Page 31 of The Fete of Summer

“Like what?”

“Like, should he expect you home tonight?”

“Bye, Nate,” said Polly, then hung up without waiting for a reply.

* * * *

At six-thirty, after racing upstairs to shower and change, Nathan paused for breath and fired off a text to tell Jaymes he was on his way. At least he could get away with casual and comfortable clothes tonight, nothing showy, just thick jeans and a warm sweatshirt. If nothing else, Jaymes was easy company. Tonight would be no pressure, just a meal out with a mate. Maybe they would have a chance to chat more. Instead of overthinking the night, he concentrated on driving towards the ominous, darkened horizon of Mosswold Forest.

With his headlights on full beam and heater warming the inside of the van, he followed Jaymes’ directions until he spotted the small private lane leading away from the public car park. Following the winding road for a good five minutes, he eventually came upon a cabin raised on stilts in a clearing in the woods. Lights burned inside. Not wanting to lose his cocoon of warmth, Nathan texted Jaymes.

Nathan: I’m outside in the van.

Jaymes’ reply popped up immediately.

Jaymes: Come inside.

Nathan: Too cold. I’ll wait for you here.

Jaymes: Need another 10 mins to finish up. Come in.

Nathan huffed out an irritated sigh. He had never met anyone as infuriating. Most annoying of all, Jaymes always seemed to get his way. After pulling on a thick hat and gloves, Nathan climbed out of the van and clumped up the three wooden steps to the entrance. Opening the door, he peered inside but saw nobody around.

“Jaymes,” he called out.

“In here,” came Jaymes’ voice from a smaller office at the end of the cabin.

Nathan took a cautious step inside. Built entirely of wood, the space retained the smell of timber, along with the odour of soil trodden into the flooring. Functional and very sparsely furnished, the larger room he passed through had plain grey filing cabinets and metal bookcases stuffed with box files. One whole wall was covered from floor to ceiling with a giant map of Mosswold Forest and had multi-coloured pins stuck in various places, presumably meaning something to somebody. In between each of the four desks sat a freestanding radiator. Any residual heat in the building had long escaped through the door space, window seals or gaps between the slats of timber. Nathan, keen to get back to the heat of the van, marched into the smaller office.

Ready to berate Jaymes for being tardy, he was confronted by the sight of his friend lying on his side along the length of a desk. Grinning comically, he reclined stark naked except for a tree axe with the metal head covering his vitals, the handle sticking up vertically. One of his hands cradled his handsome face while the other rested on top of his knee. Jaymes might have meant the sight as a joke, but Nathan’s jaw dropped. Polly’s cousin had an incredibly well-put-together body. The sudden vision stalled Nathan momentarily until the obvious question came to him.

“What thefuckare you doing?”

“Providing you with some inspiration for the calendar. What do you think?”

“Are you insane? It’s bloody freezing in here.”

“Tell me. Thought you’d never get here. My nuts have shrunk to the size of peanuts. What do you think of my chopper? Impressive, huh?”

Jaymes clamped a hand around the handle of the axe and waggled his eyebrows. Despite himself, Nathan burst out laughing and felt any annoyance drain away.

“You are a complete moron, do you know that? Get dressed before you catch your death. You owe me a beer and a meal. I’ll meet you outside in the van.”

“Don’t you want to grab a shot on your phone?”

“Get dressed, Jaymes!”

As he walked off, Nathan heard Jaymes moving. Honestly, the man would do anything for a laugh. And Nathan hadn’t been kidding about the air inside the lodge. The temperature had to be only a couple of degrees above the subzero temperature outside. Despite his curiosity, Nathan fought the urge to turn and grab another eyeful of his friend’s nakedness.

By the time Jaymes emerged, togged out in his usual jeans and brown leather pilot’s jacket, Nathan had the engine idling and the heater running on full power. Just looking sidelong at his friend’s face, he could tell. Mischievous Jaymes had come out to play tonight. Heaven help me, thought Nathan. As Jaymes clambered in and belted up, Nathan put the van into gear and began the drive back.

“See how easy it is, Nate? Now, can I come along tomorrow?”

“Is that what your debauched display was all about? Getting me to agree to you coming to my photoshoot?”

“Maybe. So, can I?”

Nathan shook his head and grinned while navigating the dark lane.

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