‘Not when he doesn’t show.’ The disappointment of him, specifically Gabe, not turning up ebbed away a while ago, around the time Noah started to act the clown. But it still hurts, the being stood up bit. Especially saying it out loud to somebody.

‘Oh, Rosie. You should have called me,’ if she was here, she’d be hugging me, she’s good like that, ‘you could have come round rather than being on your own. Or I’d have come for a drink with you.’

‘Aww I know, Bea, but I didn’t want to bug you, and you were seeing Si.’ Si is her latest boyfriend, but I think his days are numbered.

‘I wouldn’t mind, you know I wouldn’t! I’m getting fed up of Si anyway. Did I tell you he’s trying to get me to go with him to watch Man U? I mean, Man U!’ His days are definitely numbered. ‘I put my City scarf on and staged a protest.’

‘Poor Si! I was fine though, honestly.’

‘I don’t like to think of you on your own. It’s the pits when some doofer doesn’t show. What a dickhead!’

‘I wasn’t exactly on my own. I got talking to this guy and …’

She squeals again. ‘A guy!!’ I can hear her jumping about on the bed making herself more comfortable. ‘Tell!’

If Bea had been there instead of me, it would have been a date. I can’t help but smile at her. ‘It wasn’t like that. He wasn’t my type.’

‘He doesn’t have to be your type, Rosie! He was a date!’ I decide not to correct her. ‘Was he fit? Cool? Funny? Or old, was he too old?’

I grin. Bea is unstoppable. Sometimes I wish I was more like her, it must make some things so much easier, but mainly I’m happy just being me. I think my life is less extreme, less highs and lows. I’m not sure my emotional state could cope with a Bea-type lifestyle. ‘He was fine; I suppose he was quite fit, and funny; you know, just a guy. We chatted, had a couple of drinks. It stopped me feeling sorry for myself.’ No way can I go into details, not until I have a clear head. ‘He was nice, and he walked me home.’

‘Walked you home!’

I hold the phone away from my ear. ‘Tell me you kissed! You kissed, didn’t you!’

‘Bea!’

‘But you had a nice time? And he knows where you live. When are you seeing him again?’

I try to stop laughing. ‘Oh Bea, no way would I date a guy like that. He was such a player, I could tell. He actually admitted he was a serial first dater!’

‘Maybe that’s what you need. You know, just some fun?’

And to end up getting hurt. ‘No.’ I say it more firmly than I mean to, but I’ve seen what men like that can do, the hurt they can bring even as they’re saying they love you. The way they even convince themselves they can change, but they can’t. I’ve seen a man like that cause so much pain to a person I love – and not been able to do anything at all to make it right. A man like that is not for me. ‘Why is it so bloody difficult?’ I sigh. ‘It’s not like I’m asking for some wonder boy with a super yacht, Jag and French chateau to his name, is it?’