Our Boss (The MD) drives, or as it turns out drove a Mercedes-Benz X-Class pick-up and did like it - especially the BIK benefits that came with it. But, he's got a new girlfriend, and she hates it - it makes her feel sick when in motion, and she doesn't like the dark grey. Anyway, the Boss gradually ends up falling out of love with his ever-reliable pick-up. Next, I got a call into his office a few weeks ago, where he tells me he wants to change his car, or more precisely, 'he needs to change it,' he says in a louder than normal voice. 'You can't,' I tell him, it's in the middle of a lease, and an early termination will cost a fortune, and there's nothing left in the budget for that - it's tight enough.

I walked out of his office thinking I'd won that one, but just four days later I saw a brand-new estate car in a bronze gold colour in the Boss's parking space - the only space in the car park with no overhanging branches dropping tree sap onto the cars. 'Great,' I thought, 'someone has pinched his place.' I did chuckle to myself; in fact, I almost broke out into a laugh. My amusement was quickly cut short, as the Boss passed me in the corridor, I asked him if he knew someone had parked in his parking spot. He told me it was his new car - 'a friend of a friend sorted it for him,' and had even had the cheek to go behind my back and lease it with our company.

A few hours later, I was asked politely if I could pop into his office, where he greeted me with a friendly smile, and asked me to look at his computer screen. There were no bank balances, new company starters, or any financial things. Oh no, he wanted to show me a photo of a very nice (and no doubt expensive) Chateau in France, that he told me he was going to at the weekend with his new partner, in the goldy-bronze new estate. I said: 'Make sure it has UK on the number plates, a full European touring kit - including hi-viz jackets, and do you want me to sort European cover?' He told me he'd do all the necessary preparation. He even showed me his screen again with his planned route and stopovers, where to eat, and which vineyards they were going to stop at. 'Lovely,' I said with a faint growl.