You Had Me At Hello. Mhairi McFarlane

we’d all get on. More of my fantasy fiction: I should throw in a few elves as ring-bearers.

      ‘Will you give Abi my regards, if you speak to her?’

      ‘Course,’ Ben says. ‘She used to ask after you a lot.’

      We both pause, at the ‘used’. How did he explain our terminated friendship, I wonder? How did he think of me? If he thought of me at all …

      This is the first conversational pothole of many on the road that lies before us, if we’re going to be friends. It’s possible Ben doesn’t see the start of anything here, only a favour to another friend. A trip down memory lane, a swift three-point turn and back out again, foot firmly on accelerator.

      Ben’s obviously thinking this way too, because he says: ‘This is mad, isn’t it?’ gesturing at me, him, our being together. ‘Where does the time go?’

      I’m sure it went faster for you, I think, nodding. Caroline and Simon’s tandem conversation about high finance shows no signs of stopping. Ben therefore obviously deems it safe to ask: ‘What happened with you and Rhys? If you want to talk about it? Totally fine if you don’t …’