‘Do you fancy dessert?’ he asked, as the waitress cleared our plates away, returning with a menu. What was the right answer? I didn’t want anything, but would he be annoyed? Would our meal be cut short? I didn’t want to go back to his any sooner than I had to. Although I was only postponing the inevitable.

‘I don’t think so,’ I said, perusing the dessert menu. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him lift the bottle, frowning at the weight, and pour us both another glass of wine.

‘I ordered another, I hope you don’t mind?’ I stretched my hand across the table and laid it on top of his. The feel of his skin made me squirm.

‘Of course not,’ he replied, gifting me an easy smile.

The waitress returned but I declined dessert. Ian chose a cheese board and I was pleased I’d had a reprieve in the restaurant for a bit longer.

I was eager to text Ben. He’d been playing on my mind, I had to try and explain. I didn’t know when I’d get to see him again after tonight.

‘Would you mind if I went for a cigarette?’ I wasn’t sure why I was asking, I was going regardless of what he said. The role of subdued Eve was becoming a bit of a habit and I didn’t like her one bit.

Ian raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth twitching. ‘You never said you smoked?’

I was expecting a lecture, but it never came.

‘Only socially. When I have a drink.’

‘I’ll join you.’ My heart sank, texting Ben would have to wait.

Ian popped to the front of the restaurant to advise the hostess we were leaving the table to go for a cigarette. I used the seconds he had his back turned to pour my half-full glass of wine into the plant pot. As he returned, I raised the glass to my lips to sip the drops that remained. I slipped my phone back into my bag, no point in taking it with me.

‘They’ve got a balcony out the back, upstairs.’ He held the door open for me and as we reached the door to the balcony I cursed not taking my jacket. It was freezing and the thin material of my camisole clung to my body. Ian had left his blazer downstairs too. He gasped as we emerged into the icy air and we huddled in the corner to light our cigarettes. ‘You look beautiful tonight,’ he said, lacing his finger through the spaghetti strap of my top. It made me shiver, though it was masked by the cold. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat.

‘I’m not the sort of girl you would normally take out, am I?’

‘What makes you say that?’