Page 14 of The Good Neighbour
To Josh’s horror, he heard scrabbling against the fence. He darted inside and hid behind one of the kitchen units.
“Michael!” Hugh shouted.
“The coast is clear.”
Josh heard more noises, then a thud.
“Get inside,” Hugh said. “Honestly, you’re going to get me kicked out. It’s bloody posh round here. I should have known better, asking you to come over.”
The back door banged and Josh let out a sigh of relief. If anyone could see him now, they would think he’d lost his mind.
Still, it was worth it. Hugh thought he was hot. The feeling was most certainly mutual. Then he winced. He shouldn’t be thinking like this.
Josh rested his head against the kitchen unit. How the fuck had he found himself here?
An hour later the doorbell rang. Josh had been flicking through magazines in the sunroom. He padded through into the hallway.
When he opened the door, he thanked his lucky stars he had actually got dressed that day. On the step stood the very handsome Hugh. Instantly, Josh’s heartrate sped up as he gazed into Hugh’s crystal-blue eyes.
“Not another flood, I hope,” he said.
“Nah,” Hugh replied. “I’m crawling the walls next door and realised I hadn’t thanked you properly for your help.”
Josh didn’t know what say. He wondered in what form his reward would come. Hugh had on a tight white T-shirt and jeans that left little to the imagination. Josh had many suggestions on how Hugh might thank him.
Once again, he pushed those images out of his mind.
“Oh yes?” he managed.
“Takeaway on me?” Hugh replied. “You’ll have to choose which one. I bow to your local knowledge. Of course, if you’re busy, I’m sure I can find a meal for one somewhere.”
The exaggerated expression of woe made Josh laugh.
“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I caused such a tragedy,” he said. “Come in.”
He led Hugh down the hallway.
The first male to cross the threshold since Winston.
He really had to stop thinking like this. His marriage had ended. The sooner he accepted that, the better.
They walked into the kitchen.
“What do you fancy?” Josh asked. “Thai? Mexican? Lebanese?”
“So much choice,” Hugh replied. “I’ll let you decide. Although it’s my shout.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes I do. I wasn’t dragged up.”
Josh sniggered. “You sure about that?”
Realisation dawned on Hugh’s face. “Bad choice of words. Of course, I’ve beendraggedup ever since I sawPriscilla, Queen of the Desert.”
“Is that where it all began?”
“Pretty much. For most Aussie kids it all starts there.”
