"You're later home than usual" Hannah called out when she heard the door open.

"Yeah" Sacha agreed. Hannah didn't see her: she heard the sound of running water and then when Sacha came into the sitting-room her face was wet and red with heat. "I had to wait for a new tram" Sacha said. "One with air-conditioning. Instead of one of those old sweat-boxes."

"Oh god, yeah. Did you have to wait for long?"

"About twenty minutes. Everyone else was doing it, too."

"At least work's air-conditioned though, right?"

"Thank fuck." Sacha collapsed onto the sofa, and then slid off it and lay down on the floor. "Christ, two more days of this?" She turned her head to look at Hannah: something about the way Hannah was dressed seemed a little off, as if she'd put her clothes on in a hurry. "Shelly around?" Sacha asked.

"Yeah, somewhere." Then they heard the toilet flush, and a moment later Shelly walked in. She was wearing only a bra and underpants.

"Uh . . ."

"Sorry Sash, didn't know you were here" Shelly said. "Me and Han have been like this all day. Well, she's been in her swimmers, but I didn't have any. Not here. So, next best thing. It's too hot for clothes. I'll get dressed though if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, no, it's fine" Sacha said hastily. She tried not to stare at Shelly. It was a little awkward, actually, but she didn't want to seem like a prude. Something about living with Hannah did that to her: made her want to be cooler. She suddenly laughed to herself: cooler. That'd be nice, all right, in this weather.

"Do you want some wine?" Hannah asked her. "We've got some white in the fridge. Been in there all day, nice and cold."

"Don't they say you should cut down your alcohol consumption on days like this?" Sacha said.

"We put ice in the glass" Hannah said. "The wine dehydrates you, the ice re-hydrates you."

"Right . . ."

"If you're opening the fridge, let me know" Shelly said. "I want to come with you."