We had adjourned there following fizz, light bites and gift-giving in Alison’s office, during which time it hadn’t proved difficult to avoid a one-to-one conversation with Cameron. And having managed to secure an, admittedly rather cramped, spot on a padded bench between Roger and Luke immediately on arrival at the bar, I felt pretty confident I wouldn’t have to engage with Cameron there either. It was a situation which left me free to relax into Roger’s sports history lecture, interrupted only by the occasional dig to my ribs from Luke, as he twisted in his seat to contribute his own sporting observations, which inevitably included numerous double entendres about ball size.

Thus, by the time the clock above the bar showed seven, I realised that, firstly, I was actually quite enjoying the evening, and secondly, I had managed to entirely avoid interacting with Cameron since switching off my desktop at 4:50 p.m.

‘Can’t deny I miss my rugby days,’ Roger sighed. ‘Now it’s all golf and watching cricket.’ He picked up his pint glass by the handle, lifting it to his lips and tipping it back, only to discover that it was in fact now empty. ‘By, you knocked that back quickly, didn’t you?’ he murmured to himself.

‘I’ll get you another,’ I said, standing up, only for him to place a gentle hand on my arm and ease me back down onto the bench.

‘No need,’ he said, gesturing up and over my shoulder. ‘He’s back with the round.’

At that, I turned to discover Cameron standing next to me, Luke having at some point moved to sit next to Alison on the other side of the table.

‘Is there room for me here?’ he asked rhetorically, lowering himself into the space vacated by Luke and simultaneously placing a crowded tray of drinks on the table in front of me. ‘Gin and tonic,’ he said, handing Alison a glass, ‘cider for Luke, bitter for Roger…’ He reached across me. ‘Tall green thing with an umbrella…’ The extraordinary-looking cocktail was passed down the table to Ruby, who received it with a ‘ta’ and the briefest of smirks in my direction. ‘And I know you said you didn’t want a drink, but you seem to have finished that one.’ He gestured towards my all-but-empty glass, whilst placing a large white wine in front of me.

There followed a general murmur of gratitude which, after spotting Ruby looking at me anxiously, I was careful to echo. Then I turned to Roger, with a query about golf clubs at the ready, only to discover that he was now quizzing Ruby about the flat she was renting in Bath.