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Mum: Darling, I do hope you’re keeping busy. I saw Linda’s daughter just got engaged. They’re planning an autumn wedding next year which will be lovely. Do call when you have a moment.

Nothing about yesterday. No apology about her comments.

I still haven’t worked out what I want to do with her going forward, but I’m not going to reply to that text today.

I lock my phone.

Back at our desks Alicia pounces on me.

“Ok, amazing about the designs, you’re a girl boss and all the exciting things we can discuss later. But right now I want to know why you looked so happy about a museum trip?” She wheels her chair dramatically around the divider between our computers.

“Because I know one of the teachers,” I say, casually, or at least trying to be casual, as I shuffle papers on my desk. I’m pretty sure she can tell I’m trying to stifle a smile.

“Claire.”

I don’t look up.

“Who do you know?”

I sigh. “This guy, Tom. He teaches history.”

“Tom.”

“Yes. Just Tom.” I flick through an empty notepad.

“How do you know ‘Just Tom’?”

“We… grew up in the same area and he’s my best friend’s older brother. He’s nice.”

Alicia tilts her head. “So he’s hot, then.”

I choke on my own saliva. How did she come to that conclusion? Not that she’s wrong. “What?” I say, when I manage to stop coughing.

“Well, clearly he’s hot. You’re being weird about it. You only get evasive like this when there are vibes.”

“Fine.” I turn to face her. “He’s hot. But I also really like him.”

“Why are you saying that like it’s a problem?”

I pick at the corner of a sticky note. “We went on a sort of date a while back but it was all complicated, and didn’t work out. But I saw him last night and it was amazing. But”—the sinking feeling arrives right on schedule, the happy bubble I’ve been curating bursting—“his sister is my best friend. Who I haven’t told yet about seeing each other again. Given how things ended last time, she’s not exactly going to be excited. So I just need to sort through my expectations a bit.”

Telling Kath’s on my mental to-do list. Something I’ve been trying not to think too hard about since yesterday. She was supportive before, but I’m not sure she will be again. An anxious dread tugs at me.

“How did they end last time?” Alicia asks. “Did you cheat on him? Key his car?”

“What? No! Of course not, it was just bad and I stopped replying. It was a whole thing.”

She holds up a hand. “Ok, and in the time since, has his sister—your best friend—stopped speaking to you? Uninvited you from things?”

“No,” I mumble, as my brain runs through all the things Kath has done. Gone for coffee with me, made sure I got home safely, invited me over for dinners.

“So the evidence supports things being fine, and it’s just you catastrophising,” Alicia shrugs and turns back to her screen. “I’m just saying, in my experience the conversations we panic about are rarely the ones that actually go wrong.”

Wow. That sounds suspiciously like something Dr Pratesh would say, except Dr Pratesh charges more and doesn’t do it whilst peering over a desk divider.

Then Alicia suddenly startles and wheels her chair back around to face me.

“Oh my god, is he The Kiss guy?”