the directory enquiries affair

1999. Before cheap mobile 'phones, text messaging, the internet, and when people actually wrote letters to each other. I used to work in marketing for a hotel company with a young lady called Gillian. She was the funniest and loveliest person in a very dull office. When I resigned to study for a Masters degree in London, we stayed in touch, by letter, infrequently. One day, she wrote to me with news of her latest career move - working for another hotel company based in York. Before I finished my course, I was invited by a York-based insurance company to attend an interview at their head offices. I wasn't keen on the job, but thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with Gillian at the interviewer's expense. Before I set out on the day of the interview, I couldn't find the telephone number for Gillian's office. So I called BT's directory enquiries service. They gave me the number and I called it. A man answered. No company name, no corporate greeting, just "Hello". Strange. I asked to be put through to Gillian. "Who?" "Gillian Smith, works in Marketing", I said. "No one of that name here. How did you get this number?" he hissed, somewhat angrily. "Directory enquiries gave it to me, why?" "Don't call here again." He put the phone down. So I called directory enquiries, gave them Gillian's employers' name, and received a different number. Fools, I thought, they gave me the wrong number. I called the new number, and was put through to Gillian. She sounded flustered. We arranged to meet once I'd finished my interview. We met. "Did you call someone before you spoke to me this morning?" she asked. "Yeah! How did you know?" Ignoring my question, she said "How did you get that telephone number?" I told her about being given the wrong number by BT. "The number you dialed," she explained, "belongs to my boss. It's his home number. We've been having an affair for the last month and your call has really spooked him. He called me immediately after speaking with you to find out if I'd told anyone of our secret. He now thinks his wife has found out and put you up to catch him." A true but very weird story.