I can feel my guilt ebbing away and annoyance starting to ebb in.
'I only came up,' says Connor at last, 'because I'd put us down to do a stint on the Pimm's stall together at the Corporate Family Day. Obviously when I did so, I thought we'd be—', He breaks off, looking more wounded than ever. 'Anyway. But I don't mind going through with it. If you don't.'
I'm not going to be the one to say I can't bear to stand next to him for half an hour.
'I don't mind!' I say.
'Fine.'
'Fine.'
There's another awkward pause.
'I found your blue shirt, by the way,' I say, with a tiny shrug. 'I'll bring it in.'
'Thanks. I think I've got some stuff of yours, too …'
'Hey,' says Nick, coming over towards us with a wicked, eyes gleaming, let's-shit-stir expression. 'I saw you with someone last night.'
My heart gives a huge, terrified bound. Fuck! Fuck fuck OK … OK … It's OK. He's not looking at me. He's looking at Connor.
Who the hell'was Connor with?
'That was just a friend,' says Connor stiffly.
'Are you sure?' says Nick. 'You looked pretty friendly to me.'
'Shut up, Nick,' says Connor, looking pained. 'It's far too early to be thinking of … moving on. Isn't it, Emma?'
'Er … yes.' I swallow several times. 'Absolutely. Definitely.'
Oh God.
Anyway. Never mind. I'm not going to worry about Connor. I have an important date to think about. And thank goodness, by the end of the day I have at last come up with the perfect venue. In fact I'm amazed I didn't think of it before! There is one tiny little hitch — but I'll easily overcome it.
Sure enough, it only takes me about half an hour to persuade Lissy that when they said 'The key shall in no circumstances be transferred to any non-member' in the rules, they didn't really mean it. At last she reaches into her bag and hands it to me, an anxious expression on her face.
'Don't lose it!'
'I won't! Thanks, Liss.' I give her a hug. 'Honestly, I'll do the same for you when I'm a member of an exclusive club.'
'You remember the password, don't you?'
'Yes. Alexander.'
'Where are you going?' says Jemima, coming into my room all dressed up to go out. She gives me a critical look. 'Nice top. Where's it from?'
'Oxfam. I mean, Whistles.'
I've decided tonight I'm not even going to try to borrow anything from Jemima. I'm going to wear all my own clothes, and if Jack doesn't like it, he can lump it.
'I was meaning to ask,' Jemima says, narrowing her eyes. 'You two didn't go into my room last night, did you?'
'No,' says Lissy innocently. 'Why, did it look like we had?'
Jemima was out until three, and by the time she got back, everything was back in place. Sellotape and everything. We couldn't have been more careful.
'No,' admits Jemima reluctantly. 'Nothing was out of place. But I just got a feeling. As though someone had been in there.'
'Did you leave the window open?' says Lissy. 'Because I read this article recently, about how monkeys are being sent into houses to steal things.'
'Monkeys?' Jemima stares at her.
'Apparently. The thieves train them.'
Jemima looks perplexedly from Lissy to me, and I force myself to keep a straight face.
'Anyway,' I say quickly, to change the subject. 'You might like to know that you were wrong about Jack. I'm going out with him again tonight. It wasn't a disastrous date at all!'
There's no need to add the small detail that we had a big row and I stormed out and he had to follow me to the bus stop. Because the point is, we're having a second date.
'I wasn't wrong,' says Jemima. 'You just wait. I predict doom.'
I pull a face at her behind her back as she leaves, and start putting on my mascara 'What's the time?' I say, frowning as I blob a bit on my eyelid.
'Ten to eight,' says Lissy. 'How are you going to get there?'
'Cab.'
Suddenly the buzzer goes, and we both look up.
'He's early,' says Lissy. 'That's a bit weird.'
'He can't be early!' We hurry into the sitting room, and Lissy gets to the window first.
'Oh my God,' she says, looking down to the street below. 'It's Connor.'
'Connor?' I stare at her in horror. 'Connor's here?'
'He's holding a box of stuff. Shall I buzz him up?'
'No! Pretend we're not in!'
'Too late,' says Lissy, and pulls a face. 'Sorry. He's seen me.'
The buzzer sounds again, and we look at each other helplessly.
'OK,' I say at last. 'I'm going down.'
Shit shit shit …
I pelt downstairs and breathlessly open the door. And there, standing on the doorstep, is Connor, wearing the same martyred expression he had at the office.
'Hi,' he says. 'Here are the things I was telling you about. I thought you might need them.'
'Er, thanks,' I say, grabbing the box, which seems to contain one bottle of L'Oréal shampoo and some jumper I've never seen in my life. 'I haven't quite sorted out your stuff yet, so I'll bring it to the office, shall I?'
I dump the box on the stairs, and quickly turn back before Connor thinks I'm inviting him in.
'So, um, thanks,' I say. 'It was really good of you to stop by.'
'No problem,' says Connor. He gives a heavy sigh. 'Emma … I was thinking perhaps we could use this as an opportunity to talk. Maybe we could have a drink, or supper even.'
'Gosh,' I say brightly. 'I'd love that. I really would. But to be honest, now isn't a completely brilliant time.'
'Are you going out?' His face falls.
'Um, yes. With Lissy.' I glance surreptitiously at my watch. It's six minutes to eight. 'So anyway, I'll see you soon. You know, around the office …'
'Why are you so flustered?' Connor is staring at me.
'I'm not flustered!' I say, and lean casually against the doorframe.
'What's wrong?' His eyes narrow suspiciously, and he looks past me into the hall. 'Is something going on?'