‘Come on through to the kitchen. There’s a bathroom just there on the left if you need it.’

The large open-plan kitchen-diner had a terracotta tiled floor and oak cabinets. The centre island had a stainless-steel sink and a four-ring electric hob with an extractor above. The dining table, by the sliding patio doors, was made of golden oak, with a set of six matching chairs with black leather seats.

‘I love your kitchen. There’s so much workspace . . . and even a dishwasher!’

‘I redesigned it a couple of years ago, but I didn’t build it. Originally there was a wall between the dining area and the kitchen,’ Nick said as he opened the fridge and removed a bottle of Chablis.

‘Would you like a glass of wine or a coffee perhaps.’

‘A small glass would be nice, thanks.’

Nick poured some Chablis into two crystal wine glasses and handed one to Jane.

‘What’s that thing above the cooker?’ she asked.

‘It’s a microwave oven. It uses tiny, electromagnetic waves to cook food more evenly. They say it can cook a joint of meat six times faster than a conventional oven. I haven’t really used it much yet.’

Jane peered through the patio doors. ‘Is that a conservatory you’ve got in the garden?’

Nick flicked some switches next to the patio door, lighting up the conservatory and revealing a swimming pool inside it, with a gentle wave of steam fog floating above the water.

Jane was astonished. ‘Blimey, this place is full of surprises. I’d have brought my swimsuit if I’d known,’ she joked.

‘Actually, I’ve got one in the utility room if you fancy a dip. My friend’s wife left it behind the other week. She’s about the same size as you, I reckon.’

‘Go on then,’ she said. ‘But only if you’re getting in as well.’

Nick fetched the swimsuit from the utility room and showed Jane upstairs to his bedroom, which seemed bigger than her living room, though she wondered if the floor-to-ceiling mirrored wardrobe doors made the room look bigger than it actually was. She liked the minimal décor of the geometrically shaped room, with its grey side cabinets, steel side lamps and multicoloured abstract oil painting above the king-size bed.

Nick opened the door to the en suite bathroom, grabbed his dressing gown and handed it to Jane. ‘I’ll get changed in the spare room, grab some towels then see you downstairs.’

Jane put the red V-neck shoulder strap swimsuit on and looked in the mirror. It was a tight fit, accentuating her breasts and hips, and she thought it looked quite sexy. She put on Nick’s dressing gown and went downstairs.

Nick was sitting in his swimming trunks at the dining table looking through a black leather cassette case.

‘Do you like Dire Straits?’

‘Love them. Mark Knopfler is such a brilliant guitarist.’