At thirty-five, Jane realises something rather disturbing.

She thought she had her life perfectly balanced: working from home as a a freelance translator allows her to keep her financial independence, spend time with her daughter and escape office politics. But somehow, instead of combining a rewarding career with a satisfying mother-daughter relationship, she''s become an all-purpose dogsbody, rushing from crisis to crisis and combining missing deadlines with repairing the dishwasher.

Rupert is also leading the life he planned: a job in the city, glamorous girlfriend, plenty of money. But he''s beginning to have doubts about the dull-but-sensible route he''s chosen - and to realise it''s just possible he wants more out of life. So when he and Jane meet, each escaping their day-to-day life with a stolen afternoon in the peace of the cinema, they both start to wonder whether it''s really enough to settle for the next best thing ...