The coffee machine was empty, but rather than wait for a whole drip to go through she made espresso with pods. The Sonos was playing Bill Withers. Tina turned it up.

‘Then I look at you,’ she sang, dancing a slinky little dance. ‘And the world’s all right with me . . .’

She got a tub of granola and plonked it on a tray.

‘Just one look at you . . . And I know it’s gonna be . . .’

Into the fridge for almond milk.

‘A lovely daaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy . . .’

Tina spun round, holding the milk to her chest, eyes closed, blissful smile. When the long, long note ended, she giggled and opened her eyes to see Joan Didion sitting on the floor, looking at her.

‘Oh! Where did you come from?’

She looked round and saw Alice leaning in the doorway. She looked great in a Miami-turquoise jumpsuit and her Evans high-tops, pink aviators firmly in place.

‘Well, good morning to you and your glowing, extremely post-coital aura,’ Alice said as she came into the room. 

Tina blushed, but with a little smirk too. Alice picked up the dog and sat down at the island. 

‘How ya doin’?’

‘Fine, thank you.’

‘How’s Porter? Was she able to, y’know, get you the right way up with one eye?’

Tina smiled coyly as she finished assembling the tray. ‘Bette’s fine. We had a lovely evening, and a lovely night, which I would really, really love to turn into a lovely morning, so . . .’

‘Yeah, yeah, we know. Your daughter banned us all from the house and courtyard till ten.’

‘Did she?’

‘Yeah, because she heard you?’

Tina’s eyes widened. Alice laughed.

‘Well, that was very considerate of her,’ Tina went on. 

‘You should thank Helena, her place is like a zoo right now.’

‘And the reason you’re here at’ – Tina checked the huge wall clock in the living room – ‘nine-oh-five is what?’

Alice just stuck her tongue out. Then her phone got an alert. 

‘Oh.’ A beat. ‘I got a rental.’

Tina was struck by how underwhelmed she sounded. She put the coffee on the tray, then went and gave Alice a hug.

‘You know you don’t have to go?’ she said.