‘She’s on this mad diet from her nutritionist at the moment. Did she mention it?’

‘Yeah,’ Izzy said, rolling her eyes a little. ‘I told her she already looks perfect and I can make alterations if needs be.’

‘She wouldn’t even risk trying any cake. Fair enough, the baker turned out to be in Ireland but still. Lorcan and I ended up having to suffer the calories.’

Izzy looked at me. ‘You and Lorcan went to Ireland… together.’

‘Not like that,’ I whispered, hastily, widening my eyes in warning.

She shot him a look. ‘Shame.’

‘You ready, Iz?’ Rob called from across the studio.

‘Yep, just let me get my bag,’ she said, tapping across the wooden floor in her adored Louboutins. Izzy and I shared an appreciation for beautiful shoes, which had also helped our friendship, although not necessarily our bank balances.

‘Got it,’ she said, hefting a massive tote onto her shoulder, which Rob immediately took from her and slung up onto his own. ‘Bloody hell, have you got a sewing machine in here?’

‘Stop whingeing,’ she said, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss him. ‘And thank you.’

‘You’re welcome,’ he returned, looking at her just as adoringly as when they had married, as though she were the only person in the room. ‘I managed to get the restaurant to do a table for four rather than three, now that Lorcan’s coming.’

‘Oh, fab!’ Izzy grinned at him before swinging her gaze to me.

Lorcan’s coming?

* * *

‘I did try to say no,’ he explained as we drove back towards my cottage later. ‘I knew you’d be less than thrilled if I came.’

‘It wasn’t that. I mean, that’s not why I didn’t invite you.’ My words were tumbling out faster than my brain could organise them. ‘Izzy suggested dinner before I knew you were coming and then I thought if I asked if you wanted to come to dinner, you might think it was unprofessional of me, or that I was coming on to you, either of which would be awkward. And frankly, I thought the last place you’d want to be sat this evening was at dinner with me again, after having had to chauffeur me around the entire weekend, so I didn’t want to make you feel awkward by having to find a polite way to say no thanks.’

‘Truth?’

I nibbled my nail. ‘OK?’

‘It was kind of awkward when Rob mentioned it was a shame I wasn’t coming to dinner. He was already off dialling the restaurant before I could say anything.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s fine. I guess I just felt uncomfortable that, as you said, my company was forced on you once again and this time with your friends. They’re really good people, by the way. I like them.’