‘Well that’s good to hear,’ Priyesh said. ‘Because for a moment there it sounded like you were going to shout at me for something.’ He spoke smoothly, unruffled. Penny found it incredibly irritating.

‘Shout at you?’ Penny said. ‘Why would I shout at you?’

‘Well,’ Priyesh replied. ‘Exactly. Hence my confusion.’

He pushed through to go into the loo. Penny opened up the door behind him and followed.

‘What’s your problem?’ she asked, peeved. ‘Why are you such a snooty bastard?’

Priyesh smirked. ‘A snooty bastard? My apologies if I’ve come across that way. I appreciate the feedback.’

He simpered sarcastically as he said it, as if Penny’s comment didn’t bother him at all and was almost a ridiculous suggestion.

‘You come in here with your suit, and your hair, and your face,’ Penny said. ‘Drinking my booze—’

‘Well, booze I sold you, technically,’ said Priyesh.

‘Oh … shut up,’ Penny said. She stood in the doorway and Priyesh looked as if he was about to say something, thought better of it, and turned around to the urinal. Penny could only assume that he’d unzipped his trousers because in the next second, she could hear a steady stream of liquid hit the plughole.

‘Oh, nice,’ she said, bizarrely glued to the spot. ‘Really nice.’

Priyesh zipped up his trousers, turned to the sink and washed his hands – with soap – and pulled down a paper towel. He gently flung it to the bin, turned to check his hair in the mirror, and walked up to where Penny was frozen in the doorway, in awe at him. The way he moved, the way he looked at her, the way he walked towards her, it was all like he was a big game cat.

‘You’ve made an awful lot of assumptions about a man you’ve only met a handful of times,’ he said, standing close.

‘Your reputation precedes you,’ Penny said, her breathing uneven. ‘I know all about you.’

‘Oh really,’ Priyesh said, brushing her hair from her neck and letting the very tips of his fingers brush against her collarbone.

Penny swallowed. She couldn’t explain it. This man – he repulsed her, and she wanted him, and she hated herself for wanting him but at the same time life was short and why shouldn’t she do exactly as she pleased? What did it matter?

She tugged at the top of his trousers, pulling his hips closer to her as she looked up at him, deep into his eyes. Neither of them pulled away.

‘Is this okay?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ he replied, holding still.

She undid the button to his trousers.

‘Is this okay?’ she said, searching his eyes again, desperate to see if she could get a reaction from him – any reaction.

‘Yes,’ he said again, still composed. Still unflustered.

Penny reached into his underwear.