Page 24 of The Fete of Summer

“I believe my vocabulary may have been a little more colourful.”

“How old were you?”

“Twenty-two. But I wasn’t about to tell a tableful of vacuous queens and have them judge me.”

Nathan wanted to probe further, but based on Jaymes’ unusually harsh tone, he thought maybe he should leave the topic alone.

“I’m sorry, Jaymes. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you along tonight—”

“You didn’t. I invited myself.”

“Fair enough. But I didn’t realise there’d be party games. My apologies on their behalf. If it’s any consolation—and you know who I’m talking about—I know exactly how it feels to have people you love let you down.”

Once again, they fell into an uncomfortable silence. Nathan decided to try again.

“And since then, you’ve never—?”

“What? Shagged? Of course. Plenty.”

“Okay.” Nathan hadn’t been alluding to sex but acknowledged Jaymes’ terse tone and let the topic go. Clearly, Jaymes’ love life was off-limits. In the silence between them, Jaymes’ head swivelled once his way before returning to the road ahead. When he finally spoke again, his tone had softened.

“Since then, I’ve never been in anything you could call a relationship, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“It’s none of my business. Nobody’s business but your own.”

“You’ve got that damn right.”

For the rest of the drive, they agreed to silence until Nathan directed Jaymes to pull the Rover off the high street into the space between Polly’s car and his shop van. With the engine still rumbling, Nathan got out and ran through the rain to the flat, leaving Jaymes to lock up. Polly met them at the front door, rosy-cheeked from drink.

“Hello, boys. Did you have a good night?”

“Define good,” came Jaymes’ voice from behind Nathan’s shoulder as he rushed under cover.

“A celebrity chef I’ve never heard of cooked dinner,” began Nathan, nudging Jaymes in front of him.

“I barely ate a thing. Dinner was all flair and no flavour. Style over substance. What was it Grandma used to say? All fur coat and no knickers. Although I think she meant her neighbour,” said Jaymes as he pushed past Polly and headed up the stairs to the flat. Nathan couldn't help but admire the muscles of his firm backside as he ascended.

“He does have a lovely turn of phrase, my dear cousin.”

“Inherited from family,” came Jaymes’ voice from above. “You’d better have alcohol and comfort food, Fresher, and plenty of it. You owe me big. And before you say anything, Polly, we’re walking or getting a cab back.”

Nathan stopped in front of a bemused Polly, watching Jaymes finally reach the top step. Folding his arms, he smiled at her and shook his head in exasperation. Once Jaymes had disappeared inside the flat, he leaned in and pecked a kiss on her warm cheek.

“Take a couple of umbrellas when you go.”

“Did he behave himself?” she asked.

“Don’t ever tell him I told you this, but he was a total stalwart tonight. I’m so grateful he invited himself along. Not his kind of thing at all—a room full of gay actors mostly—and I thought he was going to be grumpy all night. But during dinner, we were lucky enough to be seated next to a couple of nice people—”

“Grown-ups,” came Jaymes’ voice from upstairs.

“Superhuman hearing, too,” said Polly, grinning. “They sat my juvenile delinquent cousin next to grown-ups? How did that go down?”

Nathan laughed aloud.

“I heard that,” came Jaymes’ voice again. “Result. You’ve got Guinness.”

“Can’t believe he’s raiding your fridge.”

---