Laughing, I replied saying I’d meet her in the breakfast room in fifteen minutes, then I jumped up and forced myself to stop thinking about Jake. The day outside was grey and not quite the summer weather we’d had so far and the hotel air con was still on in full force so I put on a sweater over one of my dresses, making it look like a skirt, and added boots, leaving my hair to finish drying loose. I didn’t bother with too much make-up and headed out of the room in record time. I glanced at Jake’s closed door as I walked past. I could have knocked and asked if he wanted to join us but I kind of liked the idea of being able to squeeze in some girl talk before the conference started up again, and I knew I could do with some more time apart from him to compose myself. I was worried that as soon as I saw him again, it would be written all over my face what a giddy state he’d left me in.

I met up with Liv and we sat down with coffee and plates filled with the array of breakfast treats. ‘I’ll miss this hotel buffet when we go home,’ I said, tucking in to my plate happily. I had worked up a big appetite. Jake and I would have to leave before breakfast the next day so this was my last chance to fill up on the delicious selection.

Liv nodded as she ate some of her pancakes. ‘Me too. I’m going to put some pastries in my bag for my flight later.’ Liv was getting a night flight home so she’d only be at this evening’s party for a bit. ‘But this is a boring subject when all I want to hear about is your dinner with Jake,’ she added, leaning towards me and dropping her voice to make sure no one could overhear us.

I told Liv about Jake’s fancy plans that he’d changed when he saw that I was uncomfortable in the limo. ‘So, we got pizza and watched a busking trio in Times Square. We even danced to them. It really was a New York moment,’ I said, my voice taking on a dreamy quality as I thought back to it.

‘That does sound romantic,’ Liv conceded. ‘And afterwards?’

‘Well…’ I trailed off, feeling my cheeks heat up. ‘It was pretty hot, Liv. He has… moves. I think that maybe I’ve been missing out all this time on what it could be like in the, uh, bedroom,’ I added, stammering a little from embarrassment.

She smiled. ‘I felt like that when I got with Aiden,’ Liv said. ‘And did he say anything about what would happen when you get back to London?’