Page 38 of Not in a Million Years

‘I mean, Andy’s gay, right? Andy’s always been gay. He’s the gayest gay guy I know.’

‘Some people are bi,’ I teased him. ‘Get over it.’

‘Kate, stop!’ I sneaked a look at him behind my sunglasses and saw he was grinning. ‘Come on. You know I’m not some kind of bigot. But if he’d fallen for a girl, why didn’t he tell us?’

‘Well, he didn’t have to, did he? There’s no rule saying you’ve got to disclose every detail of your love life to your mates.’

Daniel grimaced. ‘Just as well. But he was always kind of cagey about the whole thing.’

‘Yeah, he was. And I guess now we know why. It’s a big thing to have to come out, even if you’re already out as something else.’

It was his turn to look sideways at me. ‘You don’t seem particularly surprised about any of it.’

I shrugged. ‘Nothing Andy does could surprise me any more.’

‘Kate. Did you already know?’

‘If I had, and Andy hadn’t wanted me to tell anyone, I wouldn’t have.’

‘That’s not an answer to my question.’

‘Oh, for God’s sake, Daniel. What is this, interrogation by the Stasi? No, I didn’t know. But I’m fine with Andy not sharing the news with all and sundry.’

‘I guess if it was the first time he’d fallen for a woman, it would be kind of a big deal,’ Daniel mused.

‘Yes, exactly. It would be a big deal. So totally understandable that Andy would’ve wanted to share it with people in his own way and his own time.’

‘I wonder what they fought about.’

‘Jesus, Daniel! It’s none of our fucking business, is it? If Andy or Ash want to share every last detail of their relationship with us, I’m sure they will. But right now we don’t even know whether Andy’s in a fit state to share anything. He could be concussed or in a coma or – anything, really.’

‘I was just making conversation,’ Daniel said coldly. ‘Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a touch?’

‘If not wanting to discuss our friend’s sex life in minute detail when we’re on our way to find out whether he’s suffered life-changing injuries is overreacting, then yes, I suppose I am.’

Daniel changed tack. ‘You know I was asking why you’re still single?’

Surprised, I turned to look at him. The clean line of his jaw was tight beneath the golden stubble. His hands were strong and competent on the steering wheel, and from what I could see of his eyes behind the wing of hair that hung over his temple, they were impassive.

‘Yes. Why?’

‘Think I might have figured it out.’

I subsided into furious silence, which lasted the rest of the car journey. I couldn’t help noticing that Daniel was looking rather pleased with himself, chuffed to bits to have lured me into a trap and scored a victory in our silly little battle of words.

Absolutely insufferable, I thought. Pity the woman who ends up with him – her life will be one long game of one-upmanship. At least she’d get to shag him and then he might shut the hell up for a bit – I didn’t have that option open to me.

At last, Daniel made a final turn, following the last in a series of signs reading ‘Hastane’, with the emblem of a cross alongside rendering translation unnecessary.

The building was modern, its curved sides clad in glass and aluminium. A small circular garden with a fountain at its centre stood before the imposing entrance, with a 3D model of the medical group’s sweeping blue-and-green logo under the cascading water. With economical precision, Daniel reversed into a parking space.

‘Looks like Andy’s ended up getting five-star treatment, anyway,’ he remarked.

I was tempted not to answer, but sulking wasn’t going to get me anywhere. ‘He’ll have taken out travel insurance. He’s reckless sometimes, but he’s not daft.’

‘Clearly whoever does their risk assessment is though, if they gave him comprehensive cover.’

‘Just as well they did,’ I said crisply. ‘He’s probably getting better treatment here than he would if he’d wrapped his car round a lamppost in Manchester. Shall we go in?’

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