“I’m not a teetotaler,” said John. “But I don’t drink very much. I abstained completely for about ten years, until I felt I had the maturity to drink responsibly. I don’t think my problem was ever really the drink, so much as my inability to do anything by halves. If I was going to party, I was going to be a legendary partier; if I was going to be sober, I had to be the soberest of the sober. It took me a long time to reconcile all the elements of myself to working together instead of against each other.”

“Wow,” said Annie, peeling a piece of hot marshmallow off her chin. “You are really together. I mean, like really together! I’m impressed. I’m a fucking disaster.”

John laughed heartily. “Don’t be fooled,” he said. “That’s years of therapy talking. Most of the time striving to be the best version of myself results in me being a giant arse—you can bear testament to that!” he said, smiling at her. “And anyway, I think you’re being a bit hard on yourself. You walked away from your marriage with nothing, and within a couple of months you’ve launched a new business. Despite the landlord’s nephew sticking his beak in and being a pain in the proverbial.”

It was Annie’s turn to laugh now.

“It’s true I have become well acquainted with the proverbial side of your personality,” Annie teased.

“I don’t dispute it,” John said, holding his hands up and accidentally sending a freshly toasted marshmallow flying off into the darkness. “Bollocks,” he added, and skewered another pillowy sweet onto his fork.

“I’ve spent years slogging my guts out,” said Annie. “Always working harder, always pushing through to the next level, trying to achieve the next award or accolade. I mean, I never stopped. And I told myself it was because I had a lot to prove; you don’t get up the duff at seventeen without encountering a lot of judgment!”

“So you proved them all wrong,” said John.

“But if I’m honest, that’s not what I was doing. I set myself on fast-forward, so that there was never time to contemplate the idea that my marriage had been a terrible mistake.”

“You were lying to yourself,” said John.

“I just plain ignored it. I felt like I’d made my bed and I had to bloody well lie in it. Unfortunately, Max didn’t only lie in my bed.” She laughed humorlessly.

“That’s rough,” said John.

“It is what it is,” said Annie with resignation in her voice. “Wailing and moaning about it isn’t going to change anything.”

“But you feel you can make a fresh start here,” said John.

“Precisely,” said Annie. “Which is where you come in.”

“Make me an offer,” said John. “And I promise to give it fair consideration.”

“That’s all I’m asking,” said Annie.