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When Ruth did eventually reappear, she had changed into a black leather s, and had put on a little too hton

Max looked down at her legs Not bad for thirty-eight, he thought, even if the skirt was a little too tight and certainly too short

‘You look great,’ he said, trying to sound convincing ‘Shall we go?’

Ruth joined hi inconsequentially until he turned down a side street, co to a halt in front of a restaurant called Venitici When he opened the door to let her in, Ruth couldn’t hide her disappointet a table,’ she said

‘Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure of that,’ said Max, as the maître d’ headed towards them

‘Your usual table, Mr Bennett?’

‘Thank you, Valerio,’ he said, as they were guided to a quiet table in the corner of the room

Once they were seated, Max asked, ‘What would you like to drink, Ruth? A glass of chane?’

‘That would be nice,’ she said, as if it were an everyday experience for her In fact she rarely had a glass of chaus’s ance, except perhaps on her birthday

Max opened the nocchi, which Valerio’s wife makes Simply melts in your mouth’

‘Sounds great,’ said Ruth, not bothering to open her menu

‘And a mixed salad on the side, perhaps?’

‘Couldn’t be better’

Max closed his menu and looked across the table ‘The boys can’t be yours,’ he s

aid ‘Not if they’re at boarding school’