‘Yep. No property, no savings, not a bean to ma name. But I’d still rather have that than be stuck in a marriage where we were both miserable. You need to actually like the person you’re with, no’ just fancy the pants off them.’

‘You’re right.’

‘Aye.’ Rob looks at me, steadily. ‘Mind you remember that. It’s important.’

Suddenly, Becky crashes into the room. ‘What’s going on in here?’ she asks.

‘Just men’s talk.’ Rob waggles his eyebrows.

‘Oh God, right, football and all that crap.’ Becky laughs, looking at the screen where the weekend football fixture list is playing. It’s a pretty good cover.

‘Aye, something like that,’ Rob says.

‘Well, I have a treat in store, if you’re not busy. A client’s just delivered a massive crate of wine as a thank you, so I think we should celebrate the fact that we’ve made it to the end of the week – assuming none of you are doing anything tonight?’

‘Nope,’ I say. ‘Well, I’d been planning an early night, and a bit of studying. But it won’t take much to convince me to work on the assignment in the morning.’

‘Or the afternoon, if you’re hungover. But this is good wine,’ Becky says, pulling a bottle out of the crate, ‘and I was reading a thing today that said that you shouldn’t get hangovers from expensive wine, so we can test it out. Rob, are you about?’

‘I am.’

‘Not working?’ I ask, surprised.

‘I’ve knackered my ankle.’ He indicates the leg that was propped up on the table. ‘Can’t stand up for longer than about five minutes, and it’s so manic in the kitchen on the weekends that I’m a liability, so I’ve been signed off sick for a couple of days.’

‘We can have a party,’ said Becky, looking cheerful. ‘I’ve just helped on a case that looks like it’s going to the High Court and we’re going to win.’

She looks triumphant and exhilarated, the same expression on her face as I’d seen on the surgeon’s earlier when they’d successfully completed a bypass operation. It was weird – instead of making me envious, it just underlines the fact that I don’t miss law one bit. Doesn’t make me want to be a surgeon, either, mind you.

‘Em,’ Becky calls up the stairs. ‘Are you in?’ She’s opened the wine and is thrusting glasses into everyone’s hands. ‘Has anyone heard from Jess today?’

‘She’s coming back in a few days, I think.’ I sip the red wine. It tastes expensive, and it’s the kind that goes down way too easily, especially after the week I’ve had. I sit back and put my feet up on the coffee table.