“I don’t know,” she repeated. She’d never been one for the club scene at home. She and her girlfriends would go to pubs and parties but after trying out a few different clubs she’d not bothered to go again. The noise and the hot press of bodies, the vomit in the toilet, the dark corners where you had to shout to be heard; none of it appealed to her.

Suddenly, Marty grabbed her hands and swung her round. His hair was wet from the pool, his eyes sparkled and the dimple on his cheek deepened as he grinned. “Come on, Keely, you only live once. We’re on holidays, first night in Perth. It’ll be wild.”

His laugh was infectious and she found herself grinning as he whirled her around. This was what her holiday was meant to be about, wasn’t it? Having fun. She had to stop the spinning around though, that made her already upset stomach churn.

“Alright,” she gasped, and tried to pull her hands out of his. She caught him off balance and he fell against her, knocking them both into the wall. Keely was acutely conscious of his naked chest pressed against her with his arms either side.

He pushed away from the wall. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Her hair flopped across her face and she brushed at an imaginary mark on her shirt to hide her embarrassment.

“Nothing like sweeping a guy off his feet.” Marty’s laugh was easy and infectious.

She snuck a look at him through the curtain of her hair. “When are you leaving?” she asked, to change the subject.

He was silent for a moment. His gaze was intense and she felt the heat from her cheeks burn down to her neck.

“We’re going to wander down to Northbridge and get something to eat,” he said. “Check out the night life, then head for the club. Let’s say we meet you out the front in an hour?”

“Sure.” She risked another glance at him.

He grinned then thundered off down the passage towards the dormitory he was sharing with his friends.

She sighed and made her way up the stairs to the single accommodation she had chosen for herself. It was her first night and she’d decided she didn’t want to share with strangers. Maybe once she’d got used to the backpacker lifestyle she would try the dorm lodging. It was certainly cheaper and she didn’t have a bottomless supply of money.