And then Jade hobbled over, hands in the air, rivers of mascara on her cheeks, and my cosy plans were ruined indefinitely.
'Christ, Sophie, you have to help. Something awful's happened.'
'What? What's the matter? Where's Chase?'
'I can't tell him!' Her eyes were discs of blue fear.
'OK, tell me then.'
'It's . . . oh, shit, I can't even . . . could you come into the cocktail bar? Maria's in there, and she's in a state. Lloyd's trying to calm her down.'
My heart thumped down to my feet and I felt slightly sick. The cocktail bar was the one place I definitively did not want to enter. In fact, since Christmas Eve, the red neon message flashing on and off in my brain at all hours had been 'AVOID LLOYD'. Mere mention of his name made the backs of my hands prickle as if I were about to grow hair and turn into a werewolf.
'Isn't Lloyd busy?' I asked primly.
'Well, yeah. He's supposed to be inventing a New Year champagne cocktail. C'mon, Sophie, please.'
'Can't the housekeeper help?'
'NO! Come ON!'
I didn't want to see him, but I supposed I couldn't spend the rest of my life ducking behind the desk every time he crossed the lobby. I followed Jade, cursing my jelly legs, trying not to think about that night, and failing.
'Get dressed,' he said. 'I'll take you home.'
'There's no need!'
'Yes, there is.'
I wanted to argue but I was too limp, inside and out.
In the back seat of the cab, we sat in silence, watching the coloured lights go by. Crossing the bridge, he took my hand and turned it over and over, examining it like a palmist. He put my life line to his lips and breathed in my scent, some of which was still his scent. I couldn't look at him.
We left the cab together, which made me wonder if he lived nearby. He walked me to the entry of my block of flats, holding me by the elbow as if he thought I'd fall on the floor unsupported. He might have been right.
I fished for my keys. 'Thanks,' I said. 'Goodnight.'
When he didn't reply, I had to look at him. I saw his intent, or I thought I did. I've seen enough come-to-bed eyes in my time. But these were different in a subtle way; these seemed to search me. Come-to-bed-and-stay-there. I hadn't seen that for years.
In a panic, I snapped, 'You're not coming in.'
He moved my hand from the lock it was scrabbling with, hooked his arm behind me, pulled me into him.
'I'll have to do it here then,' he said, and set to seducing me with his kiss all over again. I had thought all the kissing must have been drained from us by now, but no, there was more, much more. Once I was warm and melting into him, once his hands had burrowed inside my coat, once his cologne was in my hair and on my face and all over my scarf and I was lost at kissing sea, he let my lips go.
'Let me in, Sophie,' he said.
I unlocked the door and took him upstairs.
In the stock room, Maria was sniffing noisily on a keg, half-dressed, while Lloyd stood beside her, massaging her shoulders and making soothing noises.
'What's happened?' I asked, the sight of Lloyd's fingers on Maria lending an irritable note to my query. Maria simply burst into fresh tears of lamentation.
'What is it? Were you raped? Attacked? Tell me!'
'Go easy on her,' Lloyd said, a curious look in his eye. 'She's upset.'
'No fucking kidding? And you don't need to be here now. The bar's unmanned, so I suggest you hop to it.'