Lewis steps away from his mum as he sees Emma walk off into the house, perhaps he’s going to follow her, seize his moment to finally get her alone without the complication of Yvonne there. But instead, he makes a beeline straight towards her. ‘Where’s the Princess gone?’ he asks.

‘Toilet.’

‘Good. I need your help with something.’

Her heart beats.

‘My sister-in-law wants to make mojitos. I need to find mint in the greenhouse. Walk with me?’

She follows him down the path which leads to the greenhouse.

‘I need to thank you,’ he says as she steps in behind him.

‘For what?’

‘For not telling Emma.’

‘I was never going to tell Emma.’

‘It must have been awkward for you these last few weeks.’

‘Yeah, it has been.’

‘But you know what’s funny?’ he asks, smiling slightly. ‘Last night, I found something I’ve been looking for.’ He pulls a travel card from his pocket and holds it up, her writing scribbled on the side. ‘After we first met I looked everywhere for this. I even went back to The Troika the following Friday night but you weren’t there.’

‘Why are you telling me this?’

‘Because I need you to know that I would have called you. That I wanted to.’

‘You’re full of shit,’ she laughs. How can he stand in front of her and say this? How can he think this is okay?

‘It’s not working out with me and Emma. It’s fun but she’s not really my type.’

A train thunders behind the fence and rattles a loose pane of glass overhead.

‘And have you told her this?’

‘She doesn’t care.’

‘She does care, Lewis.’ And that’s the real problem. It’s not that he lost Yvonne’s number or that he’s not told Emma they know each other. The real problem with this situation is that Emma is starting to like Lewis, really like him.

‘She’s not going to be around this summer,’ he says. ‘For her I’m just someone to fill the time with. We have nothing in common. I don’t know what I was thinking when I asked her to come here today. I’m surprised she turned up. But I’m glad you did.’ He takes a step closer and she smells the smoke of the coal on his shirt. ‘I’m going to break up with her.’

No. He can’t. It will hurt Emma too much. And what would be the point? Wouldn’t it be better to just let the long summer holidays happen and for them to fizzle out?

‘But,’ Lewis raises his hands, ‘I want to know if you’ll still let me call you?’

Is he serious? He can’t be. ‘No,’ Yvonne snaps. ‘Just no.’

‘Why not?’ he touches her hand.