‘Ah, gotcha, they want more of the same?’

‘Precisely. I haven’t yet decided whether I’m willing to bend enough to keep them happy.’

‘You’ve written the new Thorn Birds, babe, you can do what you like. You not eating your cake?’

She shook her head. ‘I told you I didn’t want one. Coffee’s all I wanted.’

‘C’mon! We don’t want to hear your belly rumbling on the radio.’

Ali shook her head, then checked the time on her phone. ‘Look, I’m going to dash home before that interview,’ she said.

‘What? Why?’ Cass was supposed to be driving her up there. That was the plan.

‘I just want to, not sure why.’ Ali stood up and drained her coffee. ‘I have time: I’m not due at Collinswood for another forty-five minutes. I’ll drive myself there from home, don’t worry.’

‘You’ll be late.’

‘I won’t!’

‘Seriously, Ali, don’t be late for the BBC. They’re your people, after all.’

Ali laughed. ‘Cass, you talk such bullshit. Not five minutes ago you told me I was an Aussie.’ She slung a small black leather rucksack over her shoulder and pushed her hair away from her eyes, tucking a few strands behind her ears. Her lovely face was pale, Cass thought, eyes a little strained, and perhaps she was a little too thin.

‘Thank God it’s radio,’ Ali said, as if she could read her mind. ‘At least it doesn’t matter what I look like.’

‘Well, you look ravishing as usual,’ Cass said. ‘But a bit of lippy wouldn’t hurt, in case there are autograph hunters?’

‘Very funny,’ Ali said, and she blew a kiss and swung away.

Cass watched her go. In a desert island situation, if it came down to a choice between Ali Connor or a young Paul Newman, she’d have to regretfully push Paul back into the sea, because she couldn’t do without Ali, no way. Cass had heaps of friends in Sydney, women and men, and she loved the buzz of the city’s nightlife, but very often by Thursday or Friday she would fly home to her Adelaide roots, and Ali was top of the list of reasons why. She saw her friend thread her way through the busy café, open the door on to the street, step outside into the sunshine where she paused to put on her sunnies, then she was off.

‘I’m right behind you, sweetheart,’ Cass said, watching her go.