‘I’m in a good place. I don’t want you to stress about money.’

‘I won’t. Did I tell you that Simon has some work for me in January?’

‘No?’ He looks amazed and then a touch concerned. ‘I thought you were going to focus on wedding photography.’

‘I am. This is just a bit of freelance picture work until I get on my feet. I won’t take another full-time job.’

He smiles and tugs me towards him until we’re toe to toe.

‘I’m so proud of you,’ he says.

‘The feeling’s mutual.’

He leans down to kiss me, but I step away. ‘I need a shower.’

He raises an eyebrow. ‘Can I join you?’

I give him a cheeky grin and take his hand, leading him up the stairs.

I don’t think I’m going to need to worry about digging out fresh clothes any time soon. I doubt we’ll be moving from his bed.

A few days later, I go to see Rachel. She looks like she’s going to burst as I read over the confidentiality clause, finally signing my name.

‘Spill it!’ I say with a laugh.

‘Joe and Alice!’ she yells.

‘Joseph Strike?’ My eyes nearly pop out of my head.

She nods manically.

‘No way!’ I gasp. This is way, way bigger than I ever could have imagined.

Joseph Strike is a huge Hollywood star, like, proper A-list. Alice was his first love – they met when they were eighteen, but lost touch. She married someone else, but she wasn’t happy and, when Joe opened up about his feelings for her on a chat show years later, Alice’s friend called in and the show put them back in touch. Everyone knows their story.

They’ve been engaged for donkey’s years, but have had two children in the meantime, so it didn’t seem like they were ever going to get around to tying the knot.

Funnily enough, I organised a Joseph Strike Baby Bump cover for Hebe once when my friend Lily in Adelaide offered me the pictures.

I was in Simon’s good books big time after that. I’ve felt kind of indebted to the actor ever since.

‘Where’s the wedding taking place?’ I ask Rachel.

‘A country house up in Cambridgeshire,’ she replies. ‘It’s all very hush-hush. Joe and Alice don’t want the press to cotton on and harass them on their big day.’

‘I can’t believe it,’ I say, shaking my head.

‘I told you I think it’ll set you up. It really will,’ she says. ‘I also wanted to ask you if you’d like to take on Misha’s weddings from next spring?’

She’s already told me that her assistant is having a baby and going on maternity leave.

‘Do you really need to ask?’

‘I know you’ll go it alone eventually,’ she says with a smile. ‘But I do so love working with you.’

‘I love working with you, too, and I’m in no rush to run my own show. Not yet, anyway.’