‘She’s friends with Hamish.’ He sounded genuinely sad. ‘I don’t even know how they know each other. She and I, as soon as we saw each other, we made out we were meeting for the first time. The lads, they don’t know.’ I nodded along while listening, but when he stopped, I found that I had nothing at all to say. I didn’t know whether I believed him. But I didn’t have the evidence not to. As though sensing a breaking-off point to move away from the awkwardness of it all, Rowan then changed the subject entirely and asked, ‘Anyway, I heard you had a night away with the girls. How was that?’

We managed idle small talk for fifteen minutes: he’d been out with the boys; caught up with work emails, despite it having been the weekend; then fenced a call from his parents. ‘Speaking of which, do you remember they’re visiting?’

No, I thought, because I don’t think you told me … ‘You told me they were coming?’

‘Yeah, like, a week or two ago, I definitely mentioned it.’ His tone was blurred with annoyance around the edges. ‘Anyway, they’re coming next week. You’ll be around, right? They’re booking us in for dinner so I’ll let you know when I hear from Dad. Probably looking at Thursday, though, or Friday.’

‘Okay, sure, I’ll keep those nights free.’

‘You’re a star, babe. Any plans for tonight?’

I was midway through rolling on a pair of tights. ‘I’m having dinner with Fred again.’

There was a lull. ‘Good,’ he finally said. ‘Good, that’s going to be good for you.’ I could hear he wanted to ask more, and I wondered whether he would. ‘Let me know when you’re home?’

‘I always do.’ Even when you don’t ask.

*

Fred came down to the front of her building to meet me. She was wearing skinny jeans with a loose-fitting polka dot blouse and she laughed when she saw my dress. ‘My God, we’re already co-ordinating.’ She kissed my cheek, light enough for my breath to catch. ‘You look amazing, Edi. Anyone would think you’re making an effort.’

I laughed. ‘Please, this is how I dress every night.’

‘Coming up?’ She held the door open. ‘I’ve taken a wild guess on dinner …’

For the second time in a two-hour window, I made small talk with someone. Only it felt easier doing it with a relative stranger than it had done with Rowan – and I tried not to lose my head over that. Lose your head over it tomorrow, I coached myself in between answering Fred’s questions about my work, and listening to her answers about her own.

‘I should hear back about the exhibition project soon anyway.’