‘I do, Cassie, I do really like you. You’re a nice girl,’ Omar said firmly, pushing her away gently. He removed her hands, and held them kindly. ‘You’re a nice girl, and you don’t need to do this just because I bought you dinner, or because I listened to you.’

‘Don’t you think I’m attractive?’ asked Cassie, in a small voice, turning away.

Omar squeezed her hands reassuringly. ‘I do. I think your new hair really suits you, and you have a fantastic arse. A butt like a ten-year-old boy, as Sharif would say.’ He was rewarded with a slight puff of a giggle from Cassie, as she turned back towards him, eyes shining <# 191 &>hopefully. ‘I’m sorry I kissed you back and misled you -you are pretty and you are very nice. But I just don’t feel that way for you.’

Still holding her hands, Omar pulled her out of the alleyway and started walking her back towards the club. ‘Well, this is new. I normally get rejected afterwards, not before,’ Cassie said, but not quite disconsolately.

‘Maybe you should wait a little while, then you might not get rejected at all.’ Omar knew he had no experience in these matters, but continued regardless. ‘I think that blokes, especially blokes our age, are basically selfish. If you offer them something, they take it, and ask themselves whether they want it afterwards.’

Cassie walked on for a bit in silence, and said, ‘You know, the first time I did it, I was only fifteen. It was on the green outside school. It was dark, and I thought he really liked me, and I didn’t enjoy it at all but I thought he would like me even more afterwards. But he only said he liked me to my face, and told everyone else that I was a bloody good ride. And the next person I went out with expected it, and said I couldn’t really like him if I wouldn’t, after I’d already done it with someone else. And I did it, just to wipe away the last time. And it was better, but not much. I’d had sex with four people before I was sixteen.’ She scuffed her toe against the curb. ‘Maybe I am just a slapper.’

‘You’re really not,’ said Omar fiercely. ‘Men are just bastards,’ he added without thinking. He had to stop and laugh. ‘God, that made me sound like a girl, didn’t it …?’

Cassie squeezed his hand, and stopped to kiss him on the cheek. ‘I think you really are a sweet man, Omar.’