One minute, he seemed like a very decent, helpful person keen to give a new writer a leg-up. The next, she could feel something more from him. A presence or intensity. Maybe it was just those lustful feelings again – feelings that she knew she shouldn’t act on.

She opened the message from Lorcan and read.

Jo, I wanted to apologise for last night. I really was just there with Grandad. I’m not a stalker. I’m also not an asshole, even if I seem to have a habit of portraying myself that way. It’s important to me, and I’m not entirely sure why, that you know the real me. And the reasons why I didn’t come to Derry last year, and the reason I was cautious about Ewan’s offer. Clearly he has proved me wrong and you’re getting a lot from the experience. I’m genuinely really glad about that. If you would be willing to let me explain when you get back, that would be cool. If not, then all I can say is I’m sorry.

Jo slumped onto the bed and read the message again. She tried to absorb what he had said and figure out how she felt about it. Did she feel he was being genuine? Had she seen the real him? She thought of his smile. The easy way they had chatted. The way he had taken to Paddy and Paddy had taken to him. Everything she had come to know of him in the time they spent together had made her feel comfortable in his company. It had made her feel safe. He had made her feel safe.

‘Gah!!!’ she said, before she threw her phone on the bed and made a very conscious decision not to bring it down to the bar where she was meeting Ewan. She would leave it, and all thoughts of Lorcan, in her room and come back to them later.

With her notebook and pen, and her battered laptop under her arm, she left her room and attempted to switch to business mode. However, as soon as she walked into the bar, she saw that Ewan had ordered drinks for them and two glasses of red wine sat on the table, the rest of the bottle beside them. So much for trying to be entirely professional, she thought wryly.