" ‘Wages fifteen bob a night and your cab fare home --- that’s if you don’t live too far off.’

‘No, not far,’ I assured him.

‘What’s your name?’ I told him.

‘That’s a nice name --- Barbara…. You ready to start?’

‘What, now?’ I gasped.

‘As good a time as any!’ He broke into a grin. ‘Ronnie there’ – he motioned towards the barman – ‘will fix you up with an apron. Oh, and by the way, ‘he added, as I turned, feeling slightly dazed by the speed of it all, ‘no need to come till six, after tonight.’

Never before had I had such a brief and successful interview. Faintly, I murmured my thanks and went to the bar.

The man sitting with Jim, remarked to him – without bothering whether I heard or not: ‘Bit different from your usual type, isn’t she?’ To which I heard Jim reply: ‘Might be a change to have a bit of class.’

That surprised me too; I’d never thought of myself as having what could be termed class, and I began to feel a bit more confident. "