In this dream I am living in a very large mansion in the state of Florida and my husband is a very rich man. I, on the other hand, am the kind of wife who is never seen in public without heels. I lift a finger to my cheek and feel the powder of my make-up. I am curled up on the sofa with a chilled glass of white. I am vaguely aware that my husband is out with his yacht, but I am not perturbed by the idea. The trip has been arranged with a lot of notice and he has made thorough preparations. Despite his absence, or perhaps because of it, tonight I am throwing a cocktail party and all the ingredients are lined up on the long marble table in the hall, so it looks like it’s happening soon. I am not fretting. I am having my nice, chilled glass of white in my nice sitting room. I look out of the bay window and realize there is a woman on the decking out back. I can see her from where I am sitting. She has a silk scarf around her head: it must be the sixties in the dream, or she has expensive sixties vintage taste. She is wearing big round sunglasses and holding a large portable telephone to her ear. She twirls her headscarf between her index finger and thumb. The home telephone rings and I pick up its heavy Bakelite receiver. ‘It’s about your husband,’ says the voice in my ear. I lift my eyes up and the woman is staring at me through the glass window. The light hits her sunglasses from behind, so I can see her dark eyes shining through the dark lenses. ‘Never get your heart broken twice,’ she says into the receiver and hangs up.

The day after I dream the third dream is the day before the big night.

CONDITIONER

The Girls

Now

There are creatures that only come out at night: bats, mice and owls. They all have their own specific cry. And fur or down or feathers designed to disappear into the night.