‘You can’t go back to… wherever you’re staying. Oh my God, I bet it’s grim.’ Sasha shot Connie a fierce look, but her sister reached across the table to squeeze Vaughn’s hand. ‘I’m having fun here. Aren’t you having fun, Claude?’

He smiled. ‘Yes, I think I am.’

‘I’ve got to be in early, so I had better get on,’ said Sasha, trying to goad her sister into leaving with her. ‘It’s getting late.’

Connie’s gaze didn’t leave Vaughn’s. ‘See you, then.’

‘You’re staying?’

‘I’ll keep Claude company. He shouldn’t be alone, not after what’s happened, and we’re getting on like a house on fire.’

Sasha’s gaze slid quickly to Vaughn, but he didn’t meet her eye. She was conscious that her face, neck and chest were flushed with indignation.

‘Okay, then.’ Sasha lifted her bag. ‘I’ll leave you both to it.’

She gave Connie a meaningful stare, a warning not to lead her boss up the garden path – Connie could drink anyone under the table – and her sister smiled sweetly in reply.

‘Oh, Sash. Excuse me a moment, Claude.’ The way one of Con’s fingers lightly stroked the top of his hand made Sasha want to plonk her bag back down and stay. God knows what Connie could do or say when she was gone. ‘Don’t forget about tomorrow.’

Sasha blinked. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘We’re coming to see you, darling, me and the old folks.’

‘What?’

‘Duh.’ Connie looked at Sasha as if she wasn’t very bright, undermining her in front of Vaughn, and spoke very slowly. ‘We’re coming for a little soiree.’ She enjoyed enunciating the word so much that she said it again. ‘A soiree. Don’t you remember? It’s been in the diary for weeks.’

‘Oh God.’ Sasha did actually remember now – she had invited her family round for drinks and snacks – and said quickly, ‘It slipped my mind.’

Con smiled. ‘I’ll see you then, darling.’

‘Is that what you wanted to ask me about?’

‘Excuse me?’

‘You said on the phone you needed a favour.’

‘Oh that.’ Connie waved a hand. ‘It’s nothing, forget about it.’

During this exchange, Vaughn kept a low profile by reading the label on the bottle of wine, and he didn’t look like he was in any hurry to leave. Sasha hesitated, wondering if it was wise to leave them both here unsupervised.

But Connie folded her fingers over her palm and released them once, twice, as if her hand was a spring-loaded letter box snapping open and shut.

‘Ta-ta, Sasha,’ she said in a singsong. ‘Ta-ta.’

10

Abs was engulfed by a sea of familiar faces. They hugged him and clapped him on the back, and he handed out a ton of cool and complicated handshakes. Pulled deeper into the crowd, he nodded and grinned at everyone he met.

‘Alright, geezer?’ said Kurt, who was on the show in season one but who left to try his luck in Hollywood as an actor, and who now worked in his old man’s roofing business. ‘Good to see ya.’