A beautiful dark girl in a shimmery dress and pearls flung her arms around a very gay man in sealskin and air-kissed him passionately.

‘Alberto, baby!’

‘Darling! I am so excited. I hear you are fantastic.’

‘Silly!’ She simpered. ‘I’m so not.’

‘I’m sure you are, mon ange. You will light up the screen. I hear it is like Woody Allen at his best.’

‘God, well let’s hope it’s not at his worst!’

‘And your co-star, he is quite gorgeous, non?’ Seal-skin nudged the girl conspiratorially. ‘All that brooding darkness, that fabulous body.’

The girl went pink. The door swung shut behind them and their giggles faded. I took another desperate drag and wished I’d gone home to get changed. Into what, though? Yet another battered pair of jeans? Exhaling, I knew I couldn’t stay. I didn’t belong here.

Perfectly on cue, Seb stepped out of a black Mercedes that had just pulled up on the opposite side of the road. He hadn’t seen me yet. I held my breath, hovering – unable to decide –

‘Maggie!’

My blood ran as cold as the night around me. Fay was tripping lightly toward me, her long coat falling open to reveal the same green dress I’d worn to Bel and Johnno’s do. I was truly astounded.

‘Fancy seeing you here,’ she said, and she smiled – but she was cooler than she’d ever been before. ‘Have you come for the film?’

‘Umm, sort of.’ With considerable effort, I composed myself. ‘Have you?’

Over her shoulder, I watched Seb cross half of the busy lanes of Piccadilly, patting his jacket pockets, then turn back to the car, frowning. He disappeared behind a bus; I wished fervently that Fay would disappear too.

‘I was going to suggest we got seats together, but in the circumstances –’ She turned those huge eyes on me reproachfully.

I smiled feebly, but she was already through the door and pattering up the stairs as Seb strolled across the road again, clutching a phone and a fat book.

It was now or never. I took a deep breath and, chucking my cigarette away, stepped out of the shadows. ‘Sebastian.’

He turned on the second stair and a flicker of recognition crossed his face, followed by a huge grin. ‘Maggie Warren. What a lovely surprise!’

‘Oh, is it?’ This time my smile was truly sincere. ‘That’s nice.’

‘Yes, it is. I didn’t think you were coming, I must say. Why didn’t you ring me?’

‘I was – you know.’ I felt ridiculously nervous. ‘I was just passing.’

‘Really?’ He was courteous enough not to look disbelieving. His smart suit hung immaculately on his lean form, his sky-blue shirt complementing his olive skin perfectly.