Oh, it was easy to be mean. He looked about and realized he was pretty much friendless. He recognized a few people from the service earlier, but didn’t know them well enough to go and plonk himself down beside them. He wished he’d brought someone. He’d considered Luke, but worried that the pressures of being seen as a couple in that context might trough up all the issues they’d ignored on their last go-around. He’d also thought that Luke’s clean-fingernailed perspective on what he’d always jokingly called ‘Si’s crusty crew’ might leave a sour taste in his mouth – and yet here he was, providing the acid-tongued commentary for himself.

Maybe it was time to go home.

Soft heat and a gentle sweat smell, as a woman threw herself down at the table. He recognized Clio Campbell right away – she’d sung ‘A Case of You’ at the service, as they were signing their names, after he’d rolled his well-taught enunciation around a straight recital of the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s ‘Wedding Song’, but he would have known her anyway. The gorgeous young Asian guy she’d been snogging in the middle of the mosh pit leaned over her for a final kiss, but she was already reaching for the discarded bottle of wine in the middle of the table. He made a toking gesture at her, and she laughed, slapped his bum and sent him on his way. She poured more from the bottle into the nearest glass (Simon thought it had maybe been his at dinner), drained it noisily and smacked her lips at him.

‘Oof. That’s me done dancing for another year, eh! You not getting up there?’

Had he known she was Scottish? He wondered whether he’d ever actually heard her talk. He remembered seeing her on Top of the Pops when he was a kid – she must be at least ten years older than him by that reckoning.

‘You’re Scottish.’ He’d said it out loud – he must be drunker than he’d thought.

‘You’re not.’

‘No, I’m not.’

They smiled at each other, and he realized she was probably as drunk as him. She filled up her glass again.

‘Nothing like a warm white wine to really not slake a thirst! I’m Clio.’

‘I know. I’m a huge fan.’ Huge? It was what you said, wasn’t it? He qualified, hastily. ‘I mean, your song today. “A Case of You”. I’ve loved it for years and I don’t think I’ve ever heard it done so gorgeously. Maybe not even by Joni herself.’

Too much? Too much.

She waved a hand.