He looked at me with an expression which, just for a moment, made me wish that I was sitting close enough to comfort him somehow. Perhaps I could place a hand on his arm, whilst further reassuring him of Giles’s intentions. Or perhaps I could place my arms around his neck, rest my head on his broad chest and ask him why he didn’t find me at all attractive.

‘You OK?’ asked Cameron. ‘Only you’ve stopped blinking.’

‘What? Oh… it’s the, er, smell of Wotsits,’ I said, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. ‘Bit much.’

‘I can only smell your usual perfume – which is great, by the way,’ he added casually.

I felt a need to take a large gulp of wine. ‘It’s Clinique,’ I said, aware of sounding slightly hoarse. ‘I’ve got the body-wash and moisturiser too, so I’m drenched in it right now.’

‘Well, it’s all winning over the Wotsits, and I meant to ask you,’ he continued without pause, leaning back on the sofa, ‘was Giles OK with you asking me about Kerry?’

‘Never had to tell him,’ I said, whilst making a mental note to place an online order for a new tube of body-wash; my current supply was running perilously low.

‘You didn’t?’

‘No, because I didn’t see him when I got home from The Hayes on Monday and by the time I did see him, he’d already spoken to Kerry. Or rather she’d spoken to him. She didn’t tell you?’

‘All she said was that they were going out tonight and that she was really happy, but totally terrified, about it.’

‘I should have updated you at work.’

‘Or over a drink,’ he said. ‘But update me now.’

‘Well, apparently,’ I began, relaxing into a comfort zone of feel-good gossip, ‘Nicky told Kerry that Giles had decided not to see Melissa again and so—’ I paused, as Cameron looked confused. ‘Do you know about Melissa?’

He shook his head.

‘OK, so, quick recap: Nicky offered to set Giles up with her friend, Melissa. She was very lovely, but Giles was only interested in friendship because, as we now know, his affections lay elsewhere.’

Cameron nodded. ‘With you so far.’

‘Next, Nicky tells Kerry that things haven’t worked out between Melissa and Giles and that Giles has gently let Melissa down. When Kerry hears this, she realises that Giles hadn’t been embarrassed of her loungewear. He’d actually been uncomfortable because of the situation with Melissa.’

Cameron looked at me blankly. ‘You lost me at loungewear.’