well, you're still the same old Emma, aten't your Dexter said crossly. 'Emma, the angry, socialist thought that you'd mellowed, but clearly was wrong about that. You want to compromise, do you? After that, the evening got worse and worse. Dexter frequently left the table to visit the toilet. Each time. he stopped to talk to the cigarette girl. The last time it happened, Emma saw him push a piece of paper into her stocking, Emma had no doubt that he was giving the girl his phone number. When he returned to the table, Emma decided she had had enough of his behaviour. She pushed the table away from her, spilling their drinks, and ran up the stairs out of the restaurant. She could hear Dexter behind her, calling her name. She didn't turn round. In the street, Dexter finally caught up with her. "Emma, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, he said desperately. Suddenly, Emma turned to face him. "Dexter, whenever I see you now you're drunk,' she said. haven't seen you sober for three years. I don't know you any longer. You're obnoxious o these days. You were always a bit obnoxious, but now you're totally obnoxious.' I'm just having fun, Emma,' Dexter replied. "Well, it isn't fun for me," Emma replied. "Let's stop any Dexter. You don't care about me. We don't have to meet more. have meet, Dexter said desperately. Emma, of course we to be Dex and Em. We're Dex and Em, aren't we? We'll always For a moment he was quiet. He was thinking of the day of his mother's funeral. He was thinking of Emma's to cried that day. him She had held him as he knew that. Why am had always her for granted, he himself But he knew I throwing all this away? he was asking that he couldn't stop himself.