‘Oh, that wife.’ He stuck his hands in his pockets and kicked a stone as he nodded. ‘You mean the one I divorced two years ago?’

I looked back at him, mouth agape.

‘You missed that part of the story, did you?’ John asked, combing his hair out of his eyes. His forehead was already damp, it was so hot out. ‘So you probably didn’t get the bit where she was cheating on me then refused to give up her half of the business in the divorce because her dad gave us half the startup money. So now I have to work with my ex-wife, on the businesses I built up from nothing.’

‘I didn’t know that,’ I said, allowing my weight to fall back into my heels, anchoring myself into the ground. Everything suddenly felt unsteady. ‘I’m sorry.’

He gave a dignified sniff and stared off into the distance while I took in this new information, adding it to my Facts About John pile. I already knew he worked hard and could be funny when he wanted to be. I knew he was a bit too tall but he was handsome and had quite nice hair. He was blunt and a know-it-all but he was kind and generous and caring when it mattered. And I knew that when we’d danced, I’d desperately, desperately wanted him to kiss me which made no sense, because … Patrick.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I said when we had both been quiet for altogether too long. ‘Camille said she was “the wife” so, obviously, I thought … I didn’t know about the rest of it.’

‘Really must get Camille to add “ex” into her title,’ he muttered. ‘Force of habit, she’s known her for years.’

‘She didn’t seem that keen,’ I added and John showed a hint of a grin. ‘It must be really hard for you, to have to work with your ex.’

‘Well she gives about as many fucks about the business as she did about our relationship,’ he replied, before shaking his head at himself. ‘But I cope. I’ll be able to buy her out someday. Not all of us get as lucky with our exes as you did.’

He began to walk on again and I prised my heels out of the recently watered grass, trying not to break my ankle in the process.

‘Do you want to get back together with her?’ I asked, trotting after him. I was starting to feel too warm once again in my Zara midi dress. Seriously, I should have burned it after the first time I wore it but I was still short on wardrobe options and would be until I got my first proper paycheck.