‘Are you calling me a bimbo?’

‘Whoa, slow down babe, you can hang it from your ass, see if I could give a fuck.’

She bent down to get a book, giving me a flash that hit like hope.

‘I read things you know. Look, I’ve got Carrie Fisher’s book.’

‘One of the greats.’

‘Do you read her?’

‘Bloody hell, I can almost quote her.’

‘Do you know this bit?’

“Here’s how men think:

Sex

Work

Food

Sports

Relationships.”’

She looked so eager as she read this. I felt a complete bastard but I’d signed on, so I said, ‘Not much escapes the bold Carrie. And, how do women score.’

‘Oh she’s so right, she says women think:

“Relationships

Relationships

Relationships

Work

Sex

Shopping

Weight

Food.”’

I said, ‘Wanna sit over here babe?’

‘OK.’

I got my hand under that slip and got hot. As we got to the deposit till, she pushed me off, said, ‘Don’t be so rough.’

Alas, I’d gone a tad too far down the jackpot road, was in the area of sexual bravado, whispered, ‘You’re a slave, do what the master commands.’

And she threw a drink in my face. I roared, ‘The fuck you think you’re doing?’

‘I want to be wooed.’

‘What!’

‘Romance – and the cinema. You don’t respect me.’

I stood up, headed out, added quiet, ‘Bolix.’ I wanted only Cassie, blind to all else.

The flowers were by the door but they’d nowt to add, not even goodbye.

Outside, I experienced the sense of being stalked. I had to figure it could be cops but it was too eerie. Physically shook myself to get back on track. Muttered ‘get real’, or failing that, ‘get real bloody vicious’.

I’d been handling Cassie all wrong. Coming on hardass was where she lived. If there was a next time, I’d be Mr Diplo-fuckin’-matic till I cornered. Then, we’d rock ’n’ roll.