When she woke up the first thing she saw were pink mountains. Not an alcohol-induced hallucination, she decided, but the dawn light.
"Oh my God!"she cried, sitting up in bed. "I must have slept right through. I've wasted a whole day."
The door opened a crack and Heather's face appeared. "It's all right,"she said. "It's only seven o'clock. In the evening,"she added. "I'm making coffee. Do you want some?"
The smell of real coffee came floating up the stairs. "Oh yes, please,"Alison cried, leaping out of bed, surprised to find she was still wearing the clothes she had travelled in.
On reflection, she was also surprised to find she felt neither drunk nor hung-over.
"I feel all right,"she said, over a mug of steaming coffee.
"Hangover preventative,"Heather said. "One of the many benefits of living with an alcoholic. You learn how to deal with its effects."
"You live with an alcoholic?"Alison suddenly realised she knew nothing about Heather's private life.