Some moments later, Sharif realized with a start that Candida, as she slid his hands underneath her thighs, was giving him an unprecedented licence, and that she was intent on going much further than they had before. As her own hands reached for his shirt buttons, Sharif stopped her. ‘Candida, no, I don’t want to do this.’

‘What?’ she said, in genuine surprise, and seeming more than a little hurt. She saw the concern in his eyes in the poor light and relaxed. ‘Sharif, really, I want to. Don’t worry about me.’

‘I mean, I don’t want you here. I don’t want you outside, on a bench in a park. I want to take you home. I like you. I really, really like you. I want to take you home, and wake up with you.’ He gestured hopelessly towards the bench. ‘I don’t want to do this sort of thing any more.’

‘Sharif,’ Candida answered gently, ‘I’ve never done this sort of thing before - out in the open, I mean. I just thought it might be fun. And you know I can’t go home with you tonight. I’ve got my own home to get back to, before Mummy gets worried.’

‘Maybe you could stay over at the weekend?’ Sharif asked hopefully. ‘There’s a market near me in Merton Abbey Mills. It’s got lots of girly, arty-farty stuff that you’d love - scented candles, old mirrors, sequined cushion covers, carved bits of tat …’

’Sounds lovely,’ said Candida, sitting back upright and smoothing down her skirt, another pale floaty number, this time with bonbon-coloured stripes. ‘It would be nice to spend a proper amount of time together.’ She hesitated a moment, and then said, ‘The thing is, I’d be happy to stay over, but I really wouldn’t feel comfortable about, well, you know, with your flatmates around. The walls in your place are really thin, and … well, it’s hardly romantic with Beavis and Butthead banging around next door with their PlayStations and girly mags.’

‘Point taken,’ Sharif said. ‘I’m sure I can get rid of them.’ He looked around the damp, musty park. ‘Did you think that this was romantic, then?’ he asked. ‘I’ve never thought this was a particularly romantic location. Convenient, maybe, but definitely not romantic’

‘Of course it’s romantic,’ Candida said. ‘You’ve got the trees, the stars, the moonlight, and the chance of being arrested for an indecent act in public’

’You’re a funny girl,’ said Sharif.

’Funny ha ha or funny peculiar?’ asked Candida pertly.

‘Funny peculiar,’ answered Sharif. ‘Utterly perfect in every way, of course, but undeniably, just a little bit … mad.’

‘Come on,’ said Candida, getting up and pulling up Sharif by the arm. ‘Your mad girlfriend has a train to catch, and given that you’re disinclined to shag me senseless on a park bench, I’ve got no reason to miss it.’