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‘Don’t bail on me now!’ Leanne said, coming over and grabbing Valentina by the hand and pulling her up from her repose. ‘You said yourself, you’re never in London! So we need to squeeze as much as we can out of our long weekend.’

Valentina thought it was just as well she wasn’t in London very often as her bank account would never be able to cope. Sitting up properly she asked, ‘Okay, what’s the plan?’

‘I’ve booked us a table in a brand-new Peruvian restaurant.’

‘I don’t think I’ve ever had Peruvian food before.’

‘Just avoid anything with “cuy” in the title; it’s guinea pig.’

Valentina’s eyes widened. She’d had two pet guinea pigs when she was eleven and she could never bring herself to eat anything that once resembled her furry little Fluffy or Fudge.

‘Then we’ll head to a bar that a friend of a friend recommended. This venue hosts secret gigs, where really iconic stadium bands come and play under an assumed name. Evidently, it’s a mega well-known band playing tonight. How does that sound?’

‘Expensive.’

Leanne flashed a grin as she headed into the bathroom. ‘But it’s not, that’s the beauty! It’s only a few quid, the same price as it would be if it was a start-up band no one had heard of!’

The price tag certainly made it more appealing to Valentina.

‘Okay, I’m in!’

* * *

Despite its status of being a secret gig, word had clearly got out as the venue was swarming when Valentina and Leanne squeezed their way in. The air crackled with anticipation.

‘It must be through there.’ Leanne pointed to a black velvet curtain where a couple were headed.

Taking drinks with them, Valentina and Leanne followed and found themselves in a small room with a stage, already set up with instruments, where a roadie was sound-checking the mics. Leanne led the way, pushing toward the front. In such an intimate space, Valentina realised she’d only be a foot away from whatever lead singer was due to perform.

Within a few minutes the back room was jammed. Valentina was glad she’d ordered two gin and tonics as there was very little chance of squeezing her way back to the bar. She also hoped the alcohol would numb her aching feet, especially as she’d be standing for the duration of the concert. More hot bodies packed in uncomfortably close and Valentina hoped the band would be good. Or at least one she’d heard of. She glanced at Leanne who seemed unfazed by claustrophobia and the heat and was focused on the stage in rapt expectation.

Leanne looked very at home with the other rockers in the audience in her tight black dress, leather biker jacket and massive black industrial goth-inspired boots.

Leanne had always been far cooler than Valentina at university. Leanne knew the most fashionable bars, the coolest shops; what the next trendy cocktail to drink would be and of course, the next big thing in music. Leanne said yes to everything. She went to music festivals and didn’t even once stress about the toilet facilities; bought one-way tickets to places, wanting the freedom of being carried by the wind with new-found friends for adventures in pastures new. Valentina was a planner; she liked itineraries and knowing where she’d be, when and how she’d get home, and always had a backup plan B just in case. Although different in personality, Valentina had to admit that life was never boring with Leanne around.

Leanne had called out of the blue a few days earlier. She was working a six-month contract in Oxford and proposed an overdue catch-up, suggesting they spend a long weekend in London. A friend of a friend of Leanne’s knew someone who worked in an amazing new boutique hotel in Soho and could get them a suite at a rock-bottom price. The hotel was due to be featured in Tatler the following week and then there wouldn’t be any availability for the foreseeable, so Leanne thought it best they took advantage of the last-minute deal. And so Valentina booked last-minute annual leave and to London she went.

The lights went down and a hush fell on the audience.

A guy in a black hoodie walked out on stage to welcome the audience.

‘Cheers for coming to another of our Secret Soho Gigs. Tonight we have a sensational act. But you don’t want me to take up any more of your time. For one night only, off the back of their latest sell-out world tour, we have… Drive With Care!’

The crowd around Valentina surged forward, cheering and whistling.

Valentina looked on in surreal wonder at the four rock stars walking on stage.

‘I bloody love these guys!’ Leanne screamed in Valentina’s ear. ‘Do you know them?’

Valentina nodded. She knew one of them very well. Looking around, she wondered if she could make a quick escape, but she was walled in by bodies on all sides, stuck, front and centre, less than a foot from the stage and the microphone stand of the lead singer.

Maybe he wouldn’t look down at the front row.

But as the drummer started up the solo beat of one of their first-ever hits, Jay Costello looked down and straight at Valentina.

Maybe he wouldn’t remember her…

Jay’s face split into a wide grin of recognition.