But he’d already disconnected. I tried to call him back but, predictably, it went straight to voicemail. Wanker. He knew that there was no way I’d stand anyone up, especially someone who worked at the same hospital as Jack and me. He also knew that I wouldn’t be able to meet her then tell her I wasn’t staying in case she thought it was because I’d taken one look at her and didn’t like what I saw.

Cursing, I started the car and drove down Hearnshaw Hill to park in one of the spaces on the seafront. I’d get him back for this.

I slammed the car door shut, crossed the road, and slowly made my way towards North Bay Corner. I was already late, but I couldn’t seem to make my legs move any faster.

Why the hell had Jack brought up Kirsty? He was right, though. It was because of her. I needed more time to get over what she’d done to me… to us. I should have known what to expect, though. She’d been seeing someone else when we met at the hospital’s Christmas do. Jack had warned me that the vivacious, beautiful Nurse Kirsty Griggs had already worked her way through several of the doctors and consultants in the two years she’d been working at Whitsborough Bay General. I didn’t listen. I thought I was different. I believed her when she told me she loved me and that the others had been casual flings until the right man came along. She told me she’d had to kiss a few frogs before she found her prince. Okay, so she’d kissed a whole swamp full of frogs but who was I to judge? It wasn’t like I hadn’t had other partners.

Just over two years we’d been together. Two exciting, passionate, amazing years. She was feisty and I was stubborn so we had some horrendous arguments where we shouted and screamed at each other but the make-up sex was worth the angst. Her many frogs had certainly taught her a thing or two!

But it turned out they were still teaching her and I hadn’t a clue. If my meeting hadn’t been cancelled that February evening, I might have still been with her, completely oblivious. I don’t think that image of opening the lounge door of our rented flat to the sight of my girlfriend on all fours on our new IKEA rug with one of the junior doctors will ever leave me.

Kirsty, all her crap, and the IKEA rug moved out that evening.

My stomach did a somersault as I got closer to The Surf Shack. Christ, I’d do anything to avoid doing this.