Stavros the owner found it delightful, as did the other customers, who heartily applauded when the girls had finished their performance. Lana ordered them each a Metaxa, despite Judith telling her she shouldn’t drink any more.

‘Oh don’t be such a boring old cow,’ said Lana. ‘Tonight’s our last night. Who knows when we’ll get a chance to do this again?’

And Judith relented. ‘To Us Three!’ she exclaimed when the drinks arrived, and they clinked their glasses in a toast.

Moments later, Catrin suddenly fell very quiet.

‘What’s up?’ asked Judith.

Catrin took a deep breath and launched in. ‘Girls,’ she said nervously, ‘there’s something I need to tell you.’

Judith and Lana exchanged looks.

‘Go on,’ said Lana, intrigued.

‘OK, well …’ she hesitated. And then she said it. ‘I’ve fallen in love.’

‘What?’ stammered Judith.

‘Is it with a woman?’ Lana slurred. ‘’Cos that’s fine, y’know, babe, and I’ve been wonderin’ for some time if—’

‘Shut up, Lana,’ Judith snapped. ‘Go on, Cat.’

And both she and Lana sat mesmerized as Catrin relayed the story of the Samaria Gorge and how she’d kissed Solomon Blythe.

‘He’s beautiful,’ she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. ‘He gave me this.’ And she reached into her purse and took out the fragile piece of paper bearing Sol’s words and telephone number. ‘Look!’

They stared at it for a moment before Lana interrupted. ‘Well, well, well, Catrin Kelly, you dirty, dark horse!’ And she reached forward and hugged her friend, as did Judith.

‘Babe, I’m so happy for you,’ said Jude, emotional herself.

‘Me too,’ said Lana, beaming.

Catrin went on to tell them her plan to phone Sol the day after they got home. And how every time he wandered into her mind she experienced a terrible churn in her stomach. ‘So God knows what I’ll be like when I actually get to speak to him,’ she said.

‘How on earth have you managed to keep it from us for so long?’ said Judith, smiling.

‘I think I needed time for it to sink in. It still doesn’t feel real, to be honest.’

‘Right,’ said Lana drunkenly, gathering up her things. ‘Well, technically you’re still single, and the night is young, so let’s get back out there and strut our stuff.’

‘No, Larn,’ said Judith. ‘We’re taking you home.’

‘But we’re eighteen years old. We should be partying!’

‘Sorry, but Judith’s right,’ said Catrin. ‘We need to get some sleep, otherwise that flight tomorrow is going to be horrendous.’

Lana sulked all the way back to the hotel, trying her hardest en route to drag her friends into every bar they passed, including Demetri’s, outside which the Irish guys from earlier were sitting. They recognized Lana and called out to her to finish what she’d started. But Judith quickly pulled her away before she could engage in any conversation.

Back at the hotel, they helped Lana into her room, took off her shoes and put her to bed. She mumbled that they were ‘both a pair of boring bastards’ before falling fast asleep.