Chef was, as with most chefs Isaac had encountered, king of his domain, always in action and always grumpy. He was stuffing his chef whites into the laundry bag when Isaac found him. The rest of the kitchen staff had already gone home. When Isaac asked how they’d coped with the numbers tonight he looked around his gleaming-clean kingdom and grunted. ‘Not bad.’ He put on his coat leaving Isaac to surmise, as the outside door swung closed behind him, that if Chef needed another kitchen porter he’d say so.

Isaac checked his watch. Soon it would be time to close and cash up. He looked up and saw Lily hovering, regarding him uncertainly. Her shoes were back on her feet; her hair shone under the lights almost as brightly as the sequins of her dress.

‘Going clubbing now?’ he asked, as she didn’t immediately state the reason for standing alone in the back instead of out in the bar with her friends.

She grimaced. ‘It went out the window. Zinnia had to rush home because they had a kitchen fire. She’s texted to say the fire’s out, no one was hurt but it caused a lot of damage and now the back door won’t shut so her boyfriend’s trying to find someone to make the house secure. Looks like the blaze began in the extractor.’

Isaac hadn’t even noticed Zinnia leaving. ‘Horrible mess to clear up, I expect.’ He made to skirt around her and return to the bar.

‘Um …’ she began, fidgeting with her fingers. ‘I’ve sort of got to tell you something.’

He paused. ‘OK.’

She glanced behind her, as if to check they were alone. Her cheeks were pink, probably from the wine she’d been drinking steadily all evening. ‘Hayley, well, she seemed to be making a point of asking about you. I felt uncomfortable so I was a bit cool with her and may have made it sound as if we’re cosier than we are. Then I realised that if she was here to try to reignite your relationship then I shouldn’t have.’

‘Don’t worry,’ he said, not really comprehending why Lily was feeling the need to confess. Was there some kind of in vino veritas thing going on? She’d had a drink and was letting things show that she’d usually hide? Or was that just wishful thinking on his part because he was over-aware of how incredible she looked? ‘Hayley was behaving oddly tonight but I don’t think it was about reigniting anything. It’s not in her character to look back or have regrets. She rarely admits, even to herself, that she’s made a mistake.’

Lily’s nose wrinkled just at the bridge, where she had a few faint freckles. ‘She must have had some reason for the way she was asking about you. Maybe she’s missing having someone to confide in.’