It's a what's this book query- sales assistant has sort of crisis

[Scout2016]

Young female sales assistant, I think she worked on the make up counter in a department store. If I remember right she's less glam than the other girls and less chatty. Has some sort of engagement, or married life, I think they had a lot of very dull meals. She meets a young man who I think was living with his grandfather and they start going for walks by the canal and a picnic. Seem to remember a lot of buses and bus station cafes, also him being poor and something to do with his shoes.
I think her fiance or husband sleeps with a woman from the pub and has a sort of affair but I might be misremembering that part. Or all of it!
I want to say it's set 50s or 60s.

Anyone have any ideas please?

I can’t remember what this is but I’m certain I’ve read it too.

Thank you @IceandIndigo! Makes me feel a bit more confident I haven't made it up. Or scrambled a few books into one!

I definitely remember the bit about the young man and his grandfather, and the shoes. He was keeping the shoes for some reason? I mainly read literary fiction, if that helps to narrow it down.

I don't remember shoes but the rest sounds very familiar. Not something like a Maggie O'Farrell is it?

I've only read one Maggie O'Farrell and that was the Esme Lennox one. Thanks though.
I have a feeling the title had "summer" or "girl" in it but that could be way off. I think I read it after seeing it mentioned in the newpaper, Guardian probably, in one of those "people recommend their favourite books" type articles. Probably someone like Grace Dent, but not her.
Have searched library order history with no luck.

It was all set over the period of a few months. I think there was an plot point revolving around some one being late or getting the time wrong, and things would have been very different otherwise.
I can't remember if the main woman stayed with her unfaithfulness or not, but I don't think she properly got together with the other chap. I reckon he maybe worked in the cafe of the bus station and that's how they met. I want to say she bought something like fancy tights and perfume or face cream in the department store she worked in.
The finance / husband's dalliance were rather jarring because he hadn't featured much then all of a sudden he's in the pub with this other woman and you see another side to the story.
I want to say that he was a finance and there was a "will she won't she marry him" element, and the shop girls are more excited about the wedding than she is. But that wouldn't explain all the dull mealtimes because they wouldn't have been living together unmarried back then.

Do you know, I think it was by a freelance journalist, female and younger end. Laura Something? Back to Google!

Resolved! Twenty-One Locks by Lucy Barton. I am aware I've been talking to myself but phew!

Glad you found it!

Turns out I haven't read it, guess that's why the shoes didn't sound familiar 😁

Glad you found it anyway

Good that you found it. So annoying when you want to know something like this. Are you going to read it again, or do you just want to keep a note of what you've read? I should do this, as I've got to the stage where book club has picked a book, and only after I have ordered it from the library have I realised I've actually read it! Doh!

It was just bugging me Judgey! Been years trying on and off to remember. I enjoyed it kuch kore than I was expecting and it stayed with me sort of. I don't often re read books for fear of disappointment.