"Oh my god, though, you should've seen her mate. Legs, legs and more legs. Toned, too, you know? Toned and tanned. Fuck yeah!"

Mal giggled appreciatively, and topped up his beer from the jug on the table between himself and Alain. "So then what?"

"What d'you mean?"

"I mean, did you go back to her place? Or did she come back to yours? Or what?"

"Oh Christ no, wouldn't go near her with a barge-pole. I tried chatting her up and she started going on and on about some fucking aunt of hers or some bullshit. I couldn't get her to shut up! Bad news, mate. Clingy, you can bet on it. Still . . . man." Alain gazed wistfully and libidinously into his beer.

"A bit like Hannah's chick, then" said Mal.

Alain laughed. "I don't know anything about that girl!" he said. "I've never seen her, and you can't prove otherwise."

"Sure, sure."

Alain cocked his head in thought. "Still, she's a fucking looker. D'you reckon she can be won back? To guys, I mean?"

"Dunno" answered Mal, "but I reckon Hannah would want you to try." He shrugged. "That's what Rona says, anyway."

"When did you talk to Rona?"

"I talk to her all the time!"

Alain shook his head. "Fuck, I should ring her some time I guess." Suddenly he slammed his hand down on the table in excitement (prompting a splash of beer to spill from his glass). "Oh, man, I keep forgetting to tell you! I'm gonna get a new 'phone."

"Oh, cool" said Mal without interest.

"But the point is, your 'phone's a piece of shit, so d'you want mine? I mean, the one I'm gonna replace?"

"So you can get a new one?"

"Not so I can get a new one. I'm getting a new one anyway." Since formulating the plan some weeks ago, Alain's desire for the new 'phone had firmed. It was a "when" now, not an "if".

"Can you even do that any more?" asked Mal, confused. "Buy a new 'phone? Cold like that? I thought you had to buy it with a plan as well. I don't wanna bother with all that shit."

"Pssh, sure you can! Man, you can sweet-talk your way around anything! Well -" Alain raised his eyebrows wickedly - "I can, anyway. So how about it?"

Mal drained his beer. "Sure, man, whatever. If it'll make you happy, I guess so." He poured himself another glass.