I looked at my watch. It was just before two o’clock. And then I remembered that one of his suppliers was nearby. Had he had a lunch meeting with them this morning? Was he going back to the office and treating the staff to cakes, or was he taking twenty-four cakes home to his pregnant wife?

When he took out his wallet to pay, I looked away quickly and stared down at my book on the table. I opened it at a random place and tried to read what it said. I could hardly make out one word. I didn’t want to talk to him. I couldn’t think of one civil thing I might say.

And then the air seemed to shift and I knew he was there, standing over me. I hadn’t heard him, hadn’t seen him, but I knew. I kept my eyes fixed firmly on my book.

“Hello, Ruby.” He sounded nervous, as he should. “What are you doing here?”

I had to look up then. I didn’t know whether to slap him or kiss him. I pressed myself back in my seat to stop myself from doing either.

My mouth was suddenly dry and I had to swallow before I could speak. “Hello, Harry. I didn’t see you there.” It wasn’t convincing, I knew. “I was just reading my book.”

“Do you mind if I sit down?”

I shrugged.

He pulled a chair out opposite me and sat down, putting his boxes of cakes on the table next to us. “Oh, Kate Atkinson. I like her.” He took the book out of my hands. It was open at the center pages. He read a line or two, then looked at the cover. “What’s it about?”

“No idea,” I said abruptly.

He gave a nervous laugh; he’d never known me to be rude. “How have you been?”

“Fine. Everything’s hunky-dory, thank you.”

Just then the waitress arrived with my hot chocolate and coffee cake. “That looks good,” he said. “Mind if I join you?”

I glared at him, but he turned to the waitress. “I’ll have black coffee and the same cake, thanks.”

We sat in silence until she returned with his order. I kept my head down. I didn’t want to talk to him or even look at him. When the waitress was safely back in the kitchen, he reached out to touch my hand. I snatched it away.

“Ruby, I’m so sorry.”

Suddenly my throat was swollen with tears and I couldn’t say a word.

“I know we can’t be friends,” he said. “That would be too odd after all we went through, but surely we can chat if we bump into each other?”