He holds his half-eaten piece of toast which is now limp, over-soaked with marmalade. ‘I was once,’ he says. Gloria reappears and sits herself on the counter. ‘I was a chorister for four years, in Cambridge.’ He quickly drops his toast in the bin and rinses his plate under the running tap. ‘Tea?’ he says, pointing at the teapot.

Gloria swings her legs, her hands on the edge of the worktop. ‘Thought you’d never ask.’ She’s grinning, looks as if she wants this, to be talking to him, like old times. ‘Why haven’t you ever told me?’

He reaches over her head to the cupboard and takes out a delicate cup. He pours the tea, holding the strainer above its rim, feeling the steam over his face. Eventually he shrugs his shoulders.

‘It’s never come up. Like it never came up that you cut hair.’ He sees her surprise, as if he’s slapped her with no warning.

‘I’ll cut your hair anytime you want, William.’ She’s defensive. ‘I just thought you’d got that covered.’

The silence is too deep, too charged for either of them to pretend that they haven’t entered strange and difficult territory, that everything is normal. The click and push of the front door is followed by a cool swill at William’s ankles. There’s a movement in the hallway, a darkening of the light.

‘I’ll respect that you don’t want to talk about it,’ Gloria says, ‘but whatever it is, you can always talk to me.’

‘What about?’ Ray leans casually against the doorframe.

‘Not for your ears, mister.’ Gloria’s voice is suddenly, dramatically bright and light, and though William knows she’s doing this to protect him, he’s annoyed that Ray has put an end to their conversation.

‘I’ll mind my own business then,’ Ray says, unperturbed by the brush-off. ‘So’ – he grins and rubs his hands together – ‘still on for the dance tonight?’

William remembers a dance being mentioned, but he can’t dance, or compete with Ray’s constant charm offensive, so he said no.

‘You bet,’ Gloria says, picking up the bag she left on the floor. ‘You coming, William?’

‘No, not tonight.’ He turns his back on them to rinse his cup under the tap.

‘Pity,’ she says, ‘got myself a new pair of shoes specially.’

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