he turned the key in the door, swung her bag over her shoulder, and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Rose tugged the collar of her Barbour up close to her face and skipped down the steps into the wind. It had been a tough start to the year. The Christmas break had been far too relaxing and the welcome back in the office had been warm but brief. Rose never liked being the last in the office but on the last day back after New Year locking up duties seemed to be even more arduous. It was 9.15 and Rose realized that she was now pushing her luck to get to the gym in time for a proper work out, at least it might be quiet, she thought to herself.
Dodging the puddles, starting to form on the pavement, she walked fast against the wind, occasionally breaking into a trot to avoid the worst of the rain blowing from the branches of windswept trees.