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His British accent is very dodgy and I tell him so, but I am doing no better as I attempt to imitate his Boston drawl: 鈥淣o. You鈥檙e still getting it wrong. It鈥檚 Bawston,鈥� he shouts slowly at me over the table. And I fare even worse with Olga鈥檚 California lilt and James鈥� born-and-bred Queens twang. 鈥淣oo Yoik,鈥� he says 鈥� massively over-enunciating for my benefit. 鈥淣oo Yoik, Noo Yoik.鈥�

People are starting to stare. And with good reason. For 20 minutes we have had no real conversation whatsoever but have just been repeating words in various accents over and over again, getting louder and less coherent as the tequila flows.

鈥淭his one can鈥檛 speak properly as it is,鈥� jokes Eric tilting his head towards Olga. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 learn how to on the West Coast.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 totally unfair and untrue,鈥� Olga snaps back. 鈥淲est is best.鈥�

鈥榥oo yoik,鈥� he says - massively over-enunciating for my benefit. 鈥榥oo yoik, noo yoik鈥�

鈥淲hatever,鈥� says Eric. 鈥淭he New York accent isn鈥檛 much better.鈥�

鈥淗ey,鈥� interjects James. 鈥淒on鈥檛 have a go at New York. Where do you both live now? I鈥檓 not the one who has moved away from my city here.鈥�

And is it true, I wonder, what they say about the American penchant for a British accent? 鈥淎bsolutely,鈥� says James. 鈥淲e love it. It鈥檚 so hot.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 because it鈥檚 different,鈥� adds Olga. 鈥淭hough I鈥檓 not sure the English like the US accent in the same way we love yours. I guess it depends on where in the States the person is from.鈥� Apparently no one likes a Deep South accent. And on that note, talk turns to politics and the election.

We pass a billboard plastered with a poster of a naked Eva Mendes. 鈥榦h yeah! hello,鈥� shouts eric

James says that he is listed as being a Republican 鈥� but only because he wanted to annoy an old girlfriend. 鈥淚 went out with a girl at college who was a Democrat and very politically active. She kept going on at me to register to vote. One day she took me to a mailbox, handed me the form and said: 鈥楾here. Now all you have to do is sign and mail.鈥� I was so annoyed I signed, ticked Republican making sure she saw, and posted it before she could stop me. Just to piss her off!鈥�

We leave the restaurant and the conversation veers onto the subject of women as the boys, out of nowhere, start an involved discussion of who is on their list of top five sexy celebrities.

鈥淜ate Beckinsale,鈥� says James. 鈥淜eira Knightly,鈥� adds Eric. It seems the yanks really do love us UK women. But then we pass a billboard plastered with a poster of a naked Eva Mendes. Her hands are strategically placed 鈥� but the image leaves little to the imagination. It is casting a huge, but perfectly formed shadow over the whole street. 鈥淥h yeah! Hello,鈥� shouts Eric, stopping in his tracks to admire the view.

Sorry Keira. Looks like you鈥檝e just been bumped.