The sweater really is very nice, but I’m not going to wear it every day, so it gets packed away into my bag. I decide to shower early and then I can relax and check my email.

I also have a sneaky look at Instagram, because a certain online celebrity has a habit of making posts that say far too much about me. Refreshingly, Evan has been pretty restrained this time, only using the word cute once and the photos are really quite flattering. Actually, so are most of the comments.

It's time to check in with home and catch up, so I give Gilly a quick call when I’m sure she will have left work.

“Hi Gilly!”

“Hi Adam, love the sweater!”

“Bugger. Now everybody knows my business.”

“Pretty much, judging by the number of likes the Instagram post and the YouTube video are getting. You’ll soon be as famous as Evan is without lifting a finger.”

“Yes, so it seems.”

“Adam, are you still okay with it? You don’t normally do anything that throws you into the public eye.”

“Let’s just say I’m getting used to it slowly.”

“I take it that things are going well between the two of you?”

“Yes, Gilly, they are. We’re just having an evening off to catch up on our own stuff. Evan has to do a ship-load of editing.”

“Yes, I bet he has loads of footage of you.”

“Well, no, I’ve been behind the camera for him actually. I really enjoy it. Evan said we make a good team.”

“Well, if the first video has been affected by your input, then I’d have to agree. It’s very good indeed.”

“The next one will be even better. When he can talk to a moving camera, he’s really spectacularly good at his job.”

“So, working with Evan is great. Is that all?”

“No, the personal side is just as good. Better even.”

“Tell me more, you know you want to.”

“We seem to be very compatible.”

“Adam, I said bloody tell me more!”

“What can I say. He’s fit, very fit. We’re good together. Actually, probably better than good. It’s fucking amazing. Oh, and he’s erm… He’s big.”

“What? Big enough that you need to mention it?”

“No. Yes. Maybe… You did ask for more detailed information.”

“Point taken.”

“Well, actually, I took far more than the point!”

“Adam, stop. I nearly choked on my coffee.” Gilly manages to mutter after a lot of coughing and spluttering sounds. “It’s a good job I’m at home, you swine.”

“Serves you right, you nosy hag.”

“Hey, I’m trying to look out for you. I need to know that you are doing okay.”

“Relax. We’re doing fine. We may even have used the ‘L’ word.”

“Oh, my actual fucking God!”

“Seriously, Gilly. Calm down!”

“Sorry. It’s just that you’ve never said it to anyone before, have you?”

“No, but it seemed like the right thing to do. I actually do think I’m in love with him. And, no, not just with his cock or his abs. They are just a very welcome bonus.”

“So, not interested in Peter’s adventures then?”

“No, not really thought about him at all,” I tell her. “Why do you ask?”

“I do have news. Probably very good news.”

“Oh, go on then. You’re dying to tell me now.”

“Well, apparently, he’s in jail. He got busted for dealing cocaine and they’ve refused bail because they think he might do a runner.”

“You’re fucking kidding me?”

“No, dead serious. It’s on the local paper’s website and everything. You’re well out of it.”

“You know it was only a matter of time, don’t you?”

“Yes. You’re not even a little surprised, are you?”

“No, not even a tiny bit. Did he have a lot of stuff on him?”

“Enough that he’s looking at some serious time, a few years at least. That’s partly why his bail was refused, I think. He won’t get out of this; he was caught red-handed.”

“Well, thanks for letting me know. I actually did need to know and wouldn’t have checked the local news until I got home. People knew we were together. I probably need to email the regulator’s office and let Janet know that I’m not with him and haven’t been for some time. She knows me well enough to realize that’s the case, and she did know I’d moved to a different apartment.”

“So, you still have to deal with the fall-out?”

“A little bit. I have to maintain my integrity, at least with the regulator’s office. Don’t worry, it will not be a problem.”

“Worry? I never even thought of his arrest affecting your job. It’s easy to forget what you actually do.”

“No, it’s a tenuous link to make unless you know exactly what I do. I’d better go and send that email. Do you have any more gossip for me?”

“No, go and do your thing. I’ll see you in a few days and we’ll catch up properly.”

“Okay Gilly. Bye for now.”

“Bye Adam.”

As soon as we hang up, I get right on to sending an email to Janet at the regulator’s office. I give her a brief update for the record and assure her that we had already split. She’s apparently working late, as I get an almost immediate response.

Briefly, she confirms that the office had discussed the issue earlier in the day, when the news broke, but didn’t see that there would be a problem. Off the record, she told me that they all knew I’d moved and assumed there had been a break-up. She also added a postscript “Like the sweater!”. Just how many of the people I know follow Evan?

Evan and I have a pretty quiet dinner. I tell him a little bit about Peter and the fact that I’m neither surprised or worried about it.

“So, you knew he did hard drugs?”

“Yes, I became aware of it. He never tried to get me involved, but it was getting worse. I’d have dumped him at some point, even if he wasn’t cheating on me.”

“I’ve never understood the whole drugs thing,” Evan tells me. “I just don’t see what people get out of it.”

“I’m much the same. I always imagine that it’s a bit like getting drunk only better. As I don’t like getting drunk, I don’t see the point.”

“I knew someone at school who died from an overdose, a few years ago. However recreational they think it all is, it sometimes goes too far.”

“Yeah, well Peter was probably heading that way.”

“He’ll do jail time?”

“Oh, hell yes. The Isle of Man may be pretty relaxed about some stuff, but drugs aren’t one of them. They are talking about legalising cannabis, but class-A will not be treated lightly. Intent to supply is probably getting him a few years, even for a first offence.”

“Do you think he was already dealing, you know, when you were together?”

“I’d like to think not, but I’m really just not sure anymore. I’m just glad to be out of it and that it won’t affect my work.”

“Yeah, I’m glad you’re away from it too.”

“Can we change the subject?”

“Of course.”

“How is your editing going today?”

“It’s fantastic. I had to record a little voice-over, but that’s not unusual. Using the tracking shots that you took at Loch Ness really brings things up another notch.”

“Will you get enough done in the time we’ve made today?”

“I should be finished with the edit by the end of tonight. I’ll upload it and set it to go live just about when we are disembarking.”

“And then you start on the next part?”

“Yes, we have today’s footage and then whatever we get tomorrow in the Hebrides. That will probably be the last part really. I’ll just make a short summary episode to tie it all together.”

“I liked Lerwick. Maybe because it was a lot like home in some ways. The Viking heritage and that small-community feel.”

“I suspect Stornoway will be very similar. It’s a long final leg to the cruise, but I think it will be worth the time at sea.”

“Yeah, I love the fact that we get to sail around the islands a little, rather like on our first day. It sounds like a really good way to relax for the last phase of the cruise.”

“Adam, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go back to work. Shall we meet together for breakfast as usual?”

“Sure. Walk you to the lift?”

“Yes, that sounds like a good plan.”