He found the receipt and handed it wordlessly to Gus Bender.

He pressed his face gently into the warm angle of her neck and shoulder: she smelled of fresh apples.

‘God! My wrists and ankles, they are practically severed, look where the cords were.’ He raised an arm towards her face, she took it and pressed her lips to the wrist tenderly.

‘I have some stuff in my bag, very soothing. I will find it for you.’ She made a sudden move from the bed, he grabbed her, pulled her back to him, holding her very tightly.

‘No. Don’t move. Stay where you are. This is very nice. They’re getting better already.’

She moved his head gently on to her shoulder and nodded contentedly. ‘I think it is very nice also. You must be very, very tired. So energetic …’

‘Almost dead. I don’t usually spend half the night tied to a stuffed horse, stuck all over with plastic arrows and buckled into a pair of paper wings stark naked.’

‘Not so. Not stark.’

‘As near as makes no difference.’

‘You were very beautiful. Classic. Mr Gus said so. I thought so.’ She laughed suddenly.

‘What?’

‘You thought so. I saw you looking at yourself in the mirrors, very pleased.’

‘Shut up. Spy.’

Her hand caressed his cheek lightly, ran along his chin, pressed against his mouth, a finger slid against his lips, he bit her.

‘You bite me. You have a terrible hard beard. I think you are a sadist.’

‘With you I am. I could eat you all up.’

‘I have already. And you will have indigestion because I am nothing but skin and bone.’

‘I love your skin and bone. Smooth and warm. Soft.’

Her finger ran round the inside of his ear. ‘Perhaps then I can stay a little while, here with you?’

‘Where else would you go?’

‘I don’t know. I have a friend in Holland Park.’

‘But you are my agent now: you said so.’

‘Yes: I am. But you don’t have to love your agent, you know.’

‘I haven’t said I did, have I?’

The finger stopped tracing his ear and was still. ‘No.’

‘But I am new to the job. I will need advice all the time.’

‘And what will your friend in the next room say?’

‘Martin? Across the passage? Nothing. He likes German food.’

‘He does? Fantastic’

‘He’ll have to.’

She eased herself away and leant up on one elbow looking down at him. ‘But you must not get fat.’ She placed her hand flat on his stomach. ‘This must not have a little bump on it. German food is heavy, you know, the clients will say, “No thank you, we do not want photographs of Buddha, we are Arabs.” So I must give you salads and fruit.’

‘Why don’t you shut up and come back.’

‘I am not far away. Here only, watching you.’