I jumped into the shower for 5 minutes, and when I got back to my room, Rachel was up (who could have slept through those pots and pans?!) and they were laying out the options of what I could wear.

‘Hanny, what do you want to wear?’ Rachel held up several tops.

‘I was thinking of my embroidered jeans and the drawstring purple top!’

‘Hannah! Jeans and a T-shirt?!’ Liz looked mortified.

‘Come on, he’s already seen me last night! I don’t care! I just want to talk to the man!’

Liz looked at me with that awful disdainful look that she’s been perfecting. ‘Okay, fine, but don’t blame me if he takes one look at you and shuts the door in your face!’

‘Thanks very much!’ I threw a pillow at her.

‘This is no time for a pillow fight! Get dressed at least. I can just about survive jeans and a tee, but you are NOT going in your dressing gown!’ Liz was struggling to keep a straight face.

‘Okay, okay! It’s not a date or anything!’

‘But it might lead to one! Honestly, Rachel, didn’t you teach your sister anything?’

‘Ha ha ha, very funny, I don’t think! Might I be able to get dressed now?’

‘Jeez, anyone would think you were on your way to meet a pop star or something!’ I threw another pillow at Liz as she and Rachel went back downstairs.

I started humming to myself as I dressed. Westlife, of course. I wasn’t even thinking about what I would say to Kian, cos I knew if I did that I’d just get nervous. I’d just see how it went.

An hour and a quarter after I spoke to Kian on the phone, I pulled up outside his house. I checked my lippie in the mirror, and got out the car. Kian was waiting by the door.

‘I was starting to think you weren’t coming!’ He looked as nervous as I felt, and he hadn’t changed his clothes since last night.

‘Yeah, sorry about that. I got a bit lost!’ I giggled, nervously.

‘Well, you’re here now, and that’s what counts. Go through.’

I made my way into the living room, and sat down on the edge of one of the sofas. Kian sat on the sofa on the other side of the table.

‘So...’ He looked at me.

‘Kian, look, I’m so sorry about last night. I don’t know what came over me. Well, actually I do. I just wasn’t ready for it.’

‘I’m sorry too. I guess I shouldn’t have been so forward. I just jumped to conclusions.’

‘No, don’t apologise, let me explain.’ I went through almost every sordid detail of my break-up with Mike. ‘...And, oh I dunno, I just wanted to protect myself from getting hurt again.’ I chewed on my lip, to try and stop the tears in my eyes rolling down my cheeks. It didn’t work, and the next thing I knew, Kian had his arms round me, rubbing my back.

‘Don’t cry. He was a fool, he didn’t know what he was losing.’ Then he whispered, ‘I’d never hurt you like that.’

‘Kian,’ I wiped the tears off my cheeks. ‘I don’t want you to think that I didn’t want last night to happen. Because I did, the good stuff I mean. But I didn’t too.’ He looked confused. ‘I didn’t want to let myself be controlled by someone else.’

‘I didn’t want to control you, I just wanted to kiss you!’ Kian blushed.

‘Oh Kian.’ I smiled, and then put my hand over his. ‘You can, I mean, do you still want to?’ I couldn’t look him in the eye.

‘Oh yeah. Why?’

‘Cos I want you to.’ I whispered the words.

‘What did you say?’

I looked him straight in the eye. ‘I want you to.’

‘Really?’ I nodded shyly.

He brushed his hand across my cheek. Then he kissed me. A kiss like no other I’d ever had. Every nerve in my body tingled, and I felt Kian’s hands down my back. When we pulled apart, he smiled. ‘Wow.’

‘You took the words right out of my mouth!’ I smiled too.

‘Literally!’ He laughed, and took my hand. ‘Better this time?’

‘Definitely. But you know what they say, 3rd time lucky. Maybe we should try again.’

‘You know me, always one for seeing if these old wives tales are true!’ We were still smiling as we kissed again.

‘I don’t know about you, Hannah, but that was definitely third time lucky!’

‘Me too! So Mr Egan, what now?’

‘That depends.’

‘On what?’

‘On whether I think I can stay a solid, as opposed to a liquid, if I kiss you again.’

‘Worth the risk, dontcha think?’

‘Definitely!’