A couple of seconds later, he said: ‘So I’m guessing the answer’s “no”?’

‘Of course it’s no. I mean let’s get this thing cleared up right away … it’s no.’

Another few seconds passed, before he ventured a further enquiry. ‘Can I ask why?’

‘I’ve told you a dozen times … I don’t mix work and pleasure.’

‘And is that the only reason?’

She glanced at his hopeful expression, exasperated.

‘Look, Harry … it’s supposed to be a two-way thing. I get it that you fancy me …’

‘Who doesn’t fancy you?’

‘Erm … thanks.’ She was unsure whether feeling flattered by that was the correct response. ‘But the point is … I don’t really fancy you.’

He adjusted his collar, straightened his tie, jutted out his jaw. ‘Only because you’ve never seen me spruced up.’

She half-smiled, but then decided that this too was an incorrect response. She and Harry got on; not always, but most of the time. For that reason, she felt a tad regretful being harsh with him like this, but it wouldn’t be doing him a favour to lead him on.

‘Please accept the answer I’ve given you,’ she said. ‘It’s no, okay? Sometimes it just doesn’t click between people. And that’s what’s happened here. So, let’s not talk about it again, eh?’

He clamped his mouth shut and exhaled through his nostrils, before turning away.

Though rejection by females could hardly be a new experience since he’d split from his wife, the ‘grump’ was now on him. Like so many blokes Lucy knew, Harry Jepson could sulk for England if he felt it would serve a purpose.

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Sometimes you just couldn’t win; it didn’t matter what good you tried to do, it always backfired. More to the point – she checked the dashboard clock, and saw that she still had three minutes of this torture to endure. There really were occasions when you simply had to give yourself something to look forward to, just to lift yourself out of the intolerable fugue of the present.

As covertly as possible, though it wasn’t difficult with Harry determinedly looking elsewhere, she slipped out her phone, and keyed in a quick reply to Danny Tucker’s invitation:

What time and where?

Chapter 18