‘It was his birthday party. Greg’s friend from the paper, Lucy Donohue, goes out with him. I was only introduced when he let me out of the bathroom at seven o’clock this morning. I knew who he was straight away. How many Quinns born on the first of January can there be?’

‘Why are you saying Lucy Donohue like that?’ asked Leila, squinting her eyes at Minnie.

‘Like what?’

‘In a funny nasally voice with your nose all scrunched up?’

‘Was I? I’m not sure – I think she was annoying. Anyway, back to Quinn. Quinn! Can you believe it?’

The screen on Minnie’s phone lit up and pinged into life. Greg’s name flashed up on the phone as a stream of messages came through. Minnie groaned.

‘All OK?’ asked Leila.

‘Greg abandoned me in the club last night and now he’s sending me arsy texts because he thinks I left without him.’

‘I would never, ever leave without you,’ Leila said solemnly.

‘I know you wouldn’t. I would never leave without you either.’ Minnie reached out to squeeze her friend’s hand. ‘He does sound pretty pissed off, though. I should probably call him.’

‘Tell me the story first, Bathroom Abandoner can wait.’

‘OK, give me one minute, I’m just going to text my landlord to see if he can let me into my flat today. I’ve got to get in somehow to feed poor Lucky.’

Minnie tapped away on her phone and Leila made a tick-tock clicking sound with her tongue, nodding her head from side to side like a metronome.

‘So, did you tell Quinn he stole your name?’ Leila asked once Minnie had finished typing. ‘What’s he like? Is he hot? Quinn Hamilton sounds like a hot name to me.’

‘Yes, I told him he stole my name – he laughed like it was a joke. And I don’t know where you get the idea that there are hot names and not-hot names,’ Minnie said irritably. She started fiddling with the dress she was wearing, swishing the skirt back and forth in her lap. She was so unused to wearing skirts that she felt as though she was looking down at someone else’s body. ‘You’re not seriously going to make me go out in public like this, are you?’

‘So he is hot?’ said Leila, narrowing her eyes even further.

‘I guess, but only in that textbook, arrogant, rich-boy way. He was probably born with a silver spoon in every orifice,’ said Minnie grimacing.

‘Don’t stop there. I need to hear every single detail. I have to get my love-life kicks through you now I’m so bloody normcore. And yes, you need to wear the dress, it will be fun, I promise.’ Leila went back to her wardrobe and held up a bright yellow 1950s-style tea dress. ‘Too much?’