‘I want to kiss you, Merrin, is that okay?’ Again he leant in and, as he did so, she felt the rise of bitter wine in her throat.

‘Oh God!’ she shouted, before rushing to the kerb, bending over and throwing up into a drain, while Miguel palmed circles on her back.

‘I gotta admit’ – he pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to her – ‘this isn’t quite how I pictured the evening ending.’

‘Do you still want to kiss me?’ She looked up at him from where she crouched on the pavement, a line of spit dangling from her mouth.

‘I don’t.’ He grimaced and helped her up. ‘I really, really don’t.’

‘I understand. I wouldn’t want to kiss me either. What is it about me?’ She stood up straight. ‘Digby didn’t want me, Ruby treats me badly and now you don’t want to kiss me.’

‘I . . .’ He looked up and down the street. ‘I don’t know who Ruby is but I can’t imagine anyone treating you badly. Digby, also a stranger to me, is a complete fool, and the reason I don’t want to kiss you is because you have a little . . .’ He touched his own mouth and she wiped her face on her sleeve.

‘I need a shower and a nap.’

‘Yup.’

Slipping off her shoes, she handed them to Miguel and wiggled her toes against the cool paving stones, then proceeded to walk along Castle Street. Barefoot.

Merrin woke before her alarm and sat up in bed, looking at her pale skin and bloodshot eyes in the mirror.

‘Oh God!’ She placed her head in her hands, partly to try to alleviate her thumping headache but also in shame at the memory of her evening with Miguel. ‘He’s never going to talk to me again!’ she wailed. ‘And he’ll tell everyone what happened!’ Picking up her phone, she fired off a text to Bella.

This is all your fault. Headache. Hangover. Asked a man to kiss me after I’d been sick in a drain. You told me to get out there and this is what happened!

The reply came quickly.

Keeping it classy, I see. Nice! X

(but super proud of you, girl!)