Still holding her smile as she seethed, which she knew was more to do with her encounter with Vaughn, than Alfie, Franny snapped, ‘Like I say, you look a state, and you’re embarrassing yourself. Having the girls fall over you isn’t the way to run a place, not this kind of place anyway. And before you ask, Alf, I’m not jealous – far from it. This is about business and this business is supposed to be a classy joint. Now I get that something’s going on with you, but don’t bring that something to work.’

‘Cometh the ice maiden.’

‘Grow up, Alfie!’

With Franny’s arrival acting like a bucket of cold water, Alfie sat up, glaring, his blue eyes piercing from underneath his fringe of thick black hair. ‘Listen to me, if you only came down here to give me grief, why don’t you just turn your pretty backside around and go home. I can do without another lecture.’

Franny sighed, her voice softening as she touched his hand gently. ‘If you must know, I came here to see if you were all right. I was worried. You haven’t been yourself. Look what you did earlier. I just want to know what’s happening … Come on, talk to me, Alf.’

Alfie stayed silent for a moment before shrugging, trying to dispel his gnawing unease.

‘I’m fine. How many times do I have to tell you?’

‘Alf, it’s me you’re talking to. There’s something going on, I know there is. You’re distant. I can feel you pushing me away.’

Alfie looked at her evenly. ‘You think this is about Bree and you, don’t you?’

Franny bristled, her voice tight. ‘What … what are you talking about?’

Gently, Alfie took her hands. ‘I’m talking about you. You think I still miss her. That I’m still in love with her, don’t you?’

A flicker of relief crossed Franny’s face and more relaxed she said, ‘I don’t know – are you?’

‘No, and you know why?’ Franny shook her head but let Alfie continue to talk. ‘Because why would I want to waste my time on someone who didn’t love me back? I mean, she can’t have cared. She can’t have given a damn about me if she just dropped me the way she did. Going off like that without even a goodbye. I don’t know what I was thinking getting together with her in the first place.’

Seeming slightly distracted as if wanting to get on with what she had to do, Franny said, ‘You were hurt, Alfie. I understand. You thought I’d left you. It’s as simple as that.’