When they got back to the bar, Ali and Sharif were waiting for them. Ali looked thunderous, and Sharif was casually leaning against the wall, with a fag dripping out of his mouth. ‘About bloody time. I’ve been waiting fucking forever for you,’ Ali said crossly to Cassie. ‘Come on, we’re going.’ She didn’t say goodbye to Sharif, and made off down the street with Cassie in tow towards the minicabs, with strides as long as her miniskirt would allow.

Omar looked at Sharif, waiting for an explanation. ‘So, nice date with Cassie?’ was all Sharif said, after a long pause. ‘Snog her, did you? Or just shag her against the wall?’

Omar pursed his lips, and thrust his hands deep into his pockets to stop himself shaking Sharif. ‘That’s bang out of order, mate. She’s a sweet girl, you’ve no right to talk about her like that. And yes, we had a nice dinner, thank you.’

‘Oh, put your handbag away before I get scared …’ retorted Sharif in a bored voice. ‘Is it your time of the month or something?’

Omar ignored the jibe, and nodded towards Ali and Cassie, who were getting in a cab. ‘Did you and the lovely Ali have a fight, then?’

‘Not exactly. I just said that I thought we might stop seeing each other so much, start seeing other people,’ Sharif said casually.

Men really are bastards, thought Omar. He’d bet that Sharif waited until after they’d had sex before he said it. ‘What brought that on?’ he asked diplomatically.

Sharif shrugged. ‘She was just getting a bit territorial. Complaining that we never meet at our flats, that we’re always outside somewhere when we, you know … But that’s how I like it. What does she want me to do - stay over and have breakfast with her bloody family?’ Sharif stubbed out his cigarette. ‘I’ll miss her a bit - for a pretty girl she was pure filth.’ He looked at Omar. ‘Are you coming back to mine tonight, or staying at home?’

Omar felt his stomach churn with loathing for his brother, and looked at his watch. ‘I’ll do what I did last time, I’ll get the coach back to college. They run through the night, and I’ve got lectures in the morning.’ Sharif’s behaviour had helped him find the little bit of indignation and bravery to say what he’d been thinking about for a while. He swallowed nervously and said, ‘Sharif, I need to talk to you. You know how hard it’s been coming down for gigs with me being at college. I just don’t think I can do it any more.’

‘Don’t be soft. What are you saying? You’re going to leave our band? Just because you’re fannying about in college somewhere hardly an hour from here - give me a break,’ Sharif scoffed.