‘Funny.’ Too close, and yet I tipped my shoulder to the side, nudging his, closer. He was warmer than me. I was drunker. ‘Say a month. What’s the first thing you’d do? The one thing?’

He took a breath, turned to face me. I felt like I’d miscalculated at some point, but I didn’t know how to get back. And I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to.

‘Wait,’ he asked, one eyebrow edging up again. ‘One place, or one thing?’

I frowned, not sure of the difference. His eyes were locked on mine. I tried to shrug. ‘Either. Both.’

His jaw twitched. ‘Honestly?’

I nodded, tried to blink, but I couldn’t.

He took another breath and moved, almost too quickly, blurred, until I felt his lips against mine. Hesitant, gentle, but definitely there, definitely coming apart, hands definitely coming up to my face and pulling me closer. Warmer. So much warmer. Something caught in my throat, broke, and I kissed him back. I didn’t even mean to but I’d miscalculated and I didn’t know how to get back and as his chest pressed against mine I didn’t want to at all. I didn’t know what I wanted. To touch his hand, his arm. To—

You’re too much.

I kissed him harder, tried to ignore it. I felt him smile, felt him pull me even closer, one hand at the back of my head, tugging, the snap of an elastic and my hair falling over my shoulders. For a second I felt everything, so many feelings, tumbling on top of each other, so much.

Too much.

His fingers curled into my hair, brushed along my scalp. I saw my hair in waves around my face, felt his hands, felt—

‘Wait.’ Glitter. My voice pushed out of my throat, pushed him back. ‘Wait.’

So much glitter.

He stopped, eyes locked on me as we both caught our breath.

‘Tom …’ I didn’t know what I was going to say, but my voice was sharp, hard.

He frowned, pulled his hand away, shifted his body along the wall until we weren’t touching at all.

My heart was still thundering in my chest, my mind trying to make sense of what had happened. I could still feel him, taste him.

He took a breath, then exhaled. ‘Sorry. I thought you …’

I opened my mouth to answer but I couldn’t.

‘It’s not …’ I said at last. I tried for a laugh. ‘It’s just a terrible idea, remember?’

His frown deepened. ‘Why?’

For a million reasons, but at that moment I couldn’t remember any. ‘You’re a doctor. I’m a waitress, and I’m—’ I stopped, closed my eyes, took a breath.

‘What?’

When I opened my eyes he was looking at me, genuinely curious.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said.

‘No, it’s not—’

‘It’s—’