Frisky Business (45 page)

‘This is nicer than the one we went to last night,’ Kit said as they settled into a pair of squashy sofas in front of an open fire.

‘Well, this situation just calls out for lunch-time drinking,’ Lesley said. ‘I think I’ll have a hot whiskey – or an Irish coffee.’ She chewed her lip thoughtfully. ‘I know – both!’

‘That sounds like heaven,’ Romy said. ‘I wish I could join you.’

‘Why don’t you?’ Kit asked.

‘Can’t – driving.’

‘Oh, yeah.’

‘What kind of insurance do you have on the van?’ Ethan asked.

‘Not the kind that covers drink driving.’

He gave her a patient look. ‘I mean, can anyone drive it?’

‘Oh, yeah – it’s open insurance.’

‘Well, why don’t I drive back and you can drink whatever you want.’

‘Oh, no – it’s fine. But thanks.’

‘Go on. I’m not bothered. And I don’t imagine you get many opportunities to be decadent now you have Luke.’

‘Go
on,’ Lesley nudged her. ‘I hate drinking alone.’

‘I’m sure you won’t be alone,’ Romy said, nodding at the others.

‘Ah, they’re boys. It’s not the same.’

‘All right, then. Thanks,’ she said to Ethan, really touched by his thoughtfulness.

‘Great!’ Lesley said. ‘Why don’t we start with a pair of hot whiskies, and then have Irish coffee for dessert?’

‘Good plan,’ Romy smiled, sinking back into the plush sofa with a contented sigh.

‘So what’ll we have to eat?’ Lesley said, picking up a menu. ‘God, I love a roast lunch in a pub, but I’m still too full after breakfast.’

‘Me too,’ Romy said. ‘I’ll have the smoked salmon.’

Ethan ordered roast turkey with all the trimmings, but everyone else declared themselves too full to manage more than soup and sandwiches. As he laid into a huge roast dinner, which he pronounced amazing, Romy couldn’t help wondering where Ethan put it all. How did he manage to eat so much food without racking up a single ounce of extra flab?

After two hot whiskies, piles of silky soft smoked salmon on thick slices of home-made brown soda bread and Irish coffee for dessert, Romy felt mellow and contented as a cat, every instinct urging her to curl up on the sofa and fall asleep in the glow of the fire.

‘C’mon, sleepyhead,’ Danny said, pulling her off the sofa as they all got up to leave, and she realised she had nodded off. He kept a steadying arm around her as they walked back to the cars and she staggered along beside him, her legs protesting wildly about being made to move and refusing to co-operate.

‘I thought I might drop into the garden centre on the way home,’ Danny said to Kit when they reached the cars. ‘So maybe you should go back with Romy in the van.’

‘Oh,
no – I’ll go to the garden centre with you, if that’s okay.’

‘Sure, it’s fine by me. I could show you some of the stuff I’d be thinking of for your grounds.’

‘There’s plenty of room in the van, now that we’ve got rid of all the stuff,’ Ethan said to Kit.

‘I know, but I’d like to go to the garden centre.’

‘Really?’ Ethan could hardly have looked more surprised if Kit had said he quite fancied going to a Justin Bieber concert.

‘Yes, really,’ Kit said a little defensively.

‘Okay, if you’re sure.’ Ethan looked at him doubtfully.

‘I am. I’ll see you all back at the ranch,’ Kit called as he climbed into the Land Rover beside Danny.

‘Well, that was weird,’ Ethan said as they watched them drive away.

Kit wasn’t surprised Ethan had looked askew at him when he was so keen to go to the garden centre with Danny. Trips to the garden centre with their parents had been the bane of their childhood lives. He, Ethan and Hannah hadn’t agreed on much, but they were unanimous that a visit to a garden centre was the worst weekend outing ever. But he was enjoying Danny’s company, and he wanted to enjoy it a bit longer, even if it meant traipsing around endless aisles of muck and greenery that all looked the same to him. He figured he could get through it, and then maybe he could persuade Danny to go out for a drink or something to eat when they got home.

He was shocked to discover that he was actually having a good time. Danny was so knowledgeable, and his enthusiasm was infectious. Kit didn’t have a clue what he was talking about half the time, but he liked listening to him as he showed him
plants that he thought would work for his house and explained how they would look in full bloom and how certain flowers and shrubs would complement others. He got quite animated as he outlined various ideas for the garden, and he painted such a vivid picture that Kit actually found himself becoming excited about weird things like topiary trees and rhododendrons.

All the staff seemed to know Danny – and adore him – and he was constantly stopping to chat to people as they walked around. Despite his shyness, he had that gift for talking to strangers that Kit had always admired in others, not possessing it himself, and he often fell into conversation with other Sunday shoppers, swapping notes and giving advice, or just enthusing over a plant they both loved. Right now he was engaged in telling a young couple how to revive a dying rose bush, and Kit hung back, listening happily as they spouted gobbledygook at each other.

‘Thank you so much,’ the woman said with a wide smile.

‘No problem. Good luck with it,’ Danny said as they turned to go. ‘I hope it works.’

Danny reminded Kit so much of Romy sometimes. It wasn’t just the way he helped other people out – he had the same quiet assurance that she had, at ease with who he was and with a complete lack of pretence.

‘Sorry,’ Danny said, turning to him. ‘This must be really boring for you.’

‘No, not at all,’ Kit assured him. ‘I’m glad I came.’

‘Well, I’m almost done. I just want to pick up some things in the hardware, and then we can go and have afternoon tea if you like. They have a brilliant café here. It’s all home-made stuff – mostly organic.’

‘Yeah, that’d be great.’

When Danny had been around the hardware section, they went
to the checkout. Kit watched as Danny chatted with the checkout girl, who was clearly a fan, judging by the way she was smiling adoringly at him, fluttering her eyelashes and sticking her chest out.

You can stick your tits out until they poke him in the eye, sweetheart
, Kit thought,
but he’s never going to be interested.

Danny remained his charming, affable self as they bantered back and forth.

‘What?’ Danny turned to him, laughing as he shoved his wallet back into his pocket, and Kit realised that he’d been standing there goggling at him admiringly like a total fan-boy.

‘Nothing,’ he said, feeling flustered and caught out. ‘Let’s go get that tea.’

The checkout girl handed Danny a ticket. ‘Give Declan there a shout when you’re ready to go, ’ she said, nodding to a brawny shaven-headed youth with little silver hoops in his ears, ‘and he’ll bring that out to the car for you.’

‘Thanks.’ Danny put the ticket in his pocket and wheeled the trolley towards the exit. ‘I’ll just get this lot in the car first,’ he said to Kit.

‘I was just thinking that poor girl doesn’t realise she doesn’t stand a chance with you,’ he said as they walked to the car park.

‘Leah? She knows I’m gay. I used to come here with Paul a lot.’

‘Really? She seemed to be giving it her all.’

Danny shrugged. ‘She enjoys flirting – it’s just a bit of fun. And I don’t have any objections,’ he said, grinning. ‘I mean it’s nice to feel fancied, isn’t it – even by someone you don’t fancy back?’

‘I guess.’

Kit helped him put the stuff in the back of the Land Rover.

‘Right, that’s it,’ Danny said, slamming the boot door shut.

‘Wait,
there’s something missing,’ Kit said. ‘Where’s your mud?’

‘My
mud?
’ Danny frowned, his lips twitching.

‘Mud … earth … whatever it’s called. You bought bags and bags of it, remember?’

‘Oh, the compost! That’s what Declan’s going to bring out when we’re ready to leave.’

‘Oh. Okay.’

Danny led the way to the café and they sat on benches at a big rustic wooden table.

‘Everything here is good,’ he said, ‘but the apple tart is
amazing.’

‘I’ll take your word for it,’ Kit said, smiling as he put the menu back on the table. ‘Apple tart it is.’

A young girl came to take their order. ‘Ah, my favourite customer,’ she said, smiling at Danny as she pulled a notepad from her pocket. ‘Don’t tell me,’ she said, pen hovering over the paper, ‘hot apple tart with cream and a large pot of tea.’

‘You know me so well.’ Danny smiled back at her.

She turned to Kit.

‘I’ll have what he’s having.’

‘Good choice. And I don’t just mean the apple tart,’ she said with a wink, nodding to Danny. She skipped off, smiling to herself.

‘Sorry,’ Danny said, blushing. ‘She seems to think you’re my new boyfriend.’

‘I don’t mind,’ Kit said, shrugging.

‘You don’t?’

‘Actually, I’m kind of flattered. You seem to be considered quite the catch around here.’

The waitress came back with a tray and placed a huge slice of apple tart with cream in front of each of them.

‘You’ll never guess who we had in here earlier today,’ she said
to Danny as she unloaded a teapot, milk and sugar onto the table. ‘I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to show his face.’

Danny looked alarmed. ‘Paul?’ he asked.

The girl nodded. ‘I didn’t let him have any apple tart. I told him we’d sold out. You should have seen his face.’ She laughed. ‘He could see it, right there on the counter in front of him. “What’s that?” he says, pointing to it. But I just said we had to keep enough for our
loyal
customers. I let him have a scone. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any of yesterday’s left, so I had to give him a fresh one.’ She sighed.

‘What time was this? Is he still here?’ Danny looked panicked, his eyes darting around the café.

‘No, it was a while ago,’ the girl said with a wave of her hand. ‘I’m sure he’s long gone. Anyway, you’ve done much better for yourself,’ she said with a little smile at Kit. ‘And he’s traded down big-time, so all’s well that ends well.’

‘He … he was with someone?’

‘Yeah, creepy-looking fella,’ she said, wrinkling her nose. ‘Good enough for him, if you ask me. Well, enjoy your tart. If you need anything else, just shout,’ she said cheerily and bustled off.

Danny was a bit subdued after that. Poor guy, Kit thought – he was obviously freaked at the thought of running into his ex.

‘You were right,’ Kit said, ‘this tart is incredible.’ The pastry was thick, almost like shortbread, and the apples tasted fragrant and sweet as spring air, like they had just been picked from the tree that morning – which they probably had.

Danny smiled weakly in return. Kit tried to engage him in conversation, but he was edgy and distracted, and he was anxious to leave as soon as they finished their tea.

‘I
just have to go and pee,’ Kit said as they stood up to go.

‘Okay. I’ll give Declan a shout, and I’ll wait for you at the front door.’

When Kit came out of the toilets, he saw Danny standing by the exit fidgeting. As he walked over to him, Danny was approached by two men.
Shit!
Kit could guess who they were by Danny’s body language even before he got close enough to see that they were holding hands. Danny looked awkward and uncomfortable, his hands shoved into his pockets and his shoulders up around his ears. The smile on his face did nothing to disguise the stricken look in his eyes. Kit was in no doubt that this was Paul and his new man. The waitress was right – he did look creepy. All that hair! He was like a walking carpet. Unless, of course, that was Paul. But either way, she was right – the baldy one looked creepy too. If only they could have shared the hair out between them, they’d both be better off.

Kit felt guilty. If he hadn’t gone to the loo, they’d have got away in time and Danny could have avoided having to face Paul and his new boyfriend. Still, he thought, maybe there was a way he could make it better. He ran his fingers through his hair, took a deep breath and strode up to Danny.