‘OK, I won’t tell you then. But wow, Jazz. There’s something really weird about him, right?’ Felicity said with a breathless enthusiasm.

‘What do you mean, weird?’ Jasmine asked, now interested in what Felicity had to say.

‘After you left, we kissed for a while, which was hot.’

‘I thought you weren’t going to tell me.’

‘No, wait. So I tried to … do more … and he wasn’t having it. Grabbed my wrist and told me I shouldn’t throw myself away like that. What does that even mean?’

‘He said no?’ Jasmine asked. That didn’t fit with what she’d seen from the window.

‘I swear to God. Then he gave me another beer and I’m almost certain I saw him crying. Maybe he was just super stoned or something but after that he got up and punched the wall then he went inside his little hut.’

‘I think it’s probably better if you don’t stay tomorrow night,’ Jasmine said, unsure what Tim’s behaviour could mean. She knew she couldn’t go through this again tomorrow.

‘Are you kidding?’

‘I’m not kidding. Now go to sleep.’ Jasmine wished she could make her leave now. She was angry that she let any of this happen. She was thirsty, so she got up and left the room without explanation as Felicity called out after her. She walked into the kitchen, where Tim was standing at the sink washing the glasses they’d drank out of earlier. He was shirtless, and Jasmine’s eyes flitted across his back to his tattoo before grabbing a glass off the draining board and leaning across him to get a large drink of water.

‘I thought you went to sleep,’ he said.

‘I’m thirsty and I needed to lock up. Wouldn’t want anyone breaking in and killing me in my sleep.’ It occurred to Jasmine that she was more annoyed with Tim than she was with Felicity. Why couldn’t it be Jasmine? Why was it never her? She thought maybe she was disappointed that he was lured into Felicity’s trap. Maybe she would think more of him if he had even resisted slightly. Her preconceptions about the person he was had faded and all she saw was another man trying to get off. But then she remembered seeing them on the lounger and the way he’d looked up at her. Was he trying to make her jealous? Is that why he wouldn’t sleep with Felicity?

‘You had better get going. I need to lock the doors,’ Jasmine said sharply, unwilling to play his game.

‘Have I upset you?’ he asked, clearly knowing the answer already.