‘You still do that to your hair when you’re nervous,’ he says, his eyes twinkling as they stare into mine. He really is drunk. ‘You know, I used to think that was the cutest thing in the whole wide world. Man, you still are the most beautiful creature, Charlie Taylor, aren’t you?’

Oh God help me. I can’t deny it, but there’s something about his voice. He may be drunk and amongst a heap of friends who don’t give a shit that I’m here, but his voice could tame lions.

He hiccups then and excuses himself. I manage to laugh and roll my eyes as the moment, however beautiful, is gone.

I sit back in my seat, wondering why on earth I thought for even a second it was going to be just the two of us here today where we would reminisce and talk about where it all went wrong in our love story. I’d imagined us sitting on the bench where we had that last most wonderful day together, looking out at the sea, where he’d tell me how I inspired so much of his music, and how he never really let my love go all this time.

Is that what I’d hoped for? I’m not even sure it was, but I definitely didn’t anticipate that I’d land in the midst of an afternoon party where the drinks, and God knows what else is going at this ‘party’, are plentiful.

I’m just about to ask Tom how he is, or attempt to indulge in other such small talk, when we’re joined by a girl who goes by the name of Eva and who seems to be in a bit of momentary despair. It’s the girl from outside, the foreign girl who was on the phone when I was coming in here, the one who looked straight through me when I tried to greet her.

‘She is, like, totally lost,’ she says, throwing her phone down onto the table. ‘I give up on her. She just has simply no sense of direction, Tom, so you’re going to have to send someone to go get her. The girl is clueless around that city. She’s too hungover to concentrate and she says she spent the whole day crying because you won’t answer your phone. Again!’

Tom grasps his hair in his hands and pushes it back so that his handsome face stretches, then he starts laughing. I assume they are talking about his fiancée, Ana.

‘What the hell is her problem? I told you to tell her to get a taxi and come out here to Howth,’ he says, his voice pinched and unnerving now. ‘I don’t know how much simpler it can be. We’re chilling, here, man! She’s really pushing me on this trip and you’re not helping either, Eva. Give me a break, please!’