So easily made, but with skill and diplomacy the misunderstanding may be easily rectified.

My receptionist buzzed me to say the clients had arrived. “Okay, Sharon,” I said. “Send them up.”

My office was situated on the first floor of a small, detached building my staff and I occupied in East London.

A few moments later I heard the quick, light steps of someone virtually skipping up the stairs to meet me. He was on the short side, very slim, beautifully turned out in black jeans, black leather blouson, a red shirt and black cravat. He might have been Italian or from Cyprus, judging by the complexion. I imagined my young receptionist would have cast an interested glance in his direction.

I indicated one of the capacious armchairs in my office, and he thanked me, then once seated I realized he looked a bit like a doll’s house doll when his size was compared with that of the chair.

Next, I was aware of the steady throbbing pulse of his companion’s footsteps laboriously making their way up the same flight.

Not knowing what to expect, I was surprised when the largest woman I had ever personally encountered, entered my office. Were they really a couple? I wondered. It seems they were, and going by appearances, utterly devoted. Misconceptions.  Misconceptions, I thought. But then, we all do it, don’t we. Jump to conclusions I mean.

I indicated one of the capacious armchairs in my office, and he thanked me, then once seated I realized he looked a bit like a doll’s house doll when his size was compared with that of the chair.

Next, I was aware of the steady throbbing pulse of his companion’s footsteps laboriously making their way up the same flight.

Not knowing what to expect, I was surprised when the largest woman I had ever personally encountered, entered my office. Were they really a couple? I wondered. It seems they were, and going by appearances, utterly devoted. Misconceptions.  Misconceptions, I thought. But then, we all do it, don’t we. Jump to conclusions I mean.

I indicated the other armchair, but immediately perceived that whilst she was able to sit on it, leaning forward that is, her size precluded her actually leaning back between the arms of the chair.

It was all becoming somewhat bizarre. But I had a job to do so I started my enquiries.

Were we talking about a limited company? Yes. A good start.

What sort of debts did the company have? Trade creditors and the Inland Revenue.

The woman was clearly becoming uncomfortable squirming in the inadequate armchair, so I thought I’d speed things up a bit. Would she like to tell me what her company dealt with?

She practically floored me with her response.

“Slimming products,” she replied. For a moment I wondered if I was being filmed for Candid Camera. Hopefully I didn’t register my astonishment, and to avoid embarrassment I simply engaged her in conversation.

She recognized she was vastly overweight. Had already lost six stone or eighty-four pounds. Insisted that slimming on a crash diet was unhealthy, and usually resulted in the weight lost simply being put back on again. She was taking it slowly and succeeding.

Why was the company failing? I asked. “Because,” she said, slimming products and fads came and went with the regularity of the seasons. She’d hit a bad patch at a bad time.

What might have been an embarrassing moment avoided though the simple expedient of conversation.