‘Perhaps he just feels a bit awkward bringing it up,’ Rachel said. ‘I mean, you haven’t said anything to him yet, have you?’

Holly shook her head. ‘I feel pretty awkward, too, to be honest. I mean, I’d completely forgotten about him until I found a photo of him in that suitcase.’ She didn’t add that she wasn’t that keen to revisit the dorkier elements of her teenage years – she was definitely a different person then to the one she was now.

‘So, are you going to say anything?’ Rachel asked.

‘Oh, I don’t know.’ Holly put her head back on the sun lounger she’d sat down on, lifting her ponytail to get some air to her suddenly sweaty neck. ‘It was such a brief encounter, it hardly seems worth it. And yet, it’s making me feel a bit weird that I remember it and I don’t know if he does.’

‘Just ask him, then!’ Rachel said. She smiled as Harry came trotting up to her carrying a small, castle-shaped bucket full of play sand. ‘One thing being mother to this munchkin has taught me is that you need to seize the day whenever you can. No point hiding behind things that are worrying you.’ She took the plastic spoon that Harry was offering her and pretended to take a big mouthful of the sand. ‘Mmm, that’s lovely. Is it chocolate?’

Harry giggled. ‘No, Mummy!’ He toddled around to Holly. ‘Aunty Holly want some?’

‘Thanks, gorgeous,’ Holly said, taking the spoon and doing the same. Looking at Harry’s sweet, open face, she realised exactly where Rachel’s carpe diem advice was coming from. Not a day was wasted in Harry’s life; they were all too precious. ‘Perhaps I will,’ Holly mused. ‘But, in the meantime, don’t mention it to him, if you see him, will you? I’ll do it in my own time.’

‘I’ll be the soul of discretion,’ Rachel assured her. ‘So long as you give me all the gory details when you do tell him!’

‘He’ll probably just laugh in my face,’ Holly said. ‘After all, it was fifteen years ago, and only a couple of hours of our lives. Not exactly the love affair of the century!’

‘You never know,’ Rachel said. ‘He seems nothing if not polite, from what I’ve seen of him in the media. I’m sure he’ll be tickled to be reminded.’ She gave Holly a mischievous look. ‘And since you’ve already got your hands on him on your massage bed, it seems only fair to mention your prior connection!’

Holly felt her face flushing, and it wasn’t entirely because of the warmth of the afternoon. ‘If the moment arises, I’ll drop it into conversation,’ she said. ‘But for the moment, I’d better head off. I’ve got Harriet Meadows coming in for another massage this afternoon.’