‘Easier to stay? Be still my beating heart. So are you telling me you both kept all of your clothes on, both nights, and neither one of you touched the other?’ Natasha let her head fall heavily to the table, banging her forehead up and down three times. ‘You know, you were a lot more fun when you were sixteen. At least when you were still a virgin, you thought sex was something to look forward to.’

‘Tasha!’ Ava reprimanded. The waiter put two glasses on the table and she picked one up to taste the contents. ‘That’s so good.’

‘Did you at least see Luc naked?’ Natasha giggled.

‘I hate to be the one to remind you, but you’re a lesbian. Why the sudden interest in male anatomy?’

‘Humour me,’ Natasha said. ‘Details, please – less dull than you’re currently making it sound.’

‘I’m not doing this. I’m Luc’s commanding officer. It’s not appropriate for me to …’

‘That’s such bollocks!’ Natasha laughed, spraying champagne across her lap. ‘You spent the last two nights in his bed. Were you worried about chain of command, then? Plus, Luc’s my friend, too. I’m not asking you for any details I wouldn’t be perfectly happy to demand from him if he were here.’

‘I can’t argue that point. You’re shameless, do you know that?’ Ava rolled her eyes.

‘Stop. There’s method to my madness. I want to prove a point – you know I love that. Think of it as a real-life example of a philosophical argument. I’m offering you my expertise for free. Now, finish your drink and give it up.’

Ava did as she was told.

‘Okay,’ she began, ‘as I have nothing to hide, and neither does Luc, I can tell you every boring detail. I was a mess from the injury and wet through from the storm. Luc needed to see my leg to clean the wound and apply butterfly stitches. I had a bath, then I got into his bed – for the record, he stayed on top of the covers – and we fell asleep. It was late. We got three, four hours, then got up. He went for a shower as I got dressed and we drove to work.’

‘So you were naked, after your bath …’

‘Logic dictates I would have been,’ Ava sighed.

‘And did Luc take his clothes off?’ she grinned.

‘Oh! come on, Natasha, what is this?’

‘I’m just asking. Have you seen him naked?’

Ava attempted to drain non-existent remnants from her glass before answering.