Normally, I love having the opportunity to do hair makeovers. It’s fun and rare to get people brave enough to go for total restyles. But in this instance, I’m suddenly and inexplicably nervous. This is my ex-best friend, plus she’s a celebrity. What if I screw it up? Although I’ve never screwed up a cut before – well, not since I was a junior anyway. ‘It’s absolutely your call,’ I say carefully. ‘I just want to make sure you’ve given it enough thought.’

‘Oh, believe me, I’ve been thinking about it for ages.’

‘Everything okay?’ Jennifer has wandered over to check up on us. ‘Cassie, can I get you anything else besides the water?’

Cassie gives my boss one of her megawatt smiles. ‘We’re all good, thanks. I love the rustic Christmassy vibe in here, it’s so cute.’

‘Thank you.’ Jennifer almost looks flustered, which is a first.

‘Cassie wants to have a pixie cut.’ I decide it can’t hurt to have another opinion.

‘Really?’ She stares at Cassie critically for a moment. ‘With that bone structure I think it would be a knockout!’

Cassie beams. ‘I’m so pleased you approve. Zoe here is being a bit of a wet weekend about it.’

‘Erm, excuse me!’ I fake an outraged tone.

‘Well, you are! Come on, be excited. You’ll cut my hair fabulously and then everyone will talk about it, and I can tell them what an incredible hairdresser you are. It’s a win-win situation.’

I inhale as Jennifer gives me a meaningful stare and mouths at me to do it.

I finally let myself be excited about this. Cassie does have the perfect face for ultra-short hair. If anyone can carry it off, she can. She spends the next few minutes showing me photos on her phone of the type of cut she’s got in mind, and we finally settle on a definitive style. I ask her if she’d like to donate her hair to charity. She absolutely loves that idea and takes a selfie, which she posts on Instagram to her two hundred and sixty thousand followers with the caption: Watch. This. Space.

I feel a little queasy at the thought of all those people witnessing my hair skills. But then I put it out of my mind. ‘Okay, because you’re donating it, I’ll plait it first, all right?’

‘Okay, but aren’t you going to wash it first?’ she asks with a frown.