“Stop it, Katie. Don’t do that. It’s not the answer.” He looked down at her tear-stained face, and his eyes settled unwillingly on the curve of her breasts, exposed by her half-open pyjama top.

“I’m Kate,” she sobbed, “I’m Kate.” She turned her head and kissed his chest, and then pushing back the front of his dressing gown, her mouth sought out one of his nipples.

“For God’s sakes, Katie, don’t do this,” Dan exclaimed, trying to push her away from him. “We’ll only regret it later.”

Katie stood back from him, her eyes flamed with defiance. “No, I never will. I never will.”

She took hold of his hand and tried to pull him into her room. Dan used his strength to disengage himself from her grip. “We’re not going to do this, Katie.”

She stood watching him, a bewildered, hurt expression on her face, and then she slowly raised her fingers to the front of her pyjama top and undid the three remaining buttons before letting it slip to the ground. “My name is Kate, and I want to be held, and I want to be loved again.” She reached out and took his hand once more, and with a shake of his head, Dan allowed himself to be led into her room.

And while Katie began to take from him the long-lost sensation of physical comfort, a large figure appeared from the service room in the corridor and stretched out his aching limbs before setting off with heavy, tiptoe steps towards the lift.

26

Why did you leave?” Katie asked as she walked quickly past Dan into his bedroom the following morning. “There was no need to.”

Dan scratched at the back of his head and closed the door. “Katie, we shouldn’t have done that last night.”

“Oh, and why not? It was my decision. You have no reason to reproach yourself for what happened.”

Dan pushed his hands into the pockets of the dressing gown. “We’re both married, Katie. That’s why.” He let out a long sigh. “Patrick also happens to be one of the best friends I have ever had. And I have just slept with his wife.”

Katie raised her eyebrows. “Well, bully for you,” she said quietly.

“Come on, Katie, can’t you understand what—”