She rubbed under her eyes in the mirror. Reapplied her lipstick. There was something else. There was something about Nina, tugging at her subconscious. Nina, Nina… what was she trying to remember about Nina? She pushed it aside. Her stock was up, her account was full, she had done the impossible. This was how she knew she wasn’t an addict. She’d made back her losses, she’d pay off her debts and she’d be free. Free to start again.

She stretched her arms out and flexed her knuckles. The feeling coursing through her veins acutely pleasant, a divine high. She pulled her square gold bag over her shoulder and went to find her friends. Right then, it was the only thing that mattered.

*

Alice

The club was busy. Nina was chatting to a man when Alice returned. He was tall and well dressed in what seemed to Alice a very French way: blazer, T-shirt, casually tailored trousers, with a short dark beard and piercing eyes.

‘Ah, here she is!’ Nina exclaimed, gently signalling to the man she wasn’t interested.

‘He’s hot,’ Alice noted, as he retreated and Nina shrugged.

‘I’m not looking for love,’ she said, and Alice wondered how that could be true. Wasn’t everyone looking for love?

‘Did you speak to the children?’ Nina asked.

‘Hm,’ Alice said, twisting her wedding ring.

‘Everything okay?’

‘I think so but, I don’t know, you know when you get a vibe?’ Alice huffed, puffing out her cheeks. ‘Getting a vibe,’ she repeated, eye-rolling, scolding herself. Why can’t she speak normally? ‘Oh, I don’t know. Ted said everything was fine, but he seemed a bit uptight and when I spoke to Charlotte – who should be in bed – she seemed a bit off. Speaking very fast, something about BTS, and not making much sense. Talking about a game with her friends.’

Charlotte had matured later than her peers, so Alice had been initially delighted when she became interested in the Korean boy band BTS, and it was a welcome break from Pokémon, her previous special interest, but six months of non-stop trivia and their insanely catchy songs was wearing thin.

‘That’s good, isn’t it? She’s playing with other children?’

‘Yeah, online, but you have to be careful how long she’s on there for. It scrambles her head a bit. And I don’t know, sometimes the other children can get a bit mean. You have to keep an eye on it. I do tell Ted all this stuff, but he only ever seems to be half listening. He’ll just be pleased she’s on the computer, keeping quiet.’

Nina listened to all this anxiously; she’d been copied in to a number of work-related emails from Ted this afternoon. She felt somehow responsible, and she didn’t want Alice to know his attention was being split between the children and work. She reached over and gave her a squeeze. ‘Listen, I know it’s difficult being away from them, but I’m sure Ted’s got it under control. And even if he’s finding it difficult, they’re at home, their dad’s there, they’re safe,’ she said firmly. ‘Try not to worry. It’s our last night in Paris, let’s have some fun!’