Minnie didn’t want to talk about work, she just wanted to snuggle down into the nook beneath Quinn’s shoulder and feel the warmth of his body against her face. She blinked. She felt drunk already. Had she said that out loud about putting her face into his nook?

‘I think you loved running your own business, though. You loved helping those people.’ He looked up at her, sensed in her face that the direction of this conversation might puncture the pleasant atmosphere. He changed gears. ‘But then you wouldn’t have time to enter the wild swimming Olympics and that would be a tragedy for Great Britain.’

She smiled and briefly patted his knee, acknowledging she appreciated him changing the subject. They sat in companionable silence for a moment. Minnie glanced over at him. She knew now she was deluding herself if she thought she could be happy just being his friend. She had lifted the bell jar by bringing him here – she might as well just smash the glass now – say what had not been said.

‘So, what is this do you think?’ she asked, moving a hand between them to indicate him and her. She was doing it; she was digging up the elephant in the room from the giant elephant-shaped box they’d buried in the garden months ago.

‘What do you mean?’ he asked. His eyes darted around the room like a prisoner looking for an escape route. She should drop it, talk about something else.

‘I mean you and me. What is this? Are we really just swimming buddies?’

He gave her a smile that looked self-consciously sheepish.

‘I will take all the credit for your illustrious swimming career.’

‘Seriously though, Quinn.’ She wouldn’t let it go. ‘You genuinely don’t have any feelings for me other than swimming buddy feelings?’

He shifted uncomfortably on the sofa and closed his eyes. She’d done it now. There was no papering over that.

‘Because I know you said you didn’t want that, but when,’ she exhaled loudly, ‘when we’re together it just feels – I’ve never had anything like this connection with someone. I can’t,’ she closed her eyes, she couldn’t look at him as she said it, ‘I look forward to seeing you all week. When we’re together it just feels – like it’s meant to be. Am I imagining this?’