He sighed. ‘Mum told her that you had dinner with me the other week. They were practically planning wedding outfits. I did say that if anything you’re even less interested in a relationship than I am. We’re friends, and there’s no point hoping we’ll become anything else.’

Again, good/rubbish to know. I swallowed back the lump of humiliation now blocking my throat and tried not to think about how Steph and I had been discussing my wedding dress only a few days earlier. I could pretend that had nothing to do with Sam, except that we’d considered adding gold beading to match his eyes.

‘So we’re friends?’ I offered a smile, to show how nice and friendly and chilled I was.

‘Don’t smile!’ he muttered urgently. ‘It’ll only encourage her.’

At that point, the maître d’ appeared like a ghost out of nowhere. ‘Sir, will you be joining madam?’

Sam shifted in his seat, a faint blush rising up his cheeks that completely contradicted everything he’d just said. My foolish heart pounded a little harder against my ribs. ‘Is that okay?’ he asked, glancing first at the maître d’, then at me.

‘You might as well stay now you’re here,’ I said, trying hard to keep my smile under control. ‘Seeing as we’re friends.’

‘Very good.’ The maître d’ nodded. ‘Can I get you anything, then, sir? A drink, perhaps, or the menu?’

Sam ordered a coffee, we both ordered the same dessert, and then we were alone again.

He looked at me before dropping his gaze to the table and then back up, the question bubbling under his skin.

‘Go on, ask me,’ I said, my stomach deliciously full.

‘It’s none of my business.’

‘And? If we only ever asked questions that were our business it’d be a pretty rubbish conversation.’

‘Were you stood up?’ he asked, after hesitating for another moment.

‘No.’

‘So this was part of the Dream List?’

My stupid, starving hormones couldn’t help pinging to attention at how his face shone with relief.

‘Well, duh!’ I grinned, admiring the beautiful room. ‘What kind of a Dream Man wouldn’t have brought me here.’

‘This place only opened a few months ago. I thought you made the list when you were at school.’

Reminder to self: Sam never forgets anything I say.

‘It’s an evolving document. Not sure Pizza Hut is quite my idea of a dream date these days.’

‘Fair enough.’ He paused while the waitress delivered our coffee and chocolate crémeux. ‘So, the other night…?’

‘A romantic dinner for one.’

He automatically glanced down at my jumpsuit.

‘I think Megan and Tom are trying to say goodbye,’ I said after a few seconds, breaking the loaded silence.