Then his phone rang. It had been so long since he’d had any reception that he’d almost forgotten he had it. He groped for it and despite the driving rain that plastered his hair to his head and made him look like a drowned rat, his heart leaped with excitement when he saw the name on the screen.

‘It’s my agent,’ he said, and the others tensed, because they knew he’d been waiting for this call.

‘Abs, son,’ said a faint voice. ‘It’s Vince.’

‘I can’t hear you properly, Vince.’ Abs stuck a finger in his other ear to try to block out the sound of the rain thundering on the tiny porch roof, and off the pavement at his feet. ‘We’re in the middle of nowhere.’

‘It’s happening,’ shouted his agent. ‘Channel 5 has commissioned the spin-off. All About Abs is go.’

The guys were laughing and joking, so he had to walk into the pouring rain to give himself a moment to take in what Vince had said. His chest clogged with emotion at the thought of it. His own spin-off show, and on a terrestrial channel, too.

‘They want to get on with it quickly,’ Vince said. ‘They’re talking about filming the pilot within weeks, so we’re going to have to clear your diary.’

‘Oh, Vince.’ Abs lifted his face to the rain, enjoying the feel of it on his face. ‘Cheers, mate.’

‘It’s all down to you,’ said Vince. ‘The public can’t get enough of you, Abs. I suggest a little drink to celebrate.’

‘You can count on me.’

‘Well?’ asked Jez, when Abs came back under the porch.

‘I got my own series.’

‘Hell, yeah!’

They all grabbed each other and jumped up and down in celebration like little kids, cheering and screeching, and Abs really liked being there at that moment with his mates. Far away from the world that he knew, hundreds of miles from the Essex streets and suburbs where he was treated like a king. Even better than that, they were standing outside a pub. Abs wasn’t much of a drinker, and his personal trainer would burst a blood vessel if Abs had more than half a lager, but he felt like celebrating tonight.

Deano clapped his hands together. ‘Drinks are on me.’

In the euphoria of the moment, Abs liked the man immensely, despite his lairy manner. Maybe he had been too quick to judge him.

But Deano needn’t have bothered offering, because as soon as they all walked inside, the heat from the roaring fire already warming their soaking clothes, Abs was recognized.

And that’s when everything got a little bit crazy. Because even here, in the wilds of Denbighshire, far from anywhere, nobody would leave him alone. All the locals wanted to meet him and get an autograph or a selfie, and the pub got more rammed as word got out that he was there. All night he was signing beer mats and scraps of paper, whatever people could get their hands on.