I’m absolutely fuming. I’d say this is the 5th time I’ve been stood up. ‘Use a dating app,’ they all say. What a load of shit. Time wasters the lot of them. Oh yeah, a few have turned up (probably in the hope that my profile picture really does match what’s in the flesh, which it does) and then when they talk to me and see I’m an awkward, nervous wreck with no confidence, it’s over.

‘I’ll see you at The Gate pub in the mall at 7:30 prompt, don’t be late!’ Suzie, the latest girl I was due to meet texted enthusiastically. And that was just this morning! So I’m sat here - on my own as usual - with a gin and tonic that’s long lost it’s chill as I grasp onto it anxiously for all my worth. It can’t carry on. It just can’t.

I see the balcony and yep, it’s crossing my mind. Two escalators worth of height to fall and the pain would be over. No more of these lies I keep being told, no more having to meet people that don’t want to even be there. No more being me.

I balance on the edge of the balcony, teetering and trying to remain calm. I can hear people screaming at me, “Don’t do it you idiot!” and “Get the fuck down bellend, stop being a fucking attention seeker!” But I ignore them as I tip forwards, grasping my phone which beeps a text alert in turn as I fall.

“He’s dead,” says a passer-by as the body lay in a strange pose at the bottom of the shopping mall. “I can’t feel a pulse. Somebody call the police, an ambulance, quick! He has a phone here, hang on…there’s a text.”

‘Hi Steve, it’s Suzie again. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow! Not sure I’ll sleep tonight! Don’t forget, 7:30pm in The Gate at the mall, first round on you!’