‘Hire place stuffed the booking – it was supposed to be a van. They only had this one, or else we were taking Erin’s hatchback and that just wasn’t enough for my stuff, seeing as my storage unit renews tomorrow and they’ve sucked me dry enough already. So it’s basically got my loungeroom in the back of it. We were a bit worried, but it’s got grunt.’

‘You brought an armchair to the snow?’ Andy laughed. I was still grappling with his use of the word “we”.

‘I would have just paid the extra. You brought that whole thing just to save a few dollars?’ Sofia asked.

‘I think it’s very sensible,’ Lucy muttered. ‘I thought I still had most of our—’

‘It’s what they had.’ Michael talked over her. ‘Plus, we made sure they gave it to us for a good discount, of course. And I’ll have to move my things next week, so might keep it a few days extra. Worth the risk of getting it up here.’

‘You can keep stuff at mine if you need to,’ I said, half to fill the air and half because I wasn’t entirely listening; I had one ear out for a glimmer of Erin’s conversation with Katherine. Here’s a tip: don’t whisper secrets with too many s’s in them – the hiss snaps through the air. I heard Katherine say ‘separate rooms’ but I couldn’t tell if she was asking or confirming. I wish it hadn’t caught my ear, but it did. I realised Michael and Sofia were both looking at me curiously. It took me a second to realise what I’d said, and once I did, I half expected Michael to say, I already am.

‘Might take you up on that, bro,’ he said instead.

‘I quit smoking,’ Lucy cut in.

Michael looked at her like a parent looks at a child who’s interrupted their glass of wine to show them a somersault and said, ‘Well done,’ in a way that meant ‘run along’. ‘So, what do we do for fun here? Trust me, I’m excited by the restaurant and the bar, but I’m not spending my whole weekend cooped up inside.’

Andy and I said in unison: ‘There’s a jacuzzi on the roof.’

‘Everyone!’ Marcelo called us over. Lucy did a pass on the inside of Andy worthy of Formula One to wind up next to Michael. Sofia and I trailed behind.

‘You’re blushing,’ Sofia needled quietly. ‘What’s the matter, starstruck?’

I shook my head. ‘I’m all over the place. This isn’t what I was expecting.’

‘Me neither.’ Sofia wrinkled her nose. ‘Cuidado.’ Even though I don’t speak it, sometimes Sofia threw Spanish words at me. I knew this one, having heard it a few times: be careful.