Page 22 of Crying in the Rain

Laughing, he pushed the door open and turned back to look at her. She flapped her hands to shoo him inside.

“You have a lovely time, do you hear?” she said sternly. “You deserve it.”

“I will,” Ade promised, albeit with a trembling lip.

9: Scripted

Kris

Kris finished thelast inch of his second beer and scrolled distractedly through the script he’d loaded onto his phone so he’d look less like a man who had been stood up, which he wasn’t…yet, but he was convinced that every notification would be from Ade saying he couldn’t make it. Given he’d called twice, first to say he was going to be half an hour, then an hour late, Kris didn’t think he was being pessimistic in preparing himself for disappointment.

“Can I get you anything else?” the bartender asked as she picked up Kris’s empty glass.

“Will you kick me out if I say ‘no, thanks’?” He didn’t want to spend the evening sozzled or running to the gents’ every five minutes.

“Depends how busy we get.” She winked and continued her circuit of the few occupied tables. “Hot date?”

“Hopefully.” Quiet as it was in this bar on a weeknight, he kind of wished he’d picked somewhere he’d never been before because he was blushing brighter than the recording light above Ade’s studio door, and not out of embarrassment that his ‘hot date’ might not turn up. Just thinking about Ade had Kris’s heart leaping around like a cartoon heart on a spring, and he was sure everyone could see it boinging against the inside of his shirt.

Feeling terribly conspicuous, he checked for messages—no new ones—and tried the script again, but it wasn’t holding his attention, so he resorted to watching the bartender flirt with a guy at the bar. She was so laid-back and natural, leaning in tolisten, a subtle flash of cleavage, a smile, always in control…the total opposite of Kris, who, when Ade walked in a minute later, gave himself hiccups and almost fell over his feet getting up to greet him.

It went from bad to worse, as Kris hesitated, unsure if they should embrace, exchange a quick peck on the cheek, or lips, or shake hands. They both danced from side to side for a few seconds before Ade laughed and initiated the same kind of hug and air kiss they’d shared earlier in the day.

“Mm,” he murmured against Kris’s cheek. “Love your aftershave. You smell really good.”

“So do you.” Shower-fresh with a subtle woody cologne.

They released each other, and Ade took a step back. “And you look great, although I was expecting…more colour? Is that my fault? It is, isn’t it?”

“Not at all,” Kris assured him. “I do wear plain shirts sometimes, and…I don’t know. I just…”

“Dressed down for my benefit? You didn’t have to do that.”

Kris shrugged. He felt he did. Whatever Ade’s reason for no longer wearing bright colours, it hadn’t sounded like a freely made choice.

“Are you OK with this table or would you prefer to sit somewhere else? Or move on?”

“Here’s fine,” Ade said, looking amused but flattered when Kris pulled out a chair for him. “Why thank you, kind sir!”

Kris smiled—couldn’t seem to stop smiling—and resumed his seat. “You’re welcome.” He waved to garner the attention of the bartender, who nodded to acknowledge she’d seen him.

“They have table service here?” Ade asked.

Kris nodded. “For regulars.” That made him sound like a barfly. “Not that I’m in here all the time. We come here maybe once or twice a month at most. What would you like? They have Coke and juice and mixers—not sure about non-alcoholic beers. A tonic water?”

“Erm…sorry?”

“Well…you’re driving, aren’t you?”

“I drove here.” Ade sounded defensive. Kris cringed.

“Sorry, that came across as bossy and judgemental.”

“A little, but I know that wasn’t what you meant. To be honest, I need some gin in my tonic water tonight, even if I have to abandon the car and hitchhike home.”

The bartender arrived as Ade was speaking. “A G and T?”

Ade glanced Kris’s way before he answered. Kris shrugged—externally. Internally, he was banging his head against a wall.

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