‘Listen,’ said Thomas. ‘I don’t want to get in the middle of anything here, okay? Penny, you’re a babe, I enjoy knowing you, you know how I feel …’ he trailed off. Penny appreciated that he knew when to back away.

‘I’ll call you,’ she said. ‘To explain.’ She was pleased he knew how to take the temperature of a situation.

‘Do that,’ Thomas replied. ‘I’m just going to have a nip of brandy to warm up, and then I’ll be gone. Maggie from the fishmongers has been flirting with me anyway.’ He picked up his things and headed, topless, into the throng of customers.

Priyesh stepped towards her. ‘Penny, what is this? We’ve been having such a beautiful time together. If you’re afraid, that’s okay. I’m afraid too. If you need space, just say the word. But you and me … you can’t deny it is special.’

Penny was shocked. She nodded, thankful to him for his kindness, but she hadn’t realized he’d felt so deeply about her.

‘I have so much respect for you …’

Priyesh smiled at her. ‘I like you a lot,’ he said. ‘I know there’s the age difference but I think you like me too.’

‘Priyesh,’ Penny said. ‘It’s just physical though, isn’t it …?’

‘Ah, sod this!’ Francesco said, loud enough that people in the closest vicinity to them turned to look, and enough did so that the people behind them, too, turned to look as well.

‘I’m not competing for your affections,’ he said, his voice rising. ‘This isn’t the Penny Olympics. You’re not a prize. I don’t want to be the last man standing.’

Penny’s jaw went slack at his outburst. Almost the whole pub had ceased talking amongst themselves in order to crane their necks to see what was happening.

‘I am so angry at you,’ he carried on. ‘So, so angry. And I’m hurt. I am hurt, and I am angry, and it’s not fair that you’re shirking responsibility for that, like you don’t know how it happened. You know how it happened!’

Penny was shaking her head, a mix of pleading with Francesco to stop and a way to disagree with what he was saying. She hadn’t meant to upset him, or cause a scene. All she’d wanted was more time. A minute to think. This was all unravelling too fast. She looked to Priyesh apologetically, but he stood with his head bowed, lowering his eyes as if politely averting his gaze from Francesco’s frenzy. She hadn’t expected that from him. It was as if he was embarrassed to be near the whole thing.