I feel a tweak of alarm. I wasn’t expecting him to ask me straight out.

‘What do you mean?’ I say, playing for time.

‘She’s hiding something.’ He sits down with his monster sandwich and takes a bite. ‘Truthfully, Becky, I’m nearly at the end of the line with Sage. I thought we could work together, but …’ He wipes a blob of mayonnaise off his chin and takes another huge bite.

‘But what?’

‘If she can’t play straight with me, then it’s not going to work.’

‘You mean …’ I feel a sudden foreboding. ‘Luke, what do you mean?’

‘I don’t know yet.’ He opens a bag of crisps, which he must have bought himself. I certainly didn’t buy them. ‘Here’s the thing, Becky. A lot of issues are up in the air.’

‘What kind of issues?’

‘I spoke with the London office today and there’s some intriguing stuff going on back there. We’ve just had a call from the Treasury. I’m going to have to fly back to take a meeting. And if we progress with that association, then I’ll need to be on board.’

‘In London?’ I can’t hide my dismay.

‘Well, it makes sense. This LA jaunt was always temporary. It’s been fun and interesting, but frankly, I’d take ten bolshie Treasury officials over one obstreperous movie star any day.’ Luke laughs but I don’t join in. I’m feeling a rising rage. He’s talking about moving back to London? Without even consulting me?

‘We can’t move back to London!’ I blurt out. ‘What about me? What about my new career?’

Luke looks taken aback. ‘Well, you can be a stylist in London, surely? It’s the home of style.’

‘I can’t be a Hollywood stylist in London.’

‘Darling, there’s a film industry in Britain. I’m sure you can get some contacts together, talk to the right people …’

How can he be so dense?

‘But it isn’t Hollywood!’ I cry out. ‘I want to live in Hollywood and be famous!’

As soon as the words are out, I feel a bit stupid. But even so, I don’t want to take them back. I mean them. I’ve only had the teeniest taste of being famous. How can I give it up?

Luke is looking at me, an odd expression on his face.

‘Are you sure about that?’ he says at last.

This is the final straw. How can he even ask that?

‘I want it more than anything!’ I cry out. ‘You know what my dream is? To be standing on the red carpet in my own right! Not shuffled along like a second-class citizen, just filling up the space … but there as me. Becky.’

‘I didn’t realize it was so important to you,’ says Luke, in a toneless way which infuriates me.

‘Well, it is. It’s always been my dream.’

‘No it hasn’t!’ Luke gives a short laugh. ‘Are you trying to pretend this is the fulfilment of a childhood ambition?’

‘Well …’ I flounder briefly. ‘OK … maybe it’s a new dream. Does it matter? The point is, if you respected me, Luke, you wouldn’t drag us all out to LA, then drag us back to London without any warning. I know you’re the big-shot Luke Brandon, but I have a career too! I’m my own person! I’m not only “Mrs Brandon”! Or would you like me to turn into some corporate wifey-wifey? Maybe that’s what you secretly wanted, all along! I’ll go and learn how to make profiteroles, shall I?’