Amber Grappy

Maria is a high-flying development executive at a chocolate company. Everything is going well for her until someone she hasn’t seen since school — a woman named Verity — shows…

1990. Life in London isn’t what Em was expecting. In a creative drought, she’s working in a shabby restaurant, where she gets a visit from Dex.

1995. On the last day of the school term, Emma gets into a compromising position at work. When she gets home, things become even more uncomfortable.

2003. 2004. 2007. Unable to contemplate the future, Dexter looks back on his and Emma’s intertwined past — and gets a visit from some familiar faces.

1988. On the night of their graduation, Emma and Dexter meet for the first time. It’s an evening of almost-romance, and a morning of missed opportunity.

1989. The year has taken Dex and Em in very different directions. From a villa in Rome and a minibus in the Midlands, they both ponder what comes next.

2000. 2001. 2002. Em and Dex’s bond grows tighter as the years pass. Her writing’s going well, and he starts his own business.

1997. The two bump into each other at a university friend’s wedding. After an awkward reunion, they get lost in conversation together.

1998. Dexter’s still adjusting to domestic life. On an evening in, he finds an old mixtape from Emma and calls her to chat about times gone by.