A familiar and banned smell wafts from his apartment. I turn the key in the lock slowly. I’m aware it’s past one in the morning and I’m keen not to wake anyone up. I open the door to a dark hallway. Carefully, I close the door and peek inside the living room. Ashley is lying on the sofa, asleep. Her light is still on, her God book draped across her chest. I go to leave. ‘How was your date?’ she asks, her eyes still closed. ‘Good,’ I whisper, ‘get some sleep.’ ‘Did you have a nice time?’ she asks. It sounds like a loaded question. ‘Yes, thanks. I’ll see you in the morning,’ I reply. ‘You don’t have to tiptoe around me.’ She opens her eyes and looks at me. ‘I had a nice time,’ I say. ‘I’m glad,’ Ashley says. ‘Nothing happened,’ I start to say, then stop myself, suddenly realising I don’t need to justify myself. ‘Then, when you see her again, make sure it does,’ she says with a cheeky smile. I don’t know why she says it like that but somewhere inside it feels uncomfortable.
