The three of them trooped off down the hall, the slap-slap of their flip-flops echoing on the stairs as they went down to the basement.

Alistair sat back in his armchair, lacing his fingers behind his head.

‘And then there were two.’

‘Game abandoned, then.’

‘I guess so.’

‘Oh well,’ Sean said. ‘I was going to lose, anyway.’

Russ’s iPhone started ringing quietly on the low tabletop, the display showing an unrecognised number.

Sean ignored it and began collecting up the Yahtzee score sheets and dice scattered across the low table.

‘Must have been something we said.’ He looked at his watch. ‘When are the ladies due back, anyway?’

‘Not for at least another hour, I shouldn’t think. I expect they’ll just be getting into the aren’t-men-awful stage of the evening.’

‘No doubt.’

There was an awkward silence as Sean finished clearing up the game and drained the last of his beer.

‘Fancy another drink?’

‘Oh, go on then,’ Alistair said. ‘If you’re going to twist my arm.’

Sean went into the kitchen to grab another couple of Kronenbourgs from the giant fridge, pausing on his way back to listen at the bottom of the staircase. The muffled crack of a pool ball came up from the basement, but all seemed quiet upstairs. That was good.

He sat back down opposite Alistair and handed him one of the beers. They clinked bottles and Alistair leaned over the iPod dock, scrolling through the playlists. The kids’ chart mix was abruptly replaced by Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’.

‘So, Sean,’ Alistair said, settling back into his chair, ‘tell me about our newest arrival.’

‘Izzy?’

‘You two grew up together, didn’t you? What was she like back then?’

‘Ah, she was great, a livewire. Funny too, you know? We laughed a lot back then.’

‘Never married?’

Sean hesitated and took another gulp of beer, the glass of the bottle ice-cold against the palm of his hand. Didn’t Alistair know the history? Maybe he’d forgotten, or filed it away somewhere in his memory. He could never tell what the other man was thinking.

Engaged, but not married.

‘No. Never.’

Alistair steepled his fingers together.

‘I find her quite fascinating.’

‘Yeah, she’s an amazing woman, really.’ He added quickly, ‘So strong, despite everything that life’s thrown at her. I’m really glad she was able to make it out here this week.’

Stop talking. You are rambling. Just stop.