He’d suspected about Karen and Mike in college, of course. They didn’t even try to hide it, and Ali was the only one who didn’t see or want to see, locked up with her books and student activities while Karen and Mike dry-humped in the corner of clubs, disappeared off at bops for an hour only to come back five minutes apart, glowing and dishevelled. Callum burned with jealousy. There was Mikey with both the sexiest girl in their year and the nicest too. It wasn’t fair.

He’d thought it was over, of course. Just a college thing, all in the past. Then that lunch, the one where he’d sweated right through his shirt thinking he had to explain to Mikey he didn’t have the money. The cash Mike had lent him to shore up the mortgage, after one year and then another he hadn’t got his yearly bonus. Booze on his breath at work. One girl and then another paid off, disappearing from the office. No surprise. He kept hoping it would right itself, the money would start flowing again, and he’d be able to pay Mike off. But it never did.

Then, a miracle. Mike had a new phone, hadn’t set it up right yet. He went to the loo during lunch and it went off, flashing up Karen’s name and a query about meeting later. Terse, but Callum knew the rhythms of an affair text. There’d been a few girls. Interns mostly, a leg-over for a leg-up. Everyone knew the score. When Mike came back he’d said lightly, ‘You want to change your privacy settings, mate. Don’t want Al seeing that, I guess.’ And watching Mike turn pale and stammering, how lovely it was. ‘Don’t worry mate, I won’t tell. We’re pals.’ And not bringing up the money he owed, and instead letting Mike pick up the tab for lunch, it was glorious. It really was. He’d even asked for more, nice and neat every month, slipped into an overseas savings account he’d set up through work. It wasn’t blackmail, of course it wasn’t! They were old mates. He just needed it, and Mikey had it, so what was the harm?