It was nice to see Zach and Cecilia together, I thought absently. I’d been worrying about them drifting apart recently, but they seemed back to normal now. Although was it my imagination or had Cecilia been hanging back a little? She definitely seemed more self-conscious when she looked at Zach. They’d long been friends, of course, but for the first time, I wondered if feelings were changing into something else…

Someone tapped my shoulder. ‘Come to fix my pipes?’

I turned to find Marcus’s eyes glittering at me.

‘That’s a pretty unsettling look, Ruby, I don’t mind telling you.’

Flustered, I glanced down at my old blue boiler suit. It wasn’t like the ‘designer’ version Lena had worn on the camping trip, which Melissa then pointed out after on the Zara sale website, but just my usual outfit for the 3 a.m. flower run. Workwear.

‘You never took me up on that drink.’ He dropped his voice, like a conspirator. ‘I waited all evening.’

‘Oh gosh, did you really?’ I flushed deeply and then probably reddened even further, surprised at how pleased I was to see him. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘Darling!’ Nella called. She was in a slinky fawn dress with little gold details round the cuffs and neckline, which brought out the shades in her tawny hair. ‘Don’t tell me you baked all these yourself? You absolute star.’

‘I did, yes,’ I said limply. ‘You look nice.’

Far more like she was going for cocktails than organizing a community street party.

‘I must say’ – she brushed an imaginary thread from her thigh – ‘it’s so nice to be in civvies for once. It’s crazy, what they expect on screen these days. Now listen, I have another teeny tiny favour to ask.’

Marcus winked at me behind her back.

‘Will you judge our veg competition please, dear Ruby? At 3 p.m.’

‘The who’s grown the biggest marrow competition?’ Marcus smirked. ‘Sounds fun.’

‘Don’t be so silly, Markie. Oh, Pat, just give me a minute!’ Nella waved gaily at the vicar’s wife, arriving with a trolley-load of children’s toys. ‘I just meant, Ruby’s our resident expert – and you can drum up business for your gardening, can’t you? Two birds and all that.’

‘Florist.’

Nella frowned. ‘Sorry?’

‘I’m a florist, not a garden centre. I don’t do gardening stuff—’

‘Oh! Well, green produce is all the same, no? Good Lord, they’re not going to leave that there, are they?’ Nella bustled off to reprimand Pat.

Marcus looked at me intently.

‘You are coming to ours for a half-time glass of fizz, yeah? After the circus stuff and before the firework display.’ Marcus stared down. ‘Don’t blow me out this time, Ruby Tuesday.’

Ruby Tuesday. My heart spun on its gossamer strings.

I didn’t say that I’d rather eat my own eyeballs than drink in their house again, en masse, but I thought it. ‘Well… maybe. We’ll see.’

‘I can introduce Zach to my mate at the record company. I’ll grab him now to have a quick chat.’