– That’s right. You were right here, with your nice bedsheets, or at home with your wife to look after you and the kids, and her family, and your mum, and your brothers and your sister and everyone else to make sure you were okay like they always do! When I needed you, you weren’t there, it’s always about everyone else being there for you. You’ve never done anything on your own in your entire fucking life! You have no idea what it’s like for people like me.

– What do you want from me, Flora?

His eyes blazing then.

So easy to ignite that, just ask anything he can’t answer. All around them the party swells and pulses. A girl grinds down on another woman’s lap. The men in leather trail off into the bathroom. Someone runs the shower. He cups her face in his hands. Kisses her cheeks and nose and forehead and then her mouth. He traces her lips with his finger until she bites. He places one hand around her throat with just the exact right pressure. Everything is spinning – the flat, the people dancing and touching each other, the bar – the entire Luckenbooth rotates its way through night like a disco ball with them all – safely contained – for a short time, in the glitter.

– I thought you were never going to sleep with me again, he whispers.

– I’m not.

– I can see that.

– I hate you.

– But you miss me, don’t you?

Him pulling her in, holding her – their hearts beating right next to each other again, want like this doesn’t go away – no matter how much she might want it to, it won’t.

– Fuck me.

She whispers into his ear quiet as a spell and just as true.

– Gladly.

There is a hard bang at the front door. The record is slid off. There is a pfft-pfft-pfft pfft-pfft sound as the record table rotates with nothing on it.

– Oh, fucking hell! Sssh, everyone! Be quiet, shut the fuck up, for a minute, please!

Greig holds his hands up for everyone to be silent.

In the door he has drilled a tiny hole.

So clever.

He walks over barefoot and elegant and feline and he looks quickly to see if it is the police on the other side.

– It’s MISTER UDNAM! Open the door now, Greig, or I’ll have the police here in minutes!

– Let me, Flora says.

She pulls her dress down at the cleavage, leaves her stockings on show – she opens the door.

– Flora, why are you here, what is going on in there?

Keeps her body in the crack.

Everyone is stood up against the wall behind her but he can’t see them.