I stopped trying to follow him. I narrowed my eyes. I was furious. And more than a little bit tipsy. ‘That’s fine with me,’ I replied coldly. ‘You’re right. We would never work in the real world. Let’s keep things strictly business between us from now on.’

‘Goodnight, Freya,’ Jake said and with a tight nod, he left the room and went back out into the party as if we’d just ended a work meeting and not basically broken up.

I stared after him in shock at how the last few minutes had changed everything. I could blame Davis Mulberry but maybe he had just expedited what would have happened anyway. Jake thought I’d slept with him to get ahead at work. And I had no idea if he’d ever wanted more than a holiday thing with me. I had wondered if we had a chance after New York but clearly, that was never going to happen.

Walking back out into the party, I knew I couldn’t pretend all was okay and I certainly didn’t want to have to entertain Mulberry or face Hayley in this state. I looked around. Jake was with Hayley again, their backs to me. They clearly weren’t looking for me. I wasn’t needed any more.

I hurried along the edge of the wall for the door, keeping my head down and avoiding eye contact with anyone. Once out of the banqueting suite, I pulled my heels off and clutched them in one hand, scooped up my dress in the other, and like Cinderella, I made a mad dash across to the Waldorf so I could get to my hotel room and cry in peace.

But unlike Cinderella, I didn’t drop a shoe on the floor, I narrowly avoided stepping on a discarded, half-eaten pizza on the pavement, and there was no Prince Charming trying to catch me.

36

Where did you get to last night? I missed saying goodbye. I’m at the airport ready for my flight home boo!

I was wide awake when Liv messaged me later that night. I saw my phone light up and for a crazy moment thought it might be Jake asking to talk. I couldn’t face telling Liv what happened between us so I just replied to say I’d call her when I got back to London. I really didn’t want to, though. I definitely wasn’t up to hearing a ‘told you so’.

The night had passed with me staring at the ceiling or the clock, and then it was time to get ready for my early flight, and panic set in because Jake and I were meant to be travelling to the airport together. Plus we’d be sitting in neighbouring pods for the flight home.

How the hell was I meant to face him after our argument at the party?