‘It all sounds great,’ I reassured him once we’d gone over it all. We sat side by side at the table the panel would sit at. I looked out at the empty room full of chairs and thought about how they would all be filled with people shortly. ‘As long as you don’t get wound up by another author again,’ I added.

‘I will stay calm, I promise,’ Jake said.

‘I could never do something like this,’ I admitted, gesturing to the room.

‘Of course you could; you’re really confident.’

‘No, not for public speaking, and not really at work… yet. I am trying. But I really admire the fact you can do this.’

‘I do get nervous, though. I mean, I bottled it yesterday, didn’t I? Talking about personal things is hard for me.’

‘It’s hard for everyone,’ I told him. ‘Opening up and being vulnerable is difficult.’ I longed to feel that comfortable with a romantic partner that I could share secrets with them.

‘It is. Talking about my work is far easier because I am passionate about it.’ Jake looked at me. ‘I feel like you could open up easily, though. With the right person.’

‘Maybe,’ I whispered. I let myself have a quick fantasy that I could open up to Jake, and that he would open up to me.

We couldn’t say any more as people then started coming in. I got up and found a seat, leaving Jake at the table to greet his fellow panellists and the chair.

Liv found me five minutes later and sat down next to me while the room filled up. ‘Uh-oh,’ she said in a low voice. I followed her gaze and my heart sunk to see Davis Mulberry slink into the room. Then he spotted us and came over.

‘Mind if I join you?’ he asked, gesturing to the empty seat beside me and then promptly sat in it without waiting for me to respond. ‘I couldn’t miss witnessing another car crash by Jake Richards.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘The only car crash here is you.’

Davis turned and raised an eyebrow at me. ‘Don’t tell me, he’s worked his charm on you, Freya? Aren’t you fifteen years younger than him?’

‘Ten,’ I snapped back.

I felt Liv lean over to listen to us.

‘And you work together.’

I really hoped I wasn’t blushing. ‘What’s your point?’

‘I can see the way you look at Jake,’ he said so astutely, I was stunned. Davis sighed. ‘I need to warn you, Freya. He’s always been a ladies’ man. Likes to break hearts wherever he goes. Women seem to get very excited by the idea of him writing romance novels, he uses that, pretends he’s all about romance and love and finding that happy ever after when he just wants to get them into bed.’