Behind his back, he pressed his nails into the palm of his hand, feeling an intense shame. ‘You don’t know what it means for me to hear you say that.’

‘It’s all been a silly misunderstanding.’

‘Yeah.’ He couldn’t look her in the eye. ‘That’s exactly what it is.’

‘I’m going to speak to the producer now. Wish me luck.’

He watched her sashay across the floor, her bum rolling slowly in the shimmering dress. It took Kelsey forever to get to the other side of the dance floor because so many people wanted her attention; she had to kiss countless cheeks and give out a ton of stiff hugs. Abs could hardly bear to watch. But then, after one particularly long conversation with a couple of women, she looked over her shoulder at him and winked, as if to say, I bet you thought I’d forgotten. Moments later she was speaking to the producer, a guy who looked about twelve years old.

‘Enjoying yourself, sir?’ asked a waiter with a tray of drinks.

‘Abs, mate,’ he said, feeling chipper. He took a flute of champagne. Then a couple of his former castmates came over to say hello. He tried to be friendly, but he couldn’t keep his gaze from straying to Kelsey’s intense conversation on the other side of the room. The music changed, heavy bass filled the room, the first chords of a hit tune, and people filled the dance floor. Abs lost sight of Kelz and the producer.

He turned towards the bar to see Jez staring morosely into a bottle of beer and wished intensely that he wasn’t here, but then he remembered that in all likelihood Jez wanted to confess to the feds about what happened in Wales. Abs couldn’t let it happen, particularly not now he had a chance to get back on the show, and back with Kelsey.

He clapped him on the back. ‘How you doing, mate?’

‘It’s a bit noisy for me,’ said Jez, gazing round the bar.

‘People would kill to get into this party,’ said Abs, and Jez winced. ‘Who would ever have believed me and you would be at something like this, a couple of scrotes who grew up in care. Back then, we had each other’s backs, Jez, we protected each other. Your mum wasn’t around, my mum didn’t want me, so it was you and me against the world.’

‘You’re my best mate, always will be.’ Jez looked at him thoughtfully. ‘But we’re so different.’

‘There’s me, all mouth and trousers, with not a brain in my head, and you quiet and thoughtful. But opposites attract, that’s what they say, right?’

‘You remember when we first met, Abs, back when we were, what, nine years old?’ said Jez. ‘Mum had gone away, and I was separated from my sister, and I came to the foster home – and ran off straight away. You came and found me, and stopped me getting beaten up by those two bigger boys and their sister, do you remember?’