Page 23 of Open Water

“I don’t. I don’t want to bloody suck cock. I just want to be with Lukas. Okay? That’s all I want. I want to be his friend. I want him to forgive me. And then I might want to suck his cock. “

Smooth, Tom. Really good conversation.

“Good plan, Dad.” Max sighs, throwing the empty sausage wrapper towards the sink. Missing completely as the paper lands pathetically back on the floor next to them.

“I should have bought more sausages,” Tom sighs.

“Yeah,” Max huffs. “They’re nice.”

“Thank you. For talking to me. I should just give up, shouldn’t I? I should leave him alone. He obviously doesn’t want anything to do with me.” Tom slams the laptop shut. Runs his fingers through the greying strands of hair on his head.

“Maybe he is just as scared as you?”

“Lukas was never scared. He’s the bravest bloke I have ever met. Even when I was vile to him, he was always defiant. Pushing back and trying not to let me win.”

“Then tell him how scared you are. Be truthful. Say you are scared of how you feel and ask him if you can just talk to him. You can only be honest, Dad.”

“You say this from experience?” Tom is taking the piss. He knows full well there is no experience. But he doesn’t want to stop talking. Doesn’t want to be alone.Please don’t leave me alone.The vibration from his mobile phone makes him jolt and Max leans over as the screen lights up.

“You added him as LUKAS with a red heart emoji? Oh, Dad. Such a romantic gesture.”

Yeah. Max is laughing again. Fine. He can give him that.

“Yes, it was either that or Twat-Lukas. I thought I should try to turn over a new leaf.”

“Mature, Dad.”

“I know.”

“What does he say?”

“Hi Tom. Please do not send any more gifts. We are not friends. We are nothing. I am your son’s teacher and as such, I need to maintain a fully professional relationship with Maximillian to ensure his education is completed. I will, of course, follow through with my duties to your son, but beyond that please respect my privacy. Best, Lukas Myrtengren”

“Ouch.”

“Ouch indeed.” Tom smiles. “Game on.”

“Dad….”

“I’m sending him chocolates tomorrow. 72 KexChoklad in a gift basket. The perfect gift for the chocolate lover.”

“Dad. Don’t.” But Max is laughing. Shaking his head like he can’t quite believe it.

“I have nothing to lose. I might as well roll with this. Until he agrees to go out for a walk and lets me talk to him. Buy him coffee. That’s all I want.”

“Dad. You are fucking bonkers.”

“Nope.” Tom laughs. “I’m a man on a mission.”

LUKAS

“Myrtengren?”

Fuck. That’s Anita. The school-office-Dictator slash administrator and self-proclaimed God of rules and paperwork. Lukas is never in her good books. He’s consistently late with forms and has totally bought the idea that ‘Online is King.’ Whilst Anita is firmly stuck in the 1970s or something with her obscene obsession with paperwork. And of course, Lukas is standing in the middle of the corridor with nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

“Myrtengren!!”

Now, she’s mad. Great.

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