‘I guess it depends who’s watching.’ It was out before I could stop it, but he laughed. I could do sarcasm, I used it daily anyway and he seemed to like it.

‘I think you might be right. I’m Ian.’ He wiped his hand on his towel and held it out for me to shake. I hesitated for a second longer than I should have. I didn’t want him to touch me ever again, but if I couldn’t bear it, this plan wouldn’t work. With gritted teeth hidden behind my smile, I gripped his hand and shook it firmly; not one of those limp handshakes. Those made me want to wash my hands afterwards. Although, I always wanted to wash after any human contact. After his handshake I wanted to bleach the skin off.

‘Eve,’ I replied. His eyes fixed on mine and I hoped he couldn’t see the edges of my lenses. We stood for a couple of seconds trying to read each other. I held my breath, ready to be exposed at any moment. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Perhaps we were both dead behind the eyes?

‘Pleased to meet you,’ he said, and nodded towards a vacant weights machine. ‘I best grab that while it’s free.’

I nodded, and he walked away. Contact was made, and I’d survived.

I left for the showers shortly after; turning the water as hot as I could bear. I scrubbed my skin, especially my palm, but it still felt dirty. I was sure that would be the way of things from now on.

I met Debbie for dinner after leaving the gym. Relieved to take my mind off Ian’s handshake. I was feeling braver when out in the dark, now I knew who to watch out for. The nights were really coming in and by four o’clock the sun had set. I was arriving at the gym in darkness and leaving the same way. Always with my rape alarm to hand; I never went anywhere without it. The shops were filled with all things Christmas and the tapas restaurant Debbie and I dined at even had their decorations up. A twinkling tree stood in the window.

‘It’s a bit early for all that, isn’t it?’ I grumbled. I hadn’t been to the restaurant before. Debbie had frequented it with her husband and said the food was delicious. We ordered three different dishes each and dived in, trying everything. I passed on the squid when Debbie lifted the plate to offer me some, the smell making me baulk.

‘I brought the camera.’ She passed a carrier bag across the table and I had a quick peek inside. The box was small and felt light, exactly what I wanted.