‘OK…’ I leaned my elbow on the arm of the chair and rested my chin on my hand, wondering how best to approach the subject of his love life. On another occasion, after a different kind of day, I might have possessed the energy, wit and will to do it with sensitivity, subtlety and tact – or I may have judged it best simply to avoid the subject altogether. But on that evening, feeling emotionally, physically and intellectually drained by my encounter with Ruby and emboldened by alcohol on an empty stomach, I made the decision to be direct.

‘Are you seeing anyone at the moment, Cameron?’

He paused mid-sip and frowned at me as he lowered the bottle, replacing it carefully on the table. ‘Well, that was to the point.’

‘I know. But I’m so wrung-out that I haven’t got it in me to be anything else. Plus, your answer might make me feel a whole lot better and couldn’t possibly make me feel worse, so I thought, For goodness sake, Edie, just ask the guy.’

‘Not an unreasonable approach,’ he said, adjusting his position in the armchair. ‘But you do know that I didn’t come here looking for a date, don’t you?’ he asked quietly and with some awkwardness.

I gasped and put a hand to my mouth. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry, yes, of course I know that. That’s not what I meant.’

‘Phew,’ he said, clearly and visibly relieved that I understood he had no interest in dating me. ‘You had me worried there,’ he added, laughing.

‘Well, relax,’ I said, attempting to match his upbeat tone, despite the very definite knock to my ego. ‘I tend to go for leaner, fine-featured types, rather than guys who are, you know, bigger and more earthy.’

‘OK, so not feeling hugely complimented by that.’

‘You know what I mean, you’re just more…’ I hesitated. ‘Well, you’re quite grrr,’ I growled, holding out my arms and sticking out my lower jaw, in an attempt to convey breadth and masculinity. ‘You’re sort of—’

‘It’s fine,’ he said, holding up a hand. ‘I’m happy to leave it there.’

‘Well, anyway, I was asking whether you were single for a friend.’ He raised a dubious eyebrow and I held up a finger. ‘And before you repeat the phrase for a friend in a sceptical tone, I promise you that I am, quite genuinely, asking for a friend.’

His mouth twitched but he nodded acceptingly. ‘OK.’

I relaxed back into my chair and focused on my wine, very much enjoying Cameron’s company and just wishing that I could find the fact that he wasn’t at all attracted to me as inconsequential as he did.