"Just a late lecture," she replied. He saw her eyes flick down the hall behind him, as though looking to see if anyone else was there.

"Um... is that friend of yours coming over tonight?" she asked, sounding slightly hesitant.

"Er -- what friend?" asked Simon, momentarily confused.

A pink flush rose into Verity's cheeks. "The blonde girl," she said. "Hair in a bob."

"Oh" said Simon, and to his embarrassment he felt himself beginning to blush too. For the first time, it occurred to him that the dorm room walls were thin. He had often heard Verity playing music (classical, mostly), and if he could hear that from her...