‘You’ve just had a monumental wake-up call. Suz left you because your drinking was out of control and last night you got arrested for assault because you were blind drunk. If you don’t stop now, something much worse is going to happen. You said yourself that it could have implications on you seeing Isla.’

‘I’ll stop.’ It comes out pathetic and not at all convincing.

‘I don’t think that’s enough,’ I say.

‘Me neither,’ says Joel. ‘You don’t seem to know when to.’

‘Come on, guys, you’ve seen me on big nights out, that’s all.’

‘You always have one too many. When was the last time you had a night off drinking?’ Joel’s glaring at him again, the anger returning.

‘You’re sounding just like Suz. I’m not an alcoholic, if that’s what you’re getting at. I wouldn’t be able to hold down a job, which I go to every day, may I add.’

‘I do think you’re an alcoholic; I think you’re a functioning one,’ I say, cross at myself that I didn’t try harder to speak to him properly the night we played pub golf. ‘That’s what they call people who can manage their everyday life but are still dependent on drink. They hide it really well. Look at you, Douglas, your hands are shaking and you’re twitchy.’

‘Because I’m hungover.’

‘Come on.’ Now it’s my turn to be bad cop.

‘OK, so maybe I’ve been on a few more benders than usual, but that doesn’t mean to say I’ve got a problem. I’ll not drink this week, how does that sound?’

‘I think it’s gone beyond that. I think you need to consider rehab.’

I let too much go with my dad before I got him help and I won’t make the same mistake twice.

Douglas laughs. ‘I’m not some kind of celebrity.’

He stops when he realises I’m not joking.

‘I’ve seen this before with my dad. He started drinking too much after Mum died. It started small, a couple of glasses of wine, then it became a couple of bottles a day, but by the end of it he had a whisky bottle in his filing cabinet at work and he was drinking after breakfast.’

‘What did he do?’

‘He got help.’

‘Does he still drink?’

‘He’s been sober for almost fourteen years.’

Douglas is quiet for a moment and then he turns and looks at me and I can see how frightened he is.

‘You’ve got to stop. You need help.’

‘No, I can’t, I can’t do rehab. There’s my work for starters.’ His joking has given way to a serious tone. ‘And also Suz would find out and she’d tell the judge and it would throw more oil on the fire.’