As she set down the hamper and went to input the apartment entry code, Hannah glanced toward Penthouse-1 and, without thinking too much about it, strode over and knocked on the door. Then knocked again. Obviously, he was home. She could hear music coming from inside. The guy – Ed – was ignoring her.

Oh no wait he had mobility issues, she recalled, wincing at her impatience, so of course it would take him that bit longer to answer the door. But still, no reply.

Hmm . . .

Hannah scooted back to her own door.

One way or the other, she was going to make sure P-1 responded to her.

A little later, Zoe called again for a catchup.

‘You caught me right in the middle of making Rice Krispie buns,’ Hannah told her friend.

‘Yikes, what’s the occasion? Or should I say, who made you mad?’

Whenever she was feeling anxious or off-kilter, Hannah resorted to making a beloved Irish childhood treat that was impossible to mess up – a simple mixture of Rice Krispies and melted chocolate poured into paper bun cases and left to cool in the fridge. And, after today, she was definitely both.

‘I thought I’d take your advice and try to break through next door’s walls,’ she retorted airily.

Zoe laughed. ‘You truly cannot stand someone not liking you, can you? It’s cute, of course, but it can also be a little intense, and I’m talking from experience here. You take people-pleasing to a whole new level.’

‘I’m not that bad,’ Hannah argued, though the comment hit a nerve. ‘I just think that maybe Ed is angry and lonely because no one’s taken the time to get to know him, so he’s turned away from the world. It’s like that movie with Tom Hanks, where he plays that grumpy old dude who’s actually got a heart of gold?’

‘Unless it’s a movie with Momoa in it, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Anyway, if he’s that ornery maybe you might want to take it slow all the same? Some folks don’t like other people butting into their lives. New Yorkers especially.’

At this, Hannah found herself smiling.

‘But,’ her friend conceded with a sigh, ‘if you’re truly going to engage in one of your culinary charm offensives, then I also know that poor guy doesn’t stand a chance. Literally. Just try not to poison him, OK?’

‘Very funny.’