He flashed his biggest smile, flexed both arms and winked at Tanya. Carina shook her head. If the same thing had happened a year or so ago, she would have made a huge scene, but she was tired of all that. Tired of the stupid game between them, constantly veering between arguments, makeup sex, everyday life, then back to arguments without ever passing ‘Go’.

‘Not bad,’ said Joe. ‘Your turn, gorgeous.’

‘Anything that gets me away from here,’ Carina muttered.

‘Anything? Really?’ Joe’s voice was silky soft. He looked as if he was about to say something else, but Marie jumped in.

‘Politics!’ she announced loudly. ‘I want to get invlov . . .’ She stopped, considered the letters. ‘Involved in politics. Parliament. But first I’m going to study political science at Lund. Simon and I are moving next week . . .’

‘Our little troubadour. What do you think will become of him?’ Joe wondered.

‘A rock musician,’ Simon said in a surprisingly firm voice.

‘Rock musician? Wow!’ Joe’s tone was ironic. ‘Not a bad dream. The celebrity lifestyle – sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll!’

‘Something along those lines.’ Simon still had his eyes closed.

‘Fuckssake,’ Marie slurred. ‘Simon’s going to the music academy in Malmö. We’re going to share an apartment. My dad’s helped us find this fantastic place, right in the middle of Lund . . .’

‘No.’ Simon opened his eyes. He looked perfectly calm.

‘What do you mean, no?’ Marie was confused.

‘No, I’m not moving to Lund.’

‘What?’

Carina straightened up, noticed that Bruno and Alex had done exactly the same.

‘I’m going on tour with a band,’ Simon informed them. ‘Their guitarist has dropped out and they need to replace him fast. The tour starts in three weeks, so I’m going to Stockholm on Tuesday.’

There was total silence around the fire, as if everyone was waiting for Simon to burst out laughing and tell them he was only joking.

‘Seriously?’ Bruno said, when the silence had gone on a fraction too long.

Simon nodded.

‘Which band?’

‘Talisman.’

‘Shit, we heard them on the radio on the way here. How the fuck did that happen?’

Simon shrugged. ‘My guitar teacher knows a guy at the record company. He recommended me. I met up with a couple of the band members in Malmö last week and we jammed for a while. They obviously thought I’d fit in.’

Carina’s heart was beating fast, and she could feel both joy and excitement spreading through her body. At last, something was happening! At last, someone was doing something unexpected. At the same time, she experienced a pang of jealousy, but quickly pushed it aside.

‘But you can’t do that, Simon. Where are you going to live?’ Marie was on the verge of tears.