The pub was boiling, sticky and heavy with the scent of mulled wine. Bodies were pressed against bodies, winter coats strewn over every chair, and it seemed that no one in that room was willing to go home without a Christmas snog under the mistletoe. Lissy was dancing to Slade with a boy from her course, the rest of the girls from their corridor were, inexplicably, doing the Macarena, and Chloe felt an unwelcome wave of homesickness washing over her. She stumbled outside into the cold air, scrabbling in her bag to find a packet of cigarettes. The warmth from inside didn’t last long, and by her fourth drag she was shivering.

‘Can I borrow a light?’ said a voice next to her. She turned to see Rav standing, looking unfairly warm in a Puffa jacket. ‘Oh! It’s you.’

Did he seem panicked? He certainly didn’t seem pleased. ‘Chloe,’ she said, sparing them both the embarrassment of him not remembering her name. ‘Rav, right?’

‘I remembered your name.’

She handed him her lighter. ‘Sure.’

‘I’m sorry I didn’t text you.’

‘Oh God, don’t be. I had actually forgotten I gave you my number. It probably wasn’t even the right number. I was pretty wasted, I don’t know if you remember.’

‘I remember.’

‘Yeah. I’m sorry about that.’

Unsure what to do with her hands, Chloe pulled her phone out. To her relief, she had a message from Zadie. ‘Max insisted on renting out the basement at the Lounge this evening, which is beyond unimaginative but it does at least have decent cocktails. Come?’

‘I’ve got to go,’ she said to Rav. ‘Another party.’

‘Koolerz?’

‘No, actually. The Lounge.’

There was no question by the expression on Rav’s face that he was impressed. ‘You’re going to Max and Zadie’s thing? Any chance you’ve got a plus one?’

For the first time in her life, she was delighted that her mother had owned every single book about dating ever published. She knew exactly what she needed to do. ‘Sorry,’ she smiled, pushing the pub door open. ‘I’m taking someone else.’

‘Who is that guy?’ Lissy yelled over the music. ‘He’s delish.’

‘He’s a wanker,’ Chloe replied. ‘Want to go to a private party at the Lounge?’

Lissy looked at Chloe as if she were a newly descended angel. ‘Are you serious? Absolutely, let’s go. Are you sure we’ll get in? Am I wearing the right outfit? Do they let people in in jeans? I know these are smart jeans, but they’re still jeans … Or we could go back to our room and change and then go out? But then we might be too late …’