‘Best idea I’ve heard all day.’

Sparling’s envelope had been packed with fifties to the tune of two thousand euro. Frugal spending wasn’t an option that Chloe was willing to entertain. Ben had kept his unease hidden – some veiled attempt at appearing laid-back. Nothing could have been further from the truth. He was a poor man buying premium camping gear with someone else’s money. But now, squeezing the silky softness of his sleeping bag as he rolled it out, he regretted nothing. It was comfier than his bed at home.

Chloe threw her torch down between their beds, splaying shadows across the tent’s blue walls. It was dome-shaped like an igloo and could probably fit four or five people, so there was more than enough space for their rucksacks. Chloe could stand at a slight crouch, which made her appear even shorter than she was.

‘It’s fucking freezing,’ Ben said, on his knees, frantically rubbing his hands together.

‘Don’t worry,’ Chloe said, dragging down the door’s zip and sealing them in, ‘you’ll be fine once you slide into your bed. It’s the thermal, quilted kind. If anything, you’ll probably be too warm and start complaining again.’

She squashed down onto her sleeping bag to unlace those huge boots. Ben couldn’t imagine her wearing anything else. Tiredness had obviously switched off his imagination for the night. His body’s internal lights were dimming one by one. She had to pull one boot off with both hands, freeing her tiny, socked foot. Being a seasoned shoe salesman – not by choice – he knew a size three when he saw one. Any smaller and she would have to buy from the children’s section. Ben hadn’t realised he was staring until she had already peeled a leg of her skinny jeans down to her ankle. He turned his back so abruptly as to make her cackle with laughter.

‘Ah, Benny Boy, what’s wrong?’ she said. ‘Don’t you like my sexy legs?’

‘Shit, sorry,’ he replied, suddenly aware of his cheeks burning in the cold. ‘Jesus.’ He laughed, holding his tired head in his hands. ‘I need to sleep.’

He listened to the swish of Chloe’s body sliding into her sleeping bag and then he knew it was safe to turn his head. She was lying on her side, head resting on her hand, grinning at him.

‘Pervert,’ she whispered before falling back in a fit of giggling.

*