Page 53 of Famous Last

“Which one? They both are,” whispered Spencer.

“Yes, but the younger one has that brooding Mr Darcy look about him.”

“Steady, kitten. We haven’t even had a drink yet.”

“I was checking him out for you, not me.”

Drinks soon came, along with an introductory speech by Ambika’s older brother once most of the guests had arrived. After he finished, a band started playing gentle music while, oneby one, each table was invited to collect a food tray from the buffet table.

Before Spencer knew what had happened, the hour pushed five.

“Spence. Keep Nile company, will you?” said Prince as he dragged Bev out onto the dance floor. “He’s being a miserable little gay boy.”

“Fuck you,” said his cousin, flipping Prince off. Prince simply grinned and moved into the crowd of revellers, dragging Bev behind him. Spencer could see the slight family resemblance, although Nile’s face had softer edges than Prince’s and a gold hoop through the left nostril. But both looked after their bodies, and both had muscled chests and pecs even though Nile’s frame was slighter, leaner. Both fitted into their trousers nicely, although Nile had a tattoo on his dark skin peeking up from the collar of his tight white shirt.

“How do you know my cousin, then?” asked Nile. He hadn’t spoken a word during the journey, or the whole time they’d been in the barn, except to his cousin. Spencer assumed he didn’t want to be there.

“We work together.”

“Bit of a wanker, in’t he?”

“Prince? No, he’s all right, actually. One of the good ones.”

Nile appeared to like the answer and turned to smile at Spencer, whose heart did a little happy dance at the intensity of his perfect rows of white teeth.

“Sound like you know his bird really well.”

“His bird? I didn’t know he had one.”

“The one we came with. The one in the car? Thought she worked with you too.”

“Beverley? They’re not—” began Spencer, beginning to chuckle until the penny dropping was more like a comet hitting the ocean. “Wait. She’s hisgirlfriend?”

“They’ve been going at it for a couple of months now.”

Of course. How had Spencer missed that? Probably because he was so caught up in his own world that he’d missed everything else going on around him. But everything made sense now. Bev late on Monday mornings then Prince showing up half an hour later, Bev choosing Prince as her lunch date when Spencer had to work over lunch. Prince knowing about him and Blake. Blake’s comment about people in glass houses. Everything made perfect sense now.

“Bloody hell. I thought they were just work mates.”

“Yeah. Work mates with benefits. Who apparently go at it like rabbits, if what he tells me is true. She stayed over at our place last night.”

No wonder Beverley had already been in the car that morning. If she had taken the Tube down to Tooting, there was no way on earth that she would have been on time, let alone early. Why hadn’t she said anything?

“Fuck. She’s my best friend at work. And I never even knew.”

Spencer took a tug on his beer and tried to spot her across the dance floor. The band was playing a ballad, and couples now slow-danced together.

“Anyone in your life?” asked Spencer. “Good-looking bloke like you?”

“Split up with my boyfriend a month or so ago.”

“I’m sorry. Just before Christmas. That’s tough.”

“Together three years. All men are bastards.”

Spencer chuckled and Nile turned to smile.

“He dumped you?”

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