"Where did you sleep?" Sacha asked. She yawned: the wine was making her drowsy, and the hot weather wasn't helping.

"Here, I think" Hannah answered. "Here, do you want to finish off the bottle?"

"No, you have it."

"Let's both have it."

"Okay." Sacha held her wine-glass forward, and Hannah poured most of what was left of the wine into it.

"I didn't notice you come in" Sacha said. "When you got home."

"I was quiet, I think. I think I didn't want to wake you. I think I remember thinking that."

"Oh." Sacha nodded and smiled. "That's nice of you."

"Yeah."

Then Sacha frowned. "Don't you ever get sick of it?"

"What?"

"Going out?"

"Nooo!" Hannah shook her head, and it made her dizzy.

"And trying to pick up girls, and kissing strangers, and getting involved with people you shouldn't be."

"Who're you talking about?" Hannah frowned.

Sacha furrowed her brow. "Janine, I guess."

"That was one time."

"Only one time?"

"It was the worst time."

"So you're sick of it now?"

Hannah thought about this. It suddenly seemed like something she should think about. "Sometimes" she said, but Sacha couldn't tell if it was an answer or just the start of one. "Sometimes you just need someone" Hannah said. "And you don't care who they are. Sometimes love's just fucking someone for a night. You can convince yourself that's all it is. Sometimes that's all you need."

"Doesn't sound like much of a solution" Sacha remarked.

"Solution to what?"

Sacha paused to try and find words to express it. She shrugged, and moved her arms in a broad gesture towards the street in front of them both. "Whatever. Everything. Stuff" she said. Then: "But maybe there's not a problem. Is there?"

"Are you asking me?"

"I'm just asking."

"I don't have a problem" Hannah said. "Do I?"

"No" Sacha said warmly. "Anyway, I'm going inside." She stood up. "You don't have a problem, Hannah" she said, swaying slightly. "You don't. You're lovely. There's no problem."

Hannah looked up and smiled at her. Just momentarily she allowed her eyes to rest on Sacha's thighs, her hips, her stomach, all buried under layers of dark clothing. She lifted her eyes to Sacha's, and found that Sacha had caught her gaze. Sacha didn't say anything, letting her last comment stand unamended. "Okay" Hannah said. "Thanks, mate."