‘Well, that’s the incredible thing. He wants me gone. He’s paying me for the next month but doesn’t, he says, ever want to see my smug Italian face ever again. He was quite shouty, but I didn’t mind. I just wanted to be out of there!’

‘A paid month off work,’ Penny said, sighing. ‘And at Christmas, too. Imagine that.’

‘And so …’ Francesco said. ‘I was thinking that maybe I could finally come and visit? What do you think?’

‘Visit?’ Penny said. The pub was in view now.

‘Yeah! We talk every day, I know, but that’s not the same as actually hanging out, as seeing you. And now I’ve got all this time …’

‘I have the Christmas party,’ Penny said.

‘After that, then?’ Francesco replied. ‘It’s the day after tomorrow, right? I could come at the end of the week. I can even help out a bit if you need it.’

‘Well,’ Penny said, not sure of how all this was making her feel. ‘Sure. Okay then. You could definitely show Paul a thing or two. Bring your knives with you, just in case.’

‘Great,’ said Francesco. ‘I’ll figure out what’s what and text you. I can crash with you?’

‘Of course,’ said Penny, thinking to herself: Don’t shag him. Don’t you dare shag him! He is your friend! Do. Not. Shag. Him! ‘There’s a spare room.’

‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost,’ Charlie said, from where they were hanging bunting in the corner of the bottom bar.

‘It’s Francesco,’ said Penny, taking off her coat. ‘He wants to come visit.’

Charlie cackled. ‘That prick wants to come to The Red Panda? Amazing. I literally cannot wait to meet him. The way you talk about him is like he’s a mix of Brad Pitt and Colin Firth and maybe a sprinkling of Hugh Grant but also maybe with an edge of …’ They considered this next bit carefully. ‘Severus Snape? In a hot way.’

‘He’s just my friend, though,’ said Penny, quickly. ‘God, please make me not want to shag him. He really did me over, Charlie! But I cannot emphasize enough just how handsome he is, and how good his cooking is, and how much just the smell of him makes me want to jump his bones.’

‘Well, if you need something to turn you off him, you could just ask about … you know.’

‘Yeah,’ said Penny, reaching up to where Charlie was trying to tack a wreath.

‘Oh,’ said Charlie. ‘Thank you.’

‘I don’t know why I’ve never asked him about it,’ Penny said. ‘When we started talking I just … avoided it. Do you think that’s weird?’

Charlie hopped down off the chair and started wading through a box of Christmas ornaments.