Thad always assumed that things would come to a head in one sweaty guilt-ridden frenzy, then we’d never be able totalk to each other again. But one day Liz, completely out of the blue, floored me with a suggestion that opened up more sexual possibilities than I had dared dream about. It was coming to the end of April, and Liz was skiving off college for the third time that week. We had just spent the afternoon lounging around on Hampstead Heath, and both of us were lying on our backs on the ground. I was flat on the grass, and Liz had her head on my belly, ‘What are you going to do, then?’ she said. “About what?’ ‘With the rest of your year.’ “Aaah — that’s the five-million-dollar question, isn’t it?’ ‘Six million.’ ‘It’s not that important.’ ‘You’ve got over four months left.’ ‘True.’ ‘You going to work?” ‘Not if I can avoid it.’ ‘Do you need to work? ‘Not really, no.’ “You're joking.’ ‘J don’t. ’'m Mr Moneybags now.’ ‘Really?’ ‘Yup. Doesn’t it show? ‘No — you're still as tight as ever.’ ‘Glad to hear it.’ ‘How come you're so rich, then?’ ‘Basically — the minimum wage in Switzerland is over a grand a month. And since I didn’t have a social life, I saved most of it up.’ ‘Over a grand a month?’ ‘Well—they nick back most of your salary in accommoda- tion and food costs — even though they put you up in-the 47cellar and feed you on leftovers from the kitchen. But still — I came back with more than a thousand.’ ‘Really?’ “Plus what I earned in the Sock Shop.’ “You rich bastard! And have you taken me out for one meal? Have you bought me so much as a lollipop?” “Look — I’m saving it.’ ‘What for?’ ‘For the rest of my year out.’ “So you can travel?’ “Exactly.” “But you just told me you didn’t know what you were going to do.’ ‘I don’t.’ “But you know you’re going to travel.’ “Yeah. I suppose so.” “What do you mean, “You suppose so”? You’re acting like ’'m persuading you to go away against your will.’ ‘No.’ “So you do want to travel? ‘I think so.’ “You think so.’ “Well —I mean I want to. I definitely want to. ’'m not scared of it. But I don’t. . . 1 don’t want to go on my own, and I haven’t really got my arse in gear yet, but everyone else has already left. So I don’t really know what to do.’ ‘I see. Right. Blood out of a stone or what?’ There was a silence, while Liz stared out over London, thinking. ‘Tve got a long summer holiday, you know,’ she said. ‘I break up in early June. That would give us three months.’ “Are you being serious?” ‘Deadly serious. I don’t want to be left out of all this, just because I’m doing an art foundation. And I’m not going 48 to trot after James and join up with him in America either.’ She looked at me and broke into a smile. ‘I’ve always wanted to go to India, you know.’ ‘India?’ ‘I’ve got some savings. Do you want to go to India with me? This summer?’ “Are you serious?’ ‘’m on for it if you are.” ‘Does it have to be India? Couldn’t we do Australia? ‘Tm not wasting my money on that. It’s India or nothing.’ I thought for less than one second, a vision popping into my head of a spartan hotel room with a marble floor, a ceiling fan, and Liz and me fucking like bunny rabbits on a huge double bed. ‘All right,’ I said. ‘Shake on it.’ We shook on it. Just touching her hand like that turned me on. Liz and I were going abroad together for the whole summer. Sharing hotel rooms. There was no way, given the circumstances, that I could possibly fail to shag her. She gripped my hand, and gave me one of her stares. ‘As mates,’ she said. ‘It’s only going to work if that’s absolutely clear.’ ‘Fine. As mates,’ I said, leaning forward to give her a peck on the cheek.