‘I was actually quite proud of myself actually getting a date, until you butted in and—’

‘Oh.’ There’s a long pause. ‘Sorry, I’m being a git. You did do well, brilliantly, but you need another date, better dates.’

‘Hmm.’ Lots more dates: he read my mind. ‘Mum says I need passion.’ I’m not going to tell him what else she said – that would have him running for the hills.

‘Exactly! Wise woman. So, tomorrow we’ll get you up in the air. Then I’ll take you for a drink after to recover.’

‘Recover?’ I’m not sure I like the sound of that.

‘Trust me. I know what I’m doing.’

Do I trust him? I think I trust him – I mean he’s never given me a reason not to, has he?

‘Oh, and sorry I didn’t reply to your texts, forgot to put my phone on charge when I got in last night. Too much to drink; sorry if I got a bit OTT, dunno what got into me.’

‘But you’re okay now?’

‘Of course, I am, why wouldn’t I be? I’ll pick you up at 10am.’ He ends the call before I can say anything else.

I call an emergency meeting with Bea. This calls for coffee, cake and some logical thinking.

And an escape plan.

***

‘Why are you looking so worried?’ Bea nudges me in the ribs as I drop my mobile phone back in my bag.

‘I’m not looking worried.’

‘Okay, pensive then? Come on then, spill. Tell me about him! Did you shag?’

‘Bea! You know it’s not like that!’

‘No, I don’t! Hang on,’ she peers at me, ‘you’re talking about Noah, aren’t you?’

‘Why, who are you talking about?’ I frown at her.

‘Steve! Your date, remember?’

‘Oh him, yeah.’ I’d pretty much forgotten about Steve.

She laughs. ‘Come on then, what’s happened now? Honestly you spend more time talking to Noah that you did to Robbie!’

She’s right. I hadn’t thought about it before, but I do talk to Noah and text him a lot. When we go our separate ways, it will leave a big hole in my life. Though the whole point of this is to fill any holes with a new man, or at least the ability to get one.

‘So?’

‘Ropes.’ I stare at her. ‘He wants to do it with ropes!’

‘Wow.’

‘That’s what he said. What does he mean?’

‘Ropes, oh my God, Rosie! He’s a dream! Honestly, why you’re not shagging him yet I will never understand.’

‘Stop it, he didn’t mean that!’ I say, even though that was exactly my first thought. ‘And we’re not like that!’

‘You’ve gone pink!’

‘He said I need to step out of my comfort zone and let go of control.’

‘I bet he means climbing walls, or that jungle place.’

‘Oh shit, why didn’t I think of that?’ I didn’t think of that because hanging suspended above a forest with only a rope to hang onto is not something I even think about, let alone consider doing. ‘No.’ This is really stepping out of my comfort zone. ‘I’m scared of heights!’ I am. Just seeing somebody else stand on the edge of a rock face makes me feel queasy.