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‘No.’ Freddy rubs the back of his neck. ‘Not anymore. I feel drunk, though. It’s been a weird day. For you too, I’m guessing. Have you eaten?’

‘I’m not hungry,’ says Kat, at exactly the same moment as her stomach rumbles.

‘Let me order you some food.’ Freddy gets to his feet.

‘I’m really okay –’

‘Stop saying that. You haven’t even taken your shoes off. Do you know what, Kat? It’s okay not to be okay.’

‘Is that a slogan for one of your adverts?’ Kat fires back.

‘Yes,’ Freddy concedes. ‘But slogans often contain a lot of wisdom.’

‘What would you know about not being okay?’ says Kat.

Freddy slides off Kat’s beautiful, red shoes, feeling the coolness of her bare feet. ‘Lots. Don’t let the handsome facade fool you. What do you want me to order?’

‘Well, if youmustorder food …’ Kat unstiffens a little. ‘There’s a very good curry place on Charing Cross Road. It’s called Krishna Curry. I’ll have the vegetarian thali, please. With a poppadum instead of a naan and ghee on the poppadum. They’ll say they can’t do that, but they can. Just ask twice.’

‘It’s nice to know that even laid up on the sofa you can still micro-manage.’ Freddy squeezes Kat’s feet. ‘You’re freezing.’

‘It’s my circulation. It’s not good when I’m having a relapse. The hot water bottles help.’

‘They’re not hot. They’re lukewarm. I’ll fill them up and get you a blanket.’

‘Oh fine. You may as well put the kettle on if you’re running around. I’ll have a fresh mint tea. The leaves are in the fridge –’

‘What about pyjamas? You want me to help you change into –’

‘No!’

‘Okay, okay!’ Freddy finds Krishna Curry on his iPhone and dials the number. ‘Hello? One vegetarian thali with a poppadum, and what’s the hottest mutton dish you do? I love mutton –’

‘They don’t do meat!’ Kat screeches. ‘They’re Hari Krishna’s –’

Freddy turns his back on Kat. ‘Actually, I’ll have your biggest, hottest vegetarian curry, with extra chilli.’

‘Why are you orderingyourselfa curry?’ Kat demands. ‘Surely there are many women with functional legs you can have dinner with? Just order me curry, make me a mint tea and leave. And you forgot the ghee!’

Freddy turns then, lowering his phone. ‘Ghee isn’t vegan. And how exactly will you collect the curry?’

‘I’ll crawl to the door.’

‘No, you won’t. Do you want sugar in your fresh mint tea?’

Kat gives Freddy awkward side eyes. ‘A tiny bit of honey. And let me remove the leaves. I like to choose the strength myself. Now, you might not know how to use my kettle. It’s a Thermostat Kerry Kettle, very good for the environment –’

‘Of course, I know how to use the Thermostat Kerry Kettle,’ says Freddy. ‘I marketed that kettle. I’m the reason you know all about its environmental benefits.’

CHAPTER42

Freddy isn’t surprised to find Kat’s kitchen pin neat, with tea-making apparatus in a logical cupboard above the kettle, all neatly labelled. Books line the tops of the kitchen cupboards and there are also bookshelves above the doorframes and bi-fold windows.

‘Excuse the mess.’ Kat calls out. ‘I haven’t had much time to be domestic with the office move and everything.’

‘What mess?’

‘Just don’t look inside the lower cupboards,’ says Kat. Her voice sounds much more stable now she’s bossing him around.