‘Thank you. For everything.’

‘You’re worth it, Zo,’ he says softly. ‘Happy anniversary.’

‘Happy anniversary.’ We lean across the small round table and kiss.

‘Aww, look at you two lovebirds. Married for ten years and still snogging like teenagers.’

Toby and I break off and look up at a group of around half a dozen people grinning down at us. I recognise a few faces, but my whole body tenses when I realise who’s just spoken.

Cassie Barrington is standing before me, wearing skinny jeans, biker boots and a military-style olive-green parka. The whole get-up designed to draw maximum attention to her new short hair style. Her arm is looped through a dark-haired model-type who I assume is her boyfriend and it seems she’s gathered together an entourage of old school friends. Thankfully my good friend Lou isn’t among them, but I spot Danny and a few other familiar faces who barely make eye contact with me. I can’t help wondering what Cassie’s been saying to them. Whether she’s been bad-mouthing me. A sudden rush of insecurity catapults me back to my schooldays, when I remember her playing these sorts of subtle mind games. I’m too old to deal with all this shit again.

As I bristle, Toby reaches across the table to place a warning hand on my arm. I shake him off as I glare up at Cassie.

‘You’ve got a nerve.’ I pick up my pint and take a couple of slow sips.

Eyebrows raise, and a few of her clique back away and lift their hands in mock surrender.

Cassie smiles and shakes her head. ‘Chill out, Zoe. It’s just a silly little magazine column. No biggie. I didn’t think you’d mind a bit of artistic licence.’

‘Tell that to Jennifer. That’s her business you were trashing. Not to mention my reputation as a hairdresser. You asked for that hairstyle and I tried to steer you away from it. What you posted was a bare-faced lie. And anyway, the haircut looks incredible and you know it.’

‘Thank you.’ She bobs a little curtsey.

‘It wasn’t meant as a compliment to you.’

‘Oh, come on, Zo. Cut a girl some slack. I was nearing my magazine deadline and had a case of writer’s block. You have to admit, it makes for great reading.’

‘So you thought it would be okay to step on me and Jennifer to get yourself out of a hole? Nice, Cassie. Good to see you haven’t changed.’

‘Woah.’ She raises her hands. ‘I only came over to introduce you to Lyle and buy you and Toby a drink, but I see you might have had a few too many already. I’ll leave you to it. No hard feelings on my part, okay?’

‘Unbelievable,’ I mutter.