He laughs. ‘Did he now? Funny, it was specific on the invites that this was not a plus-one situation, but as you’re here…’ He pauses, looks me up and down. ‘I’m not going to turn away a pretty girl.’

I don’t like the way he’s looking at me now, and in my peripheral vision I spot a couple of extremely glammed-up girls in the shortest, tightest dresses I’ve ever seen – perfect cleavage spilling over the top, and endless legs on expensive heels below. One of them widens her eyes, and the other gives the tiniest of headshakes, and I realise that I may have made a huge mistake.

‘Perhaps I should go?’ I lay my empty glass on the bar and turn away, but he grabs my upper arm, a little tighter than I’d like, and spins me back to face him.

He leans in close, pulling me in as if in an embrace, and whispers forcefully into my ear. ‘This is my party, little girl, and you’ll stay now that you’re here.’ Then he lets go of me and does an air kiss on each side, saying, ‘So amazing to see you again, Alyssa.’ And then he turns away and heads off towards a cluster of people who are grouped around the far end of the bar, whooping and chattering at the bar staff as if they are performing monkeys.

Shaken, I wait for a moment more, then head towards the lift, but, as I do, I spot him – at the far end of the room, heading through a door that I’m sure I hadn’t noticed before. Time seems to stand still for a moment, as I watch him disappear through the gap, the door swinging back into place – fake bookshelf and all. If I wasn’t rattled by my encounter with the horrible blond, I would be rolling my eyes at the cheesiness of this hidden door set-up, but right now, all I want to do is stay invisible for long enough to find the right time to go through it and confront the man who has been haunting my dreams since we parted ways almost three weeks ago.