Although, to Hannah's relief, Sacha didn't end up bingeing on Friday night (not that she'd ever had any intention of doing so), she did drink rather more than was healthy; there was something about Rona's perpetual enthusiasm that made it very difficult to resist the drinks that kept appearing in front of her; and besides, Hannah had challenged her only half-jokingly to a drinking contest. By Saturday morning Sacha couldn't for the life of her remember who'd one, and she didn't much care to think about it.

She was feeling a little less fragile by Sunday; but on Monday, although she was feeling a little more human, she didn't feel up to much more than skulking about in her flat. Unfortunately, it was also the day she was due to start at the magazine.

Rona had promised to accompany her there, as if Sacha was a kid on her first day in a new school (which in a way was precisely what she felt like). When Rona turned up at her front door her usual excitability was mixed uneasily with a kind of grim determination. "Don't worry" she told Sacha as they set off for the tram stop. "Nobody at the mag is at their best on a Monday."

This truth, apparently, didn't extend to Si, who bounded out of his chair as soon as he spotted Sacha (abandoning in mid-sentence a discussion he'd been having with one of the magazine's other writers) and jogged across the room to greet them both - Rona apparently just as much as Sacha.

"Hello how are you?" he asked with a broad grin. "Sacha - hah, I got it right this time didn't I? - Sacha, how are you it's good to see you again!" He grasped Sacha's hand warmly and smiled at her with just a little too much sincerity. "And Rona" he said. "How lovely to see you as well. There's something I want to discuss with you about the layout of the next issue -" Rona rolled her eyes - "but first I've got to introduce Sacha to the team." Rona stalked off to see if any of the computers were free.

Si stayed where he was, blocking the doorway while Sacha stood a little uncertainly next to him. He rattled off a list of names and Sacha wasn't entirely sure if she was expected to remember them all or not, especially as Si indicated who he was talking about with only the vaguest of waves of his outstretched arm.

"That's Bec" he said, "she's our main film reviewer. Claire, features. There are a few regulars who aren't here of course. Plus a whole load of occasional contributors. Though not as many as we'd like because, well, we can't afford to pay anyone. That's Takeshi, he does book reviews and stuff. Other magazines have more funding than us, but it's a competitive market. Jenny there edits the letters page. And that's George." Sacha was fairly confident that this last name referred to the person who was waiting a little impatiently for Si to come back and finish his sentence - but she couldn't be sure. "Anyway" said Si, "you'll fit right in. You know the brief. Great! Let's get started then." And without explaining anything further to her, he went back to the person who was possibly George.

Rona, having secured a computer and having since been watching Si's monologue, now sidled up behind Sacha and said quietly to her: "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone."