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Before I can say anything, we hear the showers spring to life behind the tiled wall. It makes me jump.

‘I’ll get cleaned up,’ Eddy says, leaving his last comment to sink in.

My brain is practically vibrating in my skull, because what is he trying to say? That he just really loves working with me, or something more? It could be the former, except he looked sort of nervous. Eddy Hood, who can walk into a Grand Final in front of tens of thousands of people without looking remotely unsettled, looked nervous as the words left his lips.

‘Bloody hell,’ I hear him call out.

I stand up.

‘What?’ I call back.

‘You’ve got to see this,’ he says.

I follow his voice into the shower area, where Eddy is standing in his underwear. A tight, tiny pair of pants.

‘Look at this,’ he says.

It’s hard to drag my gaze away from him but, when I do, I realise what he’s called me here to see.

The room looks less like a changing-room shower and more like a luxury spa hidden inside a tropical resort. Deep green tiles cover the walls and floor, glossy and dark beneath warm lights. Ordinary shower heads line one side, but above them are enormous rainfall fittings mounted high in the ceiling, pouring water down over the tiles. Plants sit in recessed shelves, making everything look even more luxurious.

‘Can you believe this?’ he says.

‘It’s stunning,’ I reply.

‘We’ve got to get this for the Evergreen,’ he says as the room starts to get steamy.

He places his hands under the water before splashing it on his face, to get rid of the mud.

I should leave. He came in here for a shower after all. Sure, he called me to see the place, but I’ve seen it now. Time to go. But I can’t seem to get my feet to move. Not because I’m drooling over his body – I’ve done that enough times before – but because I need to know…

‘Did you mean it?’ I ask.

He pushes his wet hair back from his forehead.

‘Hmm?’ he replies.

‘Did you mean it, that you don’t want to retire because I’m around?’ I ask.

The showers continue roaring around us, but I need to know. I can’t wait another minute.

‘Yes.’

One word, that’s all it takes. No jokes, no sarcasm, no cryptic clues. Just a simple ‘yes’.

‘I don’t want you to retire either,’ I tell him, raising my voice slightly over the water. ‘Firstly, because you’re brilliant. But also, selfishly, because I’m really enjoying spending time with you. More than I should, probably. I know we’re pretending, and I know this started because I panicked and blurted out a lie that felt easier than telling the truth, but lately it doesn’t feel like I’m entirely pretending. In fact, it doesn’t feel like I’m pretending at all.’

Eddy steps towards me.

‘I’m not pretending either,’ he says. ‘I’ve been trying to ignore it. I thought it would make things easier if we kept everything professional. You were helping me, and I didn’t want you feeling as though you owed me anything…’

‘I get that.’

‘I’ve tried but… every time we’re together, it feels more real. My family think you’re perfect for me – they can tell I really like you. I look for you when I walk into a room now. It’s pretty distracting, to be honest. And when I see Jamie flirting with you I…’

He stops.

‘You what?’