‘Missing them today,’ she winks, screwing her face up in the way I know she does when she’s trying to stop herself from getting emotional. Her eyes remain watery, but thankfully the dam doesn’t burst. She lays her head on my shoulder and I cup her cheek before kissing the top of her head. ‘So who is Albie?’ she asks.

‘Someone from work,’ I say, acutely aware of how I pitch my answer, willing for it to sound casual and nothing to cause any alarm yet aware of how defensive I feel over our exchanges.

‘Oh,’ Vicky says, raising her head and looking over at me, taking in my face. ‘I don’t remember meeting him.’

‘He started a few months back,’ I shrug, coughing as I put my phone back into my bag. ‘He’s a friend.’

‘Of course he is,’ she nods in return, a forced smile appearing on her disapproving face as she looks down to her hands.

‘What?’ I snap.

‘Nothing,’ she replies, surprised that I’m challenging her.

‘Mike is a man and he’s our friend. We are allowed to be friends with the opposite sex, you know. Doesn’t mean we’re all sneaking into the stationery cupboard for a quickie behind our boss’s back,’ I state, although I definitely dreamt about it a few weeks back.

After completely ravishing each other amongst the office supplies, our sweaty bodies pressing against one another, slipping and sliding in the sexiest fashion – all while his hot breath caught warmly on my ear – I woke in a state of confusion, as though my senses had been opened to a whole new world that I’d blocked out previously. My chest felt open, between my legs wet and sticky.

Turning in bed I found Liam lying next to me already awake, a big morning grin on his face. Guilt hit instantly.

Arriving at work a few hours later I saw Albie sitting at his desk. Catching his gaze made my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I walked on by. I had to pretend I’d suddenly remembered something and was distracted.

‘Everything OK?’ he asked later on, letting me know I hadn’t been able to act as nonchalantly as I’d hoped.

‘Yeah, of course,’ I stammered back.

‘You’ve been off all day,’ he said, touching my arm as he spoke.

It took everything in me not to stiffen at his touch, my mind instantly going to his hot, sticky flesh on mine.