‘Yes, thank you, sweetie.’ Natalia smiled at him. ‘I believe it would.’

Seven hours later, they were sitting in their special place, a tiny stretch of sand shielded from the rest of the bay by a couple of large rocks, the far end of the beach from where the longboats were moored. The sun had just set, and an enormous moon was starting to rise over the water. It was a full moon, so people were leaving the beach in droves for the monthly party at Haad Rin.

Natalia and Juho were well and truly sloshed. They’d bought a bottle of vodka, two bottles of Sang Som (the local Thai whiskey), and several cans of Coke, lemonade and Fanta from Bottle Beach’s one liquor store. All day they’d been giggling as they created different disgusting cocktails from the various ingredients.

‘Thank you, Juho, for today,’ said Natalia, raising her plastic cup at him. ‘You were right, this is just what I needed!’

‘It is just what I needed, too.’ Juho raised his plastic cup back at her, almost toppling over from his lotus position in the sand as he did so.

‘But why?’ Natalia’s lovely brow was furrowed in concern, and she placed a gentle hand on his forearm. ‘What is the matter, sweetie? I didn’t realize there was something wrong.’

‘Oh, but maybe it isn’t wrong!’ Juho banged his plastic cup down on the sand. The hard liquor to which he had recently become unaccustomed was making him feel reckless. ‘Maybe I am crazy, but …’

‘But?’

‘I think I am in love with you.’

Natalia let out a peal of throaty laughter at this, then stopped, horrified with herself.

‘Oh, my God. You mean it.’

‘Yes. I mean it.’ Juho looked intently into her eyes. ‘Natalia, the last few weeks have been so special for me …’

‘Oh, for me too, me too.’ Natalia smiled sadly in the moonlight. ‘But are you not celibate? I love you like a brother, I told you that. I am in love with my Ben, my movie star …’

‘Oh, I am sick and tired of hearing about this goddamn movie star!’ Juho rarely got angry, but when he did, it was explosive. ‘He seems to me to care more about his career than he cares about you. Why hasn’t he come to find you? Huh? You are living in a crazy dream-world, Natalia. I am here, and I love you. And I think you could love me too, if you could only forget about this man.’

Natalia looked at him, so handsome and passionate in the moonlight. He was such a good man, her one true friend, and she did find his lean, yoga-honed body extremely attractive. For a moment she was sorely tempted. But then she remembered that day at the Île du Levant, being with Ben on the speedboat, and she shook her head sadly.

‘I am sorry, Juho. But I can never forget about Ben.’

‘Then you will have to forget about me.’ Juho got angrily to his feet, his hurt pride making him say things he didn’t really mean.