danger of being practically face down
on the bed. Stupid, stupid cow. I’m going to feel like shit in the morning.
At first I think I’ve imagined the soft knock on the door, but through my haze, I hear it again and realise someone is on
the other side, saying my name quietly.
With a superhuman effort I push myself up, force myself to my feet and stagger to the door, peering through the peephole.
It’s Leo.
‘I’m so sorry, I think you’ve still got my wallet,’ he explains, as I wrench the door open, ‘it’s not in my pocket, did you
put it in your bag by mistake?’
‘Er … I don’t …’ I turn and look around wildly for my bag. It’s next to the chair. I cross the room. Sure enough, there his
wallet is, sitting on top of all the other stuff in there.
I pull it out, confused, and turn back. He is suddenly somehow right next to me.
‘Thanks,’ he takes it from my hand. ‘Jesus – Molly! Are you OK?’ He sounds very far away. ‘Molly?’
‘I need to sit, I need to—’ I’ve stood up too quickly. Everything begins to slip sideways.
‘It’s OK,’ I hear him say, ‘I’ve got you; this way Molly.’
I take a step towards his voice. And then I simply feel myself falling.
When I open my eyes again I am lying on a bed, in a dark room, next to Dan. I instinctively move closer to him, reaching out
with relief, but as I draw myself to his body sleepily, I suddenly freeze and pull back sharply. It doesn’t feel like Dan
at all. I try to sit up and realise I am still dressed in my work clothes, they are all twisted and clammy, clinging to me.
I stare at the body next to me. It moves, turns over, and in the dim light comingin under the door from the corridor, I realise it’s Leo. ‘Molly?’ he jolts awake, peering up at me. ‘Thank fuck – are you
OK?’
Completely disorientated and scared, I look around the dark room. Where am I? I have no idea what time it is or how long I’ve
been there.
‘I can’t …’ I try to make sense of it all but am having huge problems getting my words out. ‘What did I … ?’ I put my hand
to my head in confusion as I look around and then for the second time in twenty-four hours I burst into sudden, confused tears.
Leo sits up quickly, pulling me into his arms. ‘Shhh!’ he says and begins to rock me. ‘Shhhh. Don’t cry! You’re OK.’
It is such a relief to have someone there, I cling to him and just sob.
He continues to hug me, his body warm from having just woken up. ‘It’s all right,’ he says letting me cry, kissing the top
of my head briefly and rocking me gently again. ‘You’re going to be all right … There … that’s better,’ he says. ‘See? It’s
all going to be fine. I promise.’ He tips my head up, gives me a reassuring smile and then he slowly leans forward and kisses
me very lightly on the mouth.
Instantly, I have the strongest feeling of having done it before … but of course I have. Lots of times. He pulls back and
looks at me again, searchingly. ‘How could I have been so stupid?’ he says in disbelief. I stare back at him, bewildered.
He quickly bends and kisses me again, properly.
My brain isn’t working fast enough and at first I simply respond to the familiarity. But after what is probably only a few
seconds, some dulled reactions somewhere finally kick in and I pull my head back away from him. I try to say ‘Don’t,’ but
before I can, he kisses me for a second time. I attempt to speak again, but my mouth won’t work, like trying to run in a dream.
I simply can’t get the words out. It is the weirdest sensation.
He does pull back, but so he can start to kiss my neck, and then slowly, he pushes me back on to the bed …
Chapter Ten
I wake up to the relentless ring of the hotel phone. Dull daylight is feeding in around the edges of the cheap hotel curtains
and as I move my head on the pillow to work out where the noise is coming from, it feels like it is going
on the bed. Stupid, stupid cow. I’m going to feel like shit in the morning.
At first I think I’ve imagined the soft knock on the door, but through my haze, I hear it again and realise someone is on
the other side, saying my name quietly.
With a superhuman effort I push myself up, force myself to my feet and stagger to the door, peering through the peephole.
It’s Leo.
‘I’m so sorry, I think you’ve still got my wallet,’ he explains, as I wrench the door open, ‘it’s not in my pocket, did you
put it in your bag by mistake?’
‘Er … I don’t …’ I turn and look around wildly for my bag. It’s next to the chair. I cross the room. Sure enough, there his
wallet is, sitting on top of all the other stuff in there.
I pull it out, confused, and turn back. He is suddenly somehow right next to me.
‘Thanks,’ he takes it from my hand. ‘Jesus – Molly! Are you OK?’ He sounds very far away. ‘Molly?’
‘I need to sit, I need to—’ I’ve stood up too quickly. Everything begins to slip sideways.
‘It’s OK,’ I hear him say, ‘I’ve got you; this way Molly.’
I take a step towards his voice. And then I simply feel myself falling.
When I open my eyes again I am lying on a bed, in a dark room, next to Dan. I instinctively move closer to him, reaching out
with relief, but as I draw myself to his body sleepily, I suddenly freeze and pull back sharply. It doesn’t feel like Dan
at all. I try to sit up and realise I am still dressed in my work clothes, they are all twisted and clammy, clinging to me.
I stare at the body next to me. It moves, turns over, and in the dim light comingin under the door from the corridor, I realise it’s Leo. ‘Molly?’ he jolts awake, peering up at me. ‘Thank fuck – are you
OK?’
Completely disorientated and scared, I look around the dark room. Where am I? I have no idea what time it is or how long I’ve
been there.
‘I can’t …’ I try to make sense of it all but am having huge problems getting my words out. ‘What did I … ?’ I put my hand
to my head in confusion as I look around and then for the second time in twenty-four hours I burst into sudden, confused tears.
Leo sits up quickly, pulling me into his arms. ‘Shhh!’ he says and begins to rock me. ‘Shhhh. Don’t cry! You’re OK.’
It is such a relief to have someone there, I cling to him and just sob.
He continues to hug me, his body warm from having just woken up. ‘It’s all right,’ he says letting me cry, kissing the top
of my head briefly and rocking me gently again. ‘You’re going to be all right … There … that’s better,’ he says. ‘See? It’s
all going to be fine. I promise.’ He tips my head up, gives me a reassuring smile and then he slowly leans forward and kisses
me very lightly on the mouth.
Instantly, I have the strongest feeling of having done it before … but of course I have. Lots of times. He pulls back and
looks at me again, searchingly. ‘How could I have been so stupid?’ he says in disbelief. I stare back at him, bewildered.
He quickly bends and kisses me again, properly.
My brain isn’t working fast enough and at first I simply respond to the familiarity. But after what is probably only a few
seconds, some dulled reactions somewhere finally kick in and I pull my head back away from him. I try to say ‘Don’t,’ but
before I can, he kisses me for a second time. I attempt to speak again, but my mouth won’t work, like trying to run in a dream.
I simply can’t get the words out. It is the weirdest sensation.
He does pull back, but so he can start to kiss my neck, and then slowly, he pushes me back on to the bed …
Chapter Ten
I wake up to the relentless ring of the hotel phone. Dull daylight is feeding in around the edges of the cheap hotel curtains
and as I move my head on the pillow to work out where the noise is coming from, it feels like it is going
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