‘Oh my God.’ He grasps both my hands in his and pulls them to his thighs. ‘It’s all right,’ he says, pumping my hands up and down.

Tears would be perfect.

‘Poor girl. Poor girl. Poor girl.’

After another minute of combined hand squeezing and thigh rubbing, I say, ‘I just need the money.’ I give a little sniff. ‘Then I can, you know, start again.’

He crushes my fingers and stares at me with pop-eyes. ‘I’ve got an idea,’ he says. He’s breathing like a buffalo. ‘It’s crazy, but maybe…’

‘What?’

His crinkly cheeks get a sudden rush of blood and he looks almost shiny. ‘You could get yourself – fixed – and then, then we could go away. Start again, like you said.’

‘What?’

‘I mean. We could go somewhere. Together.’

‘What?’

‘You and me. As – friends. I could look after you, Joanna. It would be perfect. You’d escape all this. And I could get a new start. We both could.’

‘What about Mum?’

‘She’ll understand.’ His lips settle into a tight line and he looks straight at me. ‘We can visit her.’

I can’t speak for a moment. He’s twisting my fingers now, wringing them like wet washing.

‘It will be for the best. We’ll be friends, that’s all. You need to get away – and so do I…’

I tug my hands loose. They’re damp from his grip.

‘I can get you the money, Joanna.’ His eyes bulge. There’s a ridge of sweat on his upper lip. He swallows. ‘When do you need it?’

I shrug.

‘Well, how far gone are you?’

I stare at Simon’s V-neck jumper. The diamond patterns move with his heavy breaths. I can’t think of an answer.

A minute ticks by, slowly.

‘You are sure, aren’t you?’

‘I – think so.’

He lowers his voice. ‘Have you done a test?’

Frilly apron appears and swipes my plate and glass. She lets her plait dangle over the liquid left in Simon’s cup. ‘Closing now,’ she says, slamming the bill in his saucer and reclaiming the teapot.

Simon waits until she’s gone. Then he takes off his glasses. ‘Joanna?’

‘We’d better go.’

‘Joanna.’

‘What?’

‘You’re sure you’re – ’ he lowers his voice, ‘pregnant?’

I trace a line in the crumbs on the tablecloth. I run my tongue along my bottom lip and give him two blinks. ‘I really need the money.’

He sort of throws himself back in his chair. Lets out a big huff. Then a little huff. Then a big one again. He shakes his head.

When he’s finished shaking his head, he puts his hand over his mouth and wipes away some invisible crumbs.

‘Are you pregnant or not?’

I blink at him some more. ‘It’s possible.’

‘Yes or no, Joanna.’

We stare at each other for a minute. Then I do a big shrug.