! Sorry."

"Kris. I work in IT."

"Oh! Kris in IT! I know Kris in IT! You were up here the other day, you fixed our printer!"

"Probably? I fix a lot of printers."

"Okay. Tell you what, I'll give you my mobile and you can ring me when you're leaving work and you can come and see, okay?"

"Okay, that sounds great."


The flat was only ten minutes walk away, and it was pretty nice and spacious and modern. Anna clearly wasn't the tidiest person ("I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone would come by today or I'd have tidied up! At least you can see what I'm actually like to live with") but it was pretty clean underneath it all. The room itself was fine and the price was in his budget.

And Anna seemed to like him, though he got the impression she was a fairly friendly person anyway.

"Are you sure you don't mind living with a bloke?"

"Why? Are you going to steal my knickers and sell them on eBay?"

"Of course not!"

"Peek at me in the shower? Try and cop a feel while I'm doing the washing up?"

"No! Jesus."

"Then we're all right, aren't we." She was grinning. "Do you want the room? Because, Lynn at the next desk said she was looking for somewhere to live, and I told her someone was already coming to look round, and she said 'well if they don't want it let me know' and I don't want to live with her. She's a bitch. But if I just tell her no she'll be all snotty with me for MONTHS."

"You want me to take the room so you don't have to live with your bitchy colleague."

"Yes. Please."

Anna smiled at him hopefully. He couldn't help but notice that it was a very pretty smile.

"Okay. Yes."