My (surprisingly) decent proposal

‘Like being chained to a lunatic.’ That’s how a man feels in relation to his libido. And the lunatic latches on to anything, irrationally, and without warning. In Cambridge recently I dropped into a lecture given by a beautiful historian, Lea Ypi, from Albania, whose discourse included this observation about revolutionaries: ‘Once they attain power they lose all interest in revolution.’ Good point. Her blonde hair spilling over her shoulders absorbed far more of my attention than her political reflections and I was desperate to speak to her afterwards, but I had no way to orchestrate a meeting.

Instead, I headed for the rougher end of Cambridge, near the railway terminus, where the misfits and outcasts gather. I’d already arranged a social rendezvous at a private business location. Here’s how it works. You hand over a roll of banknotes to a concierge at a desk who ushers you into a softly lit room where your companion awaits you.