Paul nodded, seemingly incapable of verbalising anything else, but a flush had started rising up his neck.

Well, she’d asked him now.

All that was left to do was go on the date, kiss him and then on Monday, she would be in the Queen Bees. She was starting to get up from the chair to leave when something in Paul’s notebook caught her eye.

‘You managed to work it out!’ she exclaimed, her astonishment making her temporarily forget she was in a hurry to leave. ‘I struggled with that question for ages and I’m still not sure my answer’s right.’

Surprised, Paul looked down at his work.

‘You mean question seven?’

Claire nodded.

‘Yes, it’s a bit of trick question,’ said Paul, ‘but once you work out the first part of the sum, the rest follows.’

‘You got sixty-seven? I’m pretty sure that’s not the answer I have.’

Claire sat back down, rifling through her bag to find her maths book, all thoughts of her Queen Bee challenge forgotten. Pushing her bag to one side, she took his pencil and started to rework the sum, oblivious to Paul watching her.

After a few minutes, she looked up. ‘What?’

‘Nothing!’

‘No – there’s something. What is it? Do I have pen on my face?’

‘No!’

‘Well, what is it then?’

‘Nothing!’

Sighing, Claire turned back to the sum. ‘How did you get sixty-seven?’ she finally asked in dismay.

Paul leant towards her, turning her notebook so he could read her work. Claire could smell him, a boyish mix of shower gel and deodorant. And something sweet, like liquorice or jelly babies.

‘Here,’ said Paul, tapping the paper. ‘You’ve missed the multiplication bit.’

‘Multiplication? With what?’

‘You need to multiply it by four.’

Claire frowned. ‘Four? Not six?’

‘No, four, otherwise it won’t work.’

Claire pulled the notebook back towards her and reworked the sum. After a few minutes, she looked up triumphantly. ‘Got it! You’re brilliant!’

Their eyes met across the table, each lost in their admiration of each other although for completely different reasons.

Suddenly, a door opened, and several loud voices ruptured the quietness of the library. The intimacy was broken, and Claire quickly got up from her seat, stuffing her work back into her bag.

‘Thanks a lot.’

‘No problem,’ replied Paul and Claire noticed he was watching the loud group of lads who had come into the library.

‘Right, well, I’ll see you Friday outside the cinema,’ she concluded and quickly turned on her heel, without waiting for his response.

15