Charlie shook her head. ‘I don’t want to go back to prison. Maybe Mango could have paid me a fatter share, but she’s shielded me from the risks that you’re now taking. And I never wanted millions, just enough to pay my way through college.’

‘So what now?’ Juno asked.

Charlie looked at the unlabelled sample bottle she’d been holding the entire time. ‘I suppose your personal trainer is expecting his delivery. Take it, finish the batch. But if you’ve got time to do extra jobs under my nose, you can damned well stick around and help me clean up.’

Juno looked remorseful as she took the sample. ‘What about long term? Are we still friends?’

Charlie’s vision blurred as she tipped her head back and looked at the ceiling.

‘I’ve been at school all day,’ Charlie said, sighing deeply. ‘Right now, I need the energy I have left to get through this job list. Everything else can wait.’

40 LOVE SHACK

Harry’s bed sheets were tangled and sweaty as he peeled them back. He kissed Gemma’s shoulder and the pretty teen rolled over and whined.

‘My uncle’s barbecue wouldn’t be so boring if you came.’

Harry flashed a cheesy smile. ‘Harry would come, but he can’t be bothered.’

‘You’re an ass,’ Gemma said, grabbing and flinging a cushion.

Harry ducked and kept teasing. ‘Will your hot cousin Cari be there?’

Another cushion flew and this time Harry caught it and flipped it back.

Gemma rubbed the bed. ‘If you go to my family party, I’ll make it worth your while.’

Harry wasn’t tempted. ‘Matt’s on his way here,’ he told her. ‘Gotta shower and make myself beautiful for Axl’s party.’

Harry stepped naked into his bathroom. His apartment was on the forty-third floor and the window over his jet tub had a prime view towards the Las Vegas strip. After peeing, Harry checked himself in the mirror.

Gemma had an annoying habit of clawing Harry’s back when they had sex and he turned round to inspect a bloodied, slightly stinging right shoulder blade. But these scrapes and a few acne scars from spottier days were Harry’s only major imperfections.

After Charlie broke his heart, Harry used $26,000 from his Vegas Local earnings to have gene therapy on an epic scale. Seven changes to Harry’s genome had more than doubled his muscle mass, strengthened tendons, enhanced respiration, subtly darkened the pallid complexion he’d inherited from his Russian father and reduced the output of the hormone that caused his acne.