It’s her turn to laugh now. ‘I think that was around twenty-four hours ago.’ She tosses her bag into the corner of the room. ‘Please, please can there be a bath? What time is it? Do you think Cruella de Vil downstairs will take pity and send us some room service?’

‘I doubt it. But I can go and get us something as soon as the kitchen opens.’

‘Fuck’s sake, V. You don’t have to keep…’ She lets the sentence trail off. ‘Forget it. I was being a bitch. Again. That would be great, obviously. I feel like I haven’t slept in days.’ She looks at herself in the narrow mirror on the wardrobe door. Turns to the side, sucking in her stomach, pushing it out. Standing up straight, letting her shoulders sag. Then she turns back to the front and pulls her vest off over her head. There’s a huge waft of B.O. with the movement, and I have to force myself not to gag. ‘I think I’ve lost weight.’ She sucks in her stomach again, then pushes out her breasts. ‘Oh fuck.’ She pulls at one of the cups of her bra, peers down, then unfolds it and stares at herself in the mirror, pulling a face. ‘That is rank.’ It’s a large purple bruise, with teeth marks around the sides. ‘That fucking prick I shagged on the train has probably given me rabies.’ She yanks off her shorts then disappears through to the bathroom. ‘A bath,’ she shouts back. ‘Thank fuck.’ She slams the door.

I peel off my own dirty clothes and lie down on top of the covers of one of the single beds. The cover is shiny and floral. Polyester. Absolutely not safe in a fire. I listen to the sound of running water. Then I sit up, anxious. I can’t relax right now.

The room is decent enough. Two beds, wardrobe, desk and chair. Sliding glass doors out to a small balcony. I unlock the doors and step outside, taking in the view: another building across the alleyway – the side of it though, just concrete, no windows. No one to see me here in my underwear. I look down and see nothing of interest. The alleyway doesn’t seem to be used for much, with cracks running down it filled with proliferating weeds and random pieces of rubbish – cans, packets and who knows what else that people have thrown out of their windows. I close the doors and go back inside.