Edie gasped. The icecream landed with a wet plop on Pip’s trousers. Her lunch date jumped up and dabbed at them with his napkin.

‘Oh grief,’ Edie cried. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’

‘It doesn’t matter.’ Pip, realising he was attracting attention, sat back down.

‘They’re velvet, aren’t they?’

‘Yes,’ Pip said.

‘Real velvet.’

‘Yes,’ he repeated. ‘Look, it doesn’t matter. They’ll dry clean, I expect. It was my fault for wearing them.’

A silence hung between them, only perforated by Archie’s singing. Several diners had started tut-tutting. Her son, of course, was completely unperturbed by the fuss he was causing.

‘So,’ Edie finally said. ‘How’s Jake?’

‘Still acting like a twat.’ Pip looked shocked at his choice of words. ‘Sorry,’ he apologised to Archie. ‘Sorry.’

‘Twat,’ Archie said, seizing with both hands any sign of a forbidden word. ‘Twat, twat, twat.’ He turned to the couple on the next table, grinning his toothy grin. ‘TWAT!’

They both paled.

‘Archie, be quiet,’ Edie urged. She tried to renew his interest in the big red truck. ‘Be a good boy.’

‘Sorry,’ Pip offered.

‘He’s normally very good,’ Edie said. ‘I think he’s overexcited.’ Like me.

Their food arrived. Heartbreakingly small portions, delicately arranged on pure white porcelain. She hadn’t seen food like this in years. Her menus revolved round industrialsized portions for monster children’s appetites. Chips and spaghetti Bolognese featured too large in her life. Her heart sank to her uncomfortable platform shoes. What on earth was she doing here? Who was she trying to fool? Pip and she would never have the slightest thing in common. He was probably au fait with all things French. He looked like the type who was comfortable on all five continents. She pushed at an oh-so-tiny asparagus tip with her fork. ‘Do you see me as a woman, Pip?’

Her companion’s fork stopped halfway to his mouth. ‘Er…’

‘It isn’t a trick question.’

He let his fork fall.

‘Do you see me as a woman?’

His Adam’s apple bobbed nervously at this sudden turn in the conversation. ‘Yes.’

‘An attractive woman?’

Pip shot a surreptitious glance at Archie. ‘Yes.’

‘Yes, if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m saddled with six children?’

‘It probably comes into the equation,’ Pip hedged.

She flopped back in her seat.

‘Edie,’ Pip ventured. ‘Is there a point to this?’

‘Yes,’ she admitted, steeling herself. ‘I thought you might be interested in…seeing…me.’

‘Seeing you?’

She shrugged. ‘Sometimes. Every now and again.’

Pip’s jaw had dropped open.

Edie lowered her voice. ‘I thought there was a spark between us,’ she said. ‘At Lyssa’s farewell party. I thought there was a spark of attraction.’

Pip’s jaw didn’t move.

Edie’s slender grip on her confidence slipped away from her. ‘I’ve read this wrong, haven’t I?’

‘Er…’ Pip said. ‘Yes. You have, rather.’