‘On New Year’s Eve, Minnie met this guy who was born in the same hospital as her at exactly the same time,’ Leila explained. ‘Isn’t that freaky?’

‘Well one minute earlier than me, if we’re being precise,’ said Minnie.

‘Minnie’s mum wanted to call her Quinn, but this dude’s mum stole her idea, so Minnie ended up Minnie instead,’ Leila explained.

‘Quinn Cooper,’ Fleur sounded the words out loud, ‘great name; Minnie Cooper is terrible. No offence.’

Minnie had run out of ingredients to pound so started rolling with a vengeance instead. Fleur turned the music down and placed a final pin into her hair. While the others had been working, Fleur had been crafting herself an elaborate hairstyle with neat fish plaits wrapping around each side of her head. She looked like a character from Game of Thrones.

‘It’s very romantic,’ said Leila, ‘Minnie and her name nemesis, reunited after thirty years – love twins separated at birth, destined to find each other again despite the odds.’

She clutched a hand to her chest for dramatic effect. Everyone laughed, except Minnie.

‘What the hell’s a love twin? That’s not a thing,’ Minnie said, shaking her head. Behind her frown she was pleased; Leila teasing her meant she was forgiven.

‘That could so be a thing, like two Geminis getting together,’ said Fleur. ‘Did you give him your number?’

Dating was one of Fleur’s favourite topics of conversation. She was a connoisseur of every dating app out there. She said she was learning to code so she could set up her own horoscope-themed dating app.

‘I said he could find me online if he wanted to,’ Minnie said with an air of cultivated ambivalence. ‘I’m sure he won’t, why would he, he’s got a girlfriend … ’ Then after a pause she added, ‘And I’ve got a boyfriend. What are you doing with my phone?’ Minnie looked over to see Leila scrolling through her phone.

‘You changed your Facebook profile picture,’ said Leila, giving Minnie a sly grin. ‘Why would you do that? You never even go on Facebook.’

‘Well new year, new photo. I’m allowed to change my photo if I want to.’ Minnie blushed and turned her back to the room, hiding her face in the fridge as she pretended to look for something.

‘This isn’t a new photo, this is four years old. She’s changed it to one of her in India looking tanned and sexy,’ said Leila, showing the phone to Fleur.

‘Give that to me,’ said Minnie, turning around and striding across the kitchen with her hand outstretched.

‘You do look good in that photo,’ said Fleur, nodding approvingly. ‘If you want me to set you up an online dating profile, you should use that one. You look young, thin and a little bit stupid – guys like that.’