There is no music playing, no noisy air con, just the sound of the waves and the gentle breeze to keep us cool. Our table is right by the edge of the cave, looking out to sea. Only a small fence stands between us and a sheer drop.

‘This place is incredible,’ I say as I sit down. ‘Are we the only ones here?’

‘We hired it out for your birthday brunch,’ Marty tells me. ‘The place looks even better at night, with all the lights everywhere, but it was fully booked tonight and we were working at short notice so, I guess, you give people enough money, they’ll open a restaurant whenever you want.’

‘Not that the money matters,’ Freddie quickly adds.

‘I just… I can’t believe it… Is this real life?’ I ask as I look around. ‘Seriously, I think I might be in heaven.’

As waiters cover our table with a variety of sweet and savoury dishes – more food than I can imagine the four of us being able to eat – I realise that I must be right.

‘Yep, I’m dead.’

‘I’m okay with it,’ Ali says. ‘If this is the afterlife, I’m happy to live here for eternity. I always thought I’d go, y’know, downstairs.’

‘We all did,’ I tease with a laugh.

To drink there is a variety of fruit juices – the peach one is my absolute favourite – and the waiter takes our coffee orders. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever have another birthday as incredible as this for as long as I live.

‘Guys, I honestly can’t believe you’ve brought me here,’ I say after swallowing a mouthful of sfogliatella, a flaky lobster-tail pastry absolutely bursting with Nutella. ‘This is just… this is perfect.’

‘You are the love of my life,’ Ali tells me, leaning over to squeeze my shoulder. ‘You deserve the world.’

‘I am so lucky to have you,’ I tell her, before turning to the men. ‘Freddie, you’ve not even known me a month and, Marty, we met yesterday, and you organised my birthday party!’

‘Ah, forget about it,’ Marty said through a mouthful of frittata. ‘Any friend of Freddie’s is a friend of mine.’

I raise my eyebrows for a split second.

‘Yeah, okay, I know yesterday wasn’t a good start, and I knew you weren’t a hooker, I was just being cute, trying to scare you off so this one would come home and get back to work.’

‘Apology accepted?’ I reply. It sounds more like a question than a statement, but I’m not actually sure whether or not he’s apologising.

‘Seriously,’ he says. ‘You seem like you’re having a great time together, and I got to meet Ali, so I’ll drink to all of that.’

Marty lifts his espresso cup.

‘To Lila,’ he says. ‘The birthday girl.’

Everyone joins Marty in toasting me with their drinks.

‘So, did he nearly scare you off?’ Freddie asks me.

‘Nah,’ I reply casually. ‘I was tempted to take his money though.’