‘My old man told me about it. It was in the papers not long after they built this place. But it’s obvious really, when you think about it.’

‘Is that what you do then – build things?’

He looks down at his jeans and back to me, he grins. ‘I’m a plasterer,’ he says, ‘but I’ve got bigger plans. All I have to do is save up the cash.’

‘What plans?’

‘Nah,’ he waves the question away, ‘I won’t bore you with the details.’

‘Go on. I’m interested.’

‘Really?’ he says.’

I nod.

‘Ok,’ he stops walking, he runs his hand over his head, around the stubble on his chin. ‘So I have this contact who works with big department stores all across the country, dealing in shop fittings, you know, shelving and mannequins and all that stuff.’ He can’t keep still. Moving back and forth the whole time, rocking on the balls of his feet.

‘He’ll let me have a load of stock on the cheap – good quality stuff that’s been used a bit, just needs some attention. And I’ll do it up and sell it on to smaller businesses – little boutiques that can’t afford to get it new.’

I nod.

‘That’s about it,’ he says. He shrugs and starts walking again.

‘And then people like me can come along and buy our Friday night outfits in the luxury we deserve.’

He looks at me, really looks at me as though he can’t work out whether I’m serious or not. Like he’s seeing me for the first time. His pupils are all big in the dim yellow light.

‘Where does a girl like you go on a Friday night dressed like that?’

‘I was supposed to be meeting someone. We were going dancing. To Clouds or Scamps, maybe.’

‘His loss.’

‘It was a girlfriend, actually.’

‘Oh,’ he says and looks away, ‘right.’

I stop and touch his arm. ‘Not like that.’

He breathes out. ‘Well thank God for that.’

We both laugh. We’re coming out of the underpass now, away from the graffiti and the smell of piss and into the open. The rain has stopped but the air is still damp with it. Water dripping from a shop awning onto the concrete steps.

‘Look,’ he says, ‘I’m not really dressed for clubbing, but if you aren’t scared of slumming it for a bit I’d love to buy you a drink before you head off.’