Sam had several. ‘They’re so much nicer than oysters. I can’t stand them, slimy things,’ she said.

‘You might prefer them cooked,’ said Gabe. ‘They’re delicious served with a herby butter sauce. Then you top them with breadcrumbs and pop them under the grill.’

‘I’ll admit that does sound good,’ said Sam, sipping her wine again.

‘Maybe I can cook them for you sometime …’

‘If Drew can get hold of some.’

Drew winked. ‘Definitely. Just say the word though it will be September before they’re in season again.’

‘There you go,’ said Gabe.

‘Maybe …’ She downed the rest of her fizz. ‘This is delicious too. Any chance of some more, Chloe?’

‘Of course. I’ll bring it out with the mezze if you all want to move onto the balcony.’

‘I’ll get rid of the shells and clean up the mess,’ said Drew.

As Chloe went to the fridge, she exchanged a glance with Drew who was disposing of the shells in the bin. She followed his gaze to Sam and Gabe who were standing in the doors to the balcony chatting to Troy and Evie. They were angled towards each other, as close as they could be. Sam’s laughter was rich and relaxed and she kept touching Gabe very briefly on the arm, very naturally, almost as if she wasn’t even conscious of it. He whispered something in her ear and she stifled a giggle. Zennor didn’t seem so impressed but after the first half an hour when she’d given Gabe some pretty scathing looks, she seemed to have decided to relax and enjoy the party.

Even so, Chloe was convinced that Sam and Gabe had no idea of the signals they were giving off. She’d done a course on body language as part of her training as an events planner. She was no expert, but she was sure that while there was tension between Sam and Gabe, it was the romantic kind. There was no mistaking the electric attraction between them, no matter how much Sam insisted otherwise.

During the conversation, Gabe had effectively invited Sam over to his house for a meal and Sam hadn’t said no. They certainly seemed to be getting on better than at the pub a few weeks ago. Sam had mentioned that Gabe had stayed with her when she’d found out about her trashed van, so perhaps that awful experience had had a small silver lining. Then again, they might have simply been putting on a show of civility for Chloe’s big night.

Oh God. That thought snapped Chloe back to the reality of the situation and her deception.

Drew removed the full bag from the bin. ‘I ought to put the shells straight out in the bin, if you don’t want the house to smell like a fishmonger’s.’