'Just out in North London.'

'Cool. Well, maybe you could come in here.'

I nod, confused.

'Let me just chase your coffee ... Sarah, how's that coffee coming along?'

There's no answer. He shrugs.

'What kind of food do you like?' he says.

'I like all different types.'

'Me too,' he says. 'So should I just get Sarah to send you an e-mail with some potential dates?'

'What, for meeting up?'

'Yeah. Just casual, just see what happens, no pressure.'

'So what we're saying is, we should have a meeting?'

'Just a thought. Casual meet up. Compare notes. See if there's anything there.'

'So this meeting ...'

'Well, this meeting is a kind of informal meeting. The next one ...'

'... will be more casual?'

'Exactly.'

'OK...'

He stands up and extends his hand.

'Thanks for coming in, Danny,' he says.

'No, no, I ... enjoyed it.'

'Sorry about that coffee.'

'Don't worry,' I say. 'I'll have one when we meet up.'

'Far to go?'

'North London.'

'Nice to meet you.'

CAR

I have agreed to give Colin a lift to a party in my brand-new car. Although grateful, he is not impressed.

'This car makes you look like a pimp,' he says, trying to find something on the radio. 'Or a drug dealer! A pimp or a drug dealer!'

I am offended.

'It does not make me look like a pimp or a drug dealer,' I say. 'It makes me look like a grown-up. Like a man of responsibility and authority.'

Colin shakes his head, but then considers my comments.

'I suppose pimps have responsibility, in some ways,' says Colin. 'And drug dealers possess authority through their menace.'

I grip the steering wheel a little tighter.

'Plus,' he says, 'you've got pimp wheels. Slightly too large for the car.'

He finds KISS FM and starts to pretend he is a rapper.

'Stop making rapper motions,' I say. 'You look ridiculous. This is a grown-up car.'

I flick the radio back to Magic as Colin spots the turning he needs and says, 'It's just down that road there.'

We turn into a dark street somewhere near King's Cross. There is a grubby-looking massage parlour on the corner and various teenagers eating kebabs and kicking beer cans. I drive slowly as Colin tries to find the right building.

'Look at that man over there!' he says, pointing at someone on the corner. 'Look how nervous he is. He probably thinks you're a pimp or a drug dealer. That's why you're driving so slowly.'