his legs off the coffee table so I can head over to the battered beige armchair beside the television. ‘What’s up? You look like you’ve had a shit day.’
‘Just, y’know, life stuff.’
‘Anything I can help with?’ Rob leans forward. He turns the volume down on the television and inclines his head towards the door, and the rest of the house. ‘Woman trouble?’
Does everyone know what went on with me and Emma?
‘I dunno,’ I say, picking up a cushion and hugging it. ‘I was talking about Alice today at work and I got out of a surgery observation – open heart, ironically – and there was a message from her. I guess she’s at a bit of a crossroads – she was seeing someone for a bit and it didn’t work out.’
‘Ah.’ Rob nods briefly. ‘That’s a tricky one. You dinnae want to be the fallback guy.’
‘Alice wants more than I’ve got. Not in a bad way – I mean I don’t think she was only after my money when we met, but she thought she was marrying into a lifestyle. She wants kids, a nice house in the suburbs, all that sort of thing.’
‘And you don’t?’
Unbidden, an image of Jess pops into my head, laughing at something as we’re walking along the canal path at Little Venice. I need to get a grip.
‘I wouldn’t say I don’t, but I’m never going to be able to give Alice what she wanted, and – she’s a nice girl, and all, but—’
‘She’s no’ the one?’
‘Exactly.’
Rob looks thoughtful. ‘Well, you don’t want to settle. I tried that, and here I am at forty-four, living in a basement with you lot.’
‘What happened?’ I ask.
‘Oh, I liked her a lot; she was a nice lassie. We moved down here when I got the job as a commis chef at my first restaurant, and when things started falling apart we tried to fix it by getting married.’
‘And it didn’t work out?’
He shakes his head. ‘Nah. She headed back to Glasgow, and I signed over the wee flat we had up there to her. Felt like I owed her that much.’
‘So that’s how you ended up here?’
‘Yep. No property, no savings, not a bean to ma name. But I’d still rather have that than be stuck in a marriage where we were both miserable. You need to actually like the person you’re with, no’ just fancy the pants off them.’
‘You’re right.’
‘Aye.’ Rob looks at me, steadily. ‘Mind you remember that. It’s important.’
Suddenly, Becky crashes into the room. ‘What’s going on in here?’ she asks.
‘Just men’s talk.’ Rob waggles his eyebrows.
‘Oh God, right, football and all that crap.’ Becky laughs, looking at the screen where the weekend football fixture list is playing. It’s a pretty good cover.
‘Aye, something like that,’ Rob says.
‘Well, I have a treat in store, if you’re not busy. A client’s just delivered a massive crate of wine as a thank you, so I think we should celebrate the fact that we’ve made it to the end of the week – assuming none of you are doing anything tonight?’
‘Nope,’ I say. ‘Well, I’d been planning an early night, and a bit of studying. But it won’t take much to convince me to work on the assignment in the morning.’
‘Or the afternoon, if you’re hungover. But this is good wine,’ Becky says, pulling a bottle out of the crate, ‘and I was reading a thing today that said that you shouldn’t get hangovers from expensive wine, so we can test it out. Rob, are you about?’
‘I am.’
‘Not working?’ I ask, surprised.
‘I’ve knackered my ankle.’ He indicates the leg that was propped up on the table. ‘Can’t stand up for longer than about five minutes, and it’s so manic in the kitchen on the weekends that I’m a liability, so I’ve been signed off sick for a couple of days.’
‘We can have a party,’ said Becky, looking cheerful. ‘I’ve just helped on a case that looks like it’s going to the High Court and we’re going to win.’
She looks triumphant and exhilarated, the same expression on her face as I’d seen on the surgeon’s earlier when they’d successfully completed a bypass operation. It was weird – instead of making me envious, it just underlines the fact that I don’t miss law one bit. Doesn’t make me want to be a surgeon, either, mind you.
‘Em,’ Becky calls up the stairs. ‘Are you in?’ She’s opened the wine and is thrusting glasses into everyone’s hands. ‘Has anyone heard from Jess