‘Did you hear that, Stu?’ Penny said, turning around. ‘Great service, he said!’

Stuart raised a hand to say he’d heard.

‘What’s it really like, having your own place? I know we talked about it a bit last night but honestly, chef-to-chef, are you satisfied?’

‘Chef to chef?’

Francesco nodded.

‘It’s the fucking best.’

Bobby interrupted them then, rounding the corner of the stairs and lingering at the table on his way out of the door. ‘Thanks again, boss. It’s pretty decent down there, but it’s not perfect.’

‘Give your mother my love,’ Penny said. ‘And tell her I’m determined to get that chowder recipe out of her sooner or later!’

‘Will do, boss. Cheers.’

‘Well,’ Penny sighed. ‘That’s my cue. I’m a kitchen porter down and I get too tired if I linger, so I’m sorry that I can’t stay and drink coffee with you.’

‘Oh, well – let me help,’ Francesco said, standing. ‘I don’t have anywhere to be. I’m not going in until five thirty. I can play kitchen porter with you.’

Penny raised her eyebrows and lowered her chin. ‘You want to help clean the kitchen?’

‘Sure!’

‘On an afternoon when you are not working at your job, which is in a kitchen?’

‘Come on,’ he said, already walking away. ‘Many hands make light work and all that.’

Penny shrugged. ‘As long as it isn’t a pity hand,’ she said after him, meaning: don’t feel sorry for me because I told you I used to have cancer.

He turned around and caught Stu’s eye as he did so, winking at him and so bringing him into the joke. ‘Have you ever been told you complicate things too much? I just wanna hang out with you! I don’t care what we do!’

Penny felt weirdly suspicious, but conceded. ‘Okay,’ she said, knowing Stuart was looking at her and deliberately ignoring his smugness. She knew he felt proud of the hand he’d had in her current contentedness. ‘If you’re sure.’

‘I’m so sure.’

‘You could just stand and keep me company as I finish off,’ Penny said, after they’d assessed what needed doing and she’d pulled her apron back on.

‘Pass me an apron, too,’ Francesco replied. ‘Like I said: many hands make light work. And maybe being behind the scenes of the famous Bridges Café means I’ll get some insider info on how the magic is made.’

‘I guard my secrets with my life,’ Penny warned, wiggling her eyebrows.

‘I have my ways of seduction,’ said Francesco, taking a step closer to her.

‘I don’t doubt it,’ Penny laughed, and she didn’t. She leaned forward and kissed him deeply, pulling back before she got carried away. He tasted like coffee and promise.

‘Mmmmm,’ Francesco smiled. He added, ‘One more please.’