I risked another peek at Josh, and wouldn’t you know it? He was looking right at me. Crap on a stick! He raised his eyebrows, and then looked at James, as if to say, ‘get a load of this guy’. I frowned and looked away. Definitely jealous. Did I want him to be jealous? Well, yes. And no. I didn’t want him to feel bad, but then, if he did have feelings for me and he was jealous, then maybe he would drop the whole ‘I want to die a bachelor’ thing and do something about how he felt.

The annoying voice in my head told me I was being melodramatic, and it was right. I was going to finish the drink I was on, order another one, and get to know this gorgeous man, whose thigh was now pressed against mine, a little better.

I signalled to the waiter to bring another round for the table. Too bad if no one else had finished their drinks; we were there to have fun, right? After ordering, I attached what I hoped was a detached look to my face, and stared hard at the view. The silver fox leaned in close.

‘You really like your gin and tonic,’ he said, a teasing tone in his voice.

‘I do,’ I replied, keeping my eyes on the horizon. ‘It’s the perfect summer drink. And this is a perfect summer’s night.’ How am I coming up with this rubbish?

‘Is that so?’

‘It is.’

‘What makes this night so “perfect”?’ he teased.

Until then, I’d been playing a role, my disinterest an affectation. He may even have known that, but I was done playing. I didn’t want James thinking I was a vacuous dolt. I turned to him and gave him my full attention for the first time that night.

‘Because, I’m somewhere I have always dreamed of being – and it’s as beautiful as I’d imagined, maybe even more so. I’ve eaten a delicious meal …’ As if on cue, my next drink was placed in front of me. ‘I’m sipping my favourite drink while looking at that view, and most importantly, these people.’ I gestured to the assembled group. ‘They’re my family now, and I adore every one of them – and being with them is what makes this night perfect.’ There, that wasn’t rubbish; that was the truth. I was pleased I had come up with such a mature and gracious response.

He smiled and whispered, ‘Sarah, you take my breath away.’

My, my, the silver fox had a silver tongue.