Callum’s mobile phone rang, making them both start. ‘Hold on, let me just see who—’ It was Tamsin. He held the phone in his palm for two more rings, then silenced the call.

‘S’okay, you should get that,’ said Leah.

‘No, I shouldn’t. This is much more important.’

The phone stopped vibrating; then, almost at once, it rang out with a second call from Tamsin.

‘Looks like she really wans to talk t’you,’ Leah said, getting unsteadily to her feet. Callum silenced the call again and grabbed Leah by the forearm.

‘And I really want to talk to you. Okay?’

He could tell she was pleased: nervous, reluctant, but pleased.

‘Right,’ Callum said as Leah sat down again. ‘You were going to tell me about whatever it is that’s worrying you.’

Leah took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt it surge up inside her like vomit. ‘Okaymmmjus‌sgonnasayit,’ she said, ‘vvvneverha‌dnorgasm.’

‘Never—’

‘Never. See,’ she spat, suddenly angry, ‘that is worse than yours, issnit?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Callum slowly. ‘Do you still want to know my problem?’ It occurred to him that once, not long ago, it would have been impossible for him to tell Leah – to tell anyone – about his impotence. But it seemed almost trivial now in comparison to his troubling, semi-articulated new secret.

Leah nodded.

‘It’s a bit of a cliché. Erectile dysfunction. I can’t get it up.’

Leah looked confused. ‘But you and Tamsin—’

‘—hardly ever have sex. Or not sex sex.’

Her eyes widened. Then she started to laugh. ‘Sorry, mmm sorry, mmm not laughing at you, mmm laughing at us, it’s juss, iss juss so shit.’

‘Have you ever talked to anyone about this before?’ Callum wanted to know.

‘Nohreally. Chris a bit. But I lied, I said I could, you know, when I was on my own—’

‘But you can’t?’

She shook her head.

Callum shifted one knee onto the sofa so that he was facing her. ‘Listen,’ he said, taking both her hands in his. They were cold, and there were angry red calluses at the base of her index and middle fingers. ‘The thing is, with me and Tam—’ Callum stopped, aware that he was about to lie, or if not lie, peddle a truth that was long past its sell-by date. But it was better for Leah this way.

‘Wha’about you and Tamsin?’

‘With me and Tam, it doesn’t actually matter. I love her, and she loves me, and when you find someone like that, someone who just accepts you as you are – I’d actually even say it’s brought us closer together.’