‘Oh, definitely.’ Ben shook his head. ‘It’s totally disorienting. But I don’t want you both to fall out over it.’

‘We really haven’t,’ Alexa said, warmly. ‘It’s OK.’ She placed her hand on his, and he turned and squeezed hers gratefully. ‘Honestly. Don’t worry.’

Ben didn’t look totally convinced but seemed to conclude that, for now, this reassurance would do. ‘Right’ – Ben rubbed his palms together, ran a hand through his hair – ‘now that’s dealt with, sort of, can we please briefly discuss Jack.’ His eyes danced.

Alexa laughed, guiltily.

‘Oh, Jack,’ she added, fondly. She tipped a measure of gin and tonic into her mouth. ‘I can’t believe he didn’t think to tell us he had signal that whole time …’ She paused. ‘In fact – what am I saying? – of course I can. I doubt he’d notice if someone set fire to his shoes.’

Ben cackled. ‘To be fair to him, we gave him plenty to tweet about. No wonder he didn’t think about anything else.’

‘True. Very true.’ Another guilty laugh. ‘But still. I would never have expected it from him. In a way, I’m very impressed.’

‘It was quite a rescue.’ Ben smiled at the memory. ‘Where’s he hiding out now?’

‘His sister’s, I think? Who lives not all that far from my dad’s place – in Earlsfield.’

‘Nice bloke, Jack.’ Ben added, ‘Totally crackers. But he’s very nice.’

‘That’s about the measure of Jack. Ellen’s least favourite thing about him is the fact he exclusively takes baths. Never showers. Even before work. He always takes a bath.’

Ben looked politely baffled. ‘That is very unusual.’

‘Yes,’ Alexa replied. ‘It definitely is.’ She paused, and then rashly started, ‘About the other thing Ellen said –’

Ben squeezed her palm again, to interject. ‘Look, I’m really sorry about all that. She made me feel a bit exposed and … obviously, we’d been on a few dates and everything, but that was the first time I’d stayed –’

‘It’s fine.’ She felt shy now.

‘But,’ he began, in a lower voice, so low that she had to lean in slightly to hear him, ‘I’d really love to see where all this could go.’ He was watching her through his eyelashes. ‘If you’d like to.’

Her stomach swooped. ‘I’d like to, too,’ she said. Worrying it was inadequate, she added, ‘Very much.’

And then he leaned in, and closed the gap between them. And after a bit of that, they sat beside each other like any other young couple in the April sunshine of Soho Square.

29. Jack

It was now Saturday, a full week since he had moved out of Rokeby Close, and Jack was slumped on the sofa in front of the 55-inch wall-mounted LCD television that Rich spoke about often.