‘—I saw you. Heaving boxes. And walking hand in hand with a girl.’

‘What girl?’

‘Your sister. But at the time I thought she was your girlfriend—’

‘Ah shit. You shoulda talked to me.’

‘I should have done a lot of things. I just protected myself until I was strong enough to deal with it.’

‘Deal with what?’

‘Being let down. I can’t go through it again. I can’t go through a relationship again until I know I can handle it ending. A tough girl is what I have to be.’ I started singing ‘Daddy Lessons’ by Beyoncé but he didn’t smile.

‘I would never cheat on—’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ I smiled. ‘I can’t rely on you or anyone else to make me happy. It has to come from me. I’ve been hurt before.’

‘I get that.’

‘You know what it’s like to have your heart broken?’

‘Big time.’

I reached for another beer. ‘Show me some more of your tattoos,’ I said, leaning forwards. He pulled back his shirt sleeves to reveal another eagle with a sparkling 3-D blue diamond in its claws on his right forearm and a crescent moon on his left. I was lubricated enough by this point to touch him on the arm. ‘I get the eagle and the flag but what’s the jewel for?’

‘My mom’s nickname for me. Joya. Means jewel in Spanish.’

‘I grazed over the ink with my fingertips. ‘That’s… nice.’

‘Mi corazon, mi luz y mi joya preciosa.’ He rolled his eyes but his mouth smiled. ‘That’s what she calls the three of us, me and my brother and sister. My heart, my light and my precious jewel.’

The more we chatted, the more I just wanted to be in his company. Not even touching. Being near him was enough. I could have stayed all night. But there was a point when my stomach rolled over like a manatee in custard.

‘Ooh God, I don’t think I should drink anymore. Or eat. Or speak.’

‘Do you wanna go home?’

I swallowed hard. ‘I think I better. Where’s my bike?’

‘Salomé took it into her store room, remember? Let’s go get it.’

Not only did he not let me cycle back up to the Hacienda half-cut and vomitous, but he put my bike on the back of his dad’s car and drove me up there instead, allowing me to hang my head out of the window like a spaniel. ‘Thanks for dinner,’ I said when I got out, five minutes away from the Hacienda. He got out too and unhooked my bike. ‘Sorry I got so pissed. I haven’t drunk in a while.’

‘It’s cool. I can’t see a house here. You sure we came the right way?’