Priyesh smiled. ‘Penny,’ he said, taking her in. ‘Am I inconveniencing you? About this time was often when David said to stop by.’

‘Service has just finished. I don’t have long but no, of course it’s fine. Sorry to have kept you waiting.’

It was like a competition to see who could be the most polite. Penny tried not to notice his suit, his shoes, that bloody face, and in trying not to notice the details of him she had a vivid, pornographic flash back to the way he sounded in her ear when she’d had her hand in his trousers.

Oh god, she thought. Oh god, oh god, oh god.

‘These are for you,’ Priyesh said, after what felt like an eternity. He handed over the bouquet of fern, eucalyptus, and a towering head of something exquisite and purple. ‘I described you to the florist, and this is what she made.’

Penny took the flowers and made a show of her admiration, a small private performance to demonstrate her gratitude. They really were beautiful. It made her wonder what words he’d used to describe her, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask. She put them on the bar. ‘They’re gorgeous,’ she said. ‘You really didn’t have to.’

‘I wanted to,’ Priyesh said. ‘I learned from my marriage ending that it never hurts to be demonstrable about one’s feelings whilst one can. I’m a proud man, but I’m learning not to be so proud as to withhold telling people when I haven’t stopped thinking about them.’ He took a breath and smiled. ‘And, well, my point is, I’ve not stopped thinking about you.’

Penny was genuinely touched by his admission. ‘I didn’t know you’d been married …’ she said. ‘Or that you weren’t anymore. That sounds very painful.’

He smiled. ‘It was,’ he said. ‘Although neither of us classes it as a failure, I must say. We were very successful at being married until we weren’t. Twenty-one years together is nothing to sniff at.’

‘Absolutely,’ Penny agreed. ‘It’s really nice to hear a man speak so kindly about his ex-wife.’

‘Although I fear,’ Priyesh smiled, ‘that perhaps I shouldn’t pay too much lip service to the past when I am here to place a bet on my future. I merely mean to underline that I am here in earnest.’

Penny could tell by how rigid Charlie was near the glasswasher that they were listening to every word of the exchange. Their back was straight as a board, as if even breathing might impinge on their eavesdropping capabilities.

‘Oh,’ said Penny, surprised. ‘What a disarming thing to say,’ she blurted. ‘I’m … touched.’

Priyesh smiled and said, his voice low, ‘There’s a joke in there somewhere.’

‘Charlie, I’m just stepping outside. Won’t be a minute,’ Penny said quickly, before saying to Priyesh, ‘Come with me.’