‘Really?’ Everyone stood and stared at the great clumps of leaves at the forks of trees. They did look like haphazard, messy nests. Mistletoe made Lily think of kisses. Isaac’s kisses. As if he read her mind, his fingers tangled with hers for a moment and she blushed.

When the teens had taken loads of photos of the mistletoe phenomenon where the halo from the car park lights made it possible and then put them on Instagram or SnapChat the party traipsed into the hotel and were soon checked in. Arranging to meet for dinner at seven, they dispersed to their various abodes. The teens were noticeably less boisterous than they had been at the beginning of the day, having used all their energy for singing and talking on the bus.

Once in their room, which was decorated in shades of beige, Franciszka flopped on her bed and switched on the TV.

Lily had done little but struggle out of her coat and kick her boots off when she received a text from Isaac. Taking Doggo for a walk. Fancy coming with? xx

Her stomach skipped. Maybe they’d get under some of that mistletoe … Yes, sounds great. xx she typed in briskly.

Meet us in the foyer in five minutes. xx

As Franciszka’s eyes had already closed, after quickly cleaning her teeth Lily shoved her feet back into her boots and got one arm into her coat, wrapping the other side of the garment around her. Pocketing her key card, feeling suddenly alive and awake, she quietly let herself out of the room and hurried down the brown-carpeted corridor.

Doggo did a tail-waving happy dance to see her and Isaac planted his foot on the end of the lead so the energetic canine couldn’t stray. ‘You can’t go outside without your coat on properly. The wind’s freezing.’ Gently, he unthreaded Lily’s arm from her sling, manoeuvring her sleeve carefully to inch it up her arm without hurting her.

‘Ow, my elbow feels like a creaky gate,’ she complained, though it wasn’t stopping her from enjoying his gentle but assured touch, his body’s proximity. ‘I’d never realised that being in a sling makes you feel so cramped.’

Slowly, he zipped up her coat. He didn’t touch anything except for the tag on the zip fastener but a slow rush of desire followed his hand as it whispered past her breasts. He met her eyes and smiled as if sharing the moment before helping her back into her sling, then pulling a blue knitted hat out of his pocket and putting it on. It had an odd plastic square on the front. ‘Ready?’ At her nod, he held the door open, shortening Doggo’s lead when the excited dog began plunging on the spot.

‘Poor Doggo must be ready to shake the kinks out of his joints too.’ She laughed as Isaac was almost pulled off his feet.