Jake stood back while I walked inside, and he closed the door behind us. I looked around his large flat, drinking in everything eagerly. The flat had high ceilings and sash windows that let the summer sun stream inside and pool on the shiny floorboards. The walls were also light and there was a stunning fireplace in the living area. There was a wall of bookshelves and I immediately wanted to look at all the books he had. There was a big sofa and an armchair with a reading light. A record player and stack of vinyl. In the corner was an antique desk with Jake’s laptop on it. And next to the living area was a large, navy kitchen with an island and bar stools. The flat was stunning and Jake had made it cosy. The place also smelled like him, deep and musky, and it was neat, tidy and clean. I remembered he said that whenever he was procrastinating with work, he cleaned.

‘What can I get you? Tea, coffee, soft drink… It’s after 5 p.m. so I’ll add wine to the list too,’ Jake interrupted my thoughts as he wandered into the kitchen.

‘Um, you know what? Wine sounds good if you’ll have one too?’ I said, turning to follow him over there.

‘I think I could be persuaded,’ he replied, giving me another smile.

I still clutched the proof copy of his book so I put it down on the island as he went to the fridge to get us a drink. ‘I got a special delivery at work.’

Jake came back over with two glasses of wine and saw his book. ‘That explains your surprise visit.’ He passed me a glass. ‘Cheers, Freya.’

‘Cheers,’ I echoed and we smiled at each other as we both took a sip. ‘That was a big surprise for me,’ I said, feeling a little bit shy now we were alone. ‘And your Post-it note.’

‘Why was it a surprise?’

I raised an eyebrow. ‘Because I thought you were happy that we’d stopped anything between us, so for you to say you felt like I had in New York and to dedicate your book to me…’ I swallowed, trailing off because he was giving me a smouldering look and it was making it tricky for me to concentrate on what I was saying.

‘How could you think I was happy?’ Jake said, shaking his head. ‘I’ve been miserable since we came back. Especially dealing with all this book stuff and not being able to ask your opinion about it. I wanted to call you so many times, and get your advice. I’ve wanted to see you so much.’

‘But when we spoke outside Hayley’s office, I told you how I felt and you didn’t say anything…’ I found myself blurting out then wondering if I’d said too much again.