‘You’re absolutely right,’ Ted said shakily. That had been close. ‘Maybe we should just get The Best of the Teletubbies and be done with it.’

‘No, this is our man.’ Joy yelped with pleasure and swooped down on The Exorcist ’ This won’t upset anyone.’

‘Good,’ said Ted. ‘I couldn’t take a repeat of the last time.’

With the benefit of hindsight, Joy had to admit that making Ashling watch Damage had been a mistake. Though two months had passed since she’d found out about Marcus and Clodagh, people having affairs still weren’t exactly her cup of tea.

Back in Ashling’s flat, the three of them clustered in front of the telly, surrounded by wine bottles, corkscrews, sacks of popcorn and acre-slabs of chocolate. To the relief of all, Ashling seemed quite distracted by the film – until the doorbell rang. Immediately her face sparked with involuntary anticipation: she was still hoping for Marcus to make his long-overdue appearance.

‘I’ll go.’ She clambered to her feet and opened the door.

To her surprise, the person who fell in was Dylan. She’d had lunch with him on average once a week for the past couple of months, but this was a first.

‘Hope you don’t mind me calling unannounced.’ He smiled, but something about the volume of his voice and the laziness of his eyes made her realize he was drunk. ‘Look at you, lovely girl.’ He ran a hand over her hair and left a trail of heat from the crown of her head to the nape of her neck. ‘Nice,’ he drawled.

‘Thanks. Come on in, Joy and Ted are here.’

He poured himself a glass of wine and Ashling watched as he effortlessly charmed Joy. That he was dissipated and unravelly made him no less attractive. Just different.

When the video ended, Dylan flicked through the channels until he found something he liked. ‘Spectacular! Casablanca.’

‘I’m not watching any romantic shite,’ Ashling said firmly and Dylan laughed.

‘Aren’t you gorgeous?’ he said warmly.

‘Maybe, but I’m still not watching it.’

‘Gorgeous,’ he repeated. He’d always been full of compliments, but Ashling was aware that tonight’s mood was slightly loaded.

‘Still not watching it.’

‘Well, I’m the holder of the remote!’

‘Not for long, buster.’

In the ensuing scuffle over the remote control, a bottle of red wine got up-ended.

‘Sorry. I’ll get a cloth,’ Dylan said. But when he got to the kitchen, he called, ‘I can’t see any.’

‘I’ve got some old towels in the bathroom.’ Ashling left the room and was rummaging in the bathroom cupboard when his voice right behind her made her jump. Startled, she turned around.

‘Ashling,’ he said.

‘What?’ But already she knew something was up. The look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, his extreme nearness was dense with sex.

‘Sweet Ashling,’ he almost whispered. ‘I should have stayed with you.’ This was nothing like the avuncular way he’d treated her for the past eleven years. He touched a finger to her cheek.

I could have him now, she realized. Eleven years on, he could be mine.

And why not? He made her feel beautiful. He always had, even when he was marrying her erstwhile best friend. And she thought he was glorious. She had a curiosity about him, about what it would be like to sleep with him. A hunger which had been stimulated a long time ago and never satisfied.

Her head shuffled a few scenarios. She’d had her legs waxed. She was heartbreak-skinny. She’d love some affection. Some sex would be nice too.

Then, all at once, she didn’t care.

She shoved a towel at him. ‘Get mopping.’

The eyes under the floppy blond hair were surprised, but he did as he was told, then sat beside Joy telling her what was going to happen in the film before it did.

‘Shut up,’ Joy giggled, and when the film ended, she turned to Dylan and said, ‘I’m going home to bed now. You’re welcome to join me.’

His hazel eyes flicked over her then, with a slightly hard smile, he got to his feet. ‘Delighted to.’

Ted and Ashling watched in amazement. Ashling almost thought it was a joke. But when they didn’t appear back around the door after a few minutes she realized it wasn’t.

The following morning Ashling rang Joy at work.

‘Did you sleep with Dylan?’ She thought she’d asked it quietly but everyone in the office instantly jerked their heads up.

‘Too right I did.’

‘I mean, did you have sex with him?’

‘Yes, of course!’

Ashling swallowed hard. ‘What was it like?’

‘Brilliant. He’s gorgeous. Bitter as anything about women, mind, and there’s no way he’ll be ringing me –’ Joy abruptly changed tack. She sounded horrified. ‘Jesus Christ, you don’t mind, do you? I never thought for a second… I thought you were devvo about Marcus and because I hate Clodagh so much…’

‘I don’t mind,’ Ashling insisted.

Do I?

Do you? Most of the office wondered.

Actually, I don’t think I do.

In early December a buyer was found for Lisa and Oliver’s London flat. As the furniture was included in the purchase, all Lisa had to remove were her personal things.

Oliver was away on a shoot the weekend she chose to do so. She could have waited until he was around, but she’d made a deliberate decision not to. She had to let go of him.

Sifting through the remains of their life together was a painful process. But her mum and dad came from Hemel Hempstead to help her. Frankly they weren’t much use, but their bumbling warmth made her feel better. When they were finished they bundled Lisa and her possessions into their twenty-year-old Rover and drove back to Hemel. That night, as a special treat, they booked a table at their local Harvester. In one way, Lisa would have preferred to gnaw off her own head than go there, but in another way, she really didn’t mind.

Ashling arrived at the pub and Ted was already there.

‘Hiya,’ he said. ‘He was there. She was there. They didn’t look mad about each other.’ He’d been at a comedy gig the night before and because Ashling always asked about Marcus and Clodagh, he tried to spare her dignity by delivering a news bulletin.