Page 18 of Kissing Games
Charlie walked to the door and whistled. Bandit didn’t move.
‘Bandit, heel!’
Bandit’s head snapped away from Valentina and he followed Charlie out of the gym, looking back at her over his shoulder.
‘I know how you feel, mate,’ he muttered under his breath as they walked back up the stairs together. ‘I know how you feel.’
7
After showering, Charlie met Rory in his workshop. Bandit ate his dinner as they talked, Rory absentmindedly whittling a small piece of wood, Charlie leaning back against one of the workbenches. Rory’s girlfriend, Zoe, lived in a small wooden cabin a few miles out of Kinloch and that was where Rory wanted to spend all his time.
‘Mate, it’s right on the loch and there’s no one for miles. No phone signal, no internet. As long as Zoe’s with me, it’s perfect.’
Charlie nodded, digging his fingernails into the bench. ‘You really love her, then? Does she “complete you”?’ he asked, his voice sounding hollow.
Rory nodded. ‘In every way. She’s the other half of me.’
Charlie looked into his friend’s pale-blue eyes, seeing the truth shining out. His heart stretched apart like dough.
Rory cleared his throat. ‘What’s the latest with—?’
He shook his head vehemently and Rory fell silent. Charlie looked at the floor, scuffing his feet through the piles of sawdust, the soft sounds filling the silence.
‘She dumped me for the final time.’ He paused, then bit the bullet. ‘She’s pregnant with his baby. She said it was never going to work and we didn’t really know each other.’
‘Oh, mate...’ Rory took a breath to say more, but Charlie shook his head again. He felt empty. A wasteland. ‘So, what are you going to do?’ Rory finally asked.
Charlie shrugged, still looking at the floor. ‘Shag around, be a player. Do what I should have been doing for the last ten years, rather than waiting around for her like a sad sack.’
‘Player? You?’ scoffed Rory, attempting to lighten the mood. ‘Bridge player, more like. The only place you could score is down the Women’s Institute once they’d copped a load of your macramé.’
‘It’s embroidery, dickwad.’
Rory shrugged. ‘I just don’t get how you could even thread a needle with your ham hands.’
‘Says the Neanderthal who carves things small enough for fairies.’
Rory looked down at the tiny piece of wood in his hands. ‘Fair enough, but I’m usually holding an axe.’ He put the piece of wood to one side. ‘Have you seen Mum yet?’ Charlie shook his head. ‘Can you go tonight? I’m not around that much and I need to know she’s okay.’
‘Your mum’s always okay. She’s tougher than mine and that’s saying something.’
‘It’s different now. She doesn’t like Zoe, and her home is filled with people she likes even less. Zoe says if we don’t keep Brad on side, he’ll screw us over and shoot the exterior stuff for the film at another castle. You’re a familiar face to Mum. You can keep her calm.’
‘Yeah, no worries. I’ll go up later.’
‘Thanks, mate. What did you think of our new spiritual advisor?’
‘Vlad? Fuck me, he’s a bad ’un. Bandit got wind of something in his bags, so I’m going to take a look when he’s out.’
‘Cheers. I hate him almost as much as Brad.’ Rory ran his hands through his hair. ‘The sooner this is over and they all fuck off, the better. Then life can get back to normal.’ He cast his eyes around the room. ‘Right. I’m off. They’ve got a catering van in the side garden you probably saw. You can eat from there or use one of the kitchens in the castle. Brad’s personal chef is in one of them, but you can still use it. Help yourself to any of my steaks. Keep Bandit out here at night so he can keep an ear out for anyone in the back courtyard. You need anything else?’
‘Nah, I’m all good. I’ll see you in the morning.’
Rory smiled. He looked relieved. ‘Thanks, mate. I’m glad you’re here.’
The two men walked outside. Zoe waved at them both from Rory’s truck. Charlie held up his hand and watched them drive away. He sighed, his breath condensing in the cool night air, then turned back to the castle.
Joiningthe end of the queue for the catering truck, Charlie saw Valentina up ahead getting her food. As soon as he filled his plate, he walked through to the dining room. She wasn’t there. He saw Shauna sitting by herself, shovelling food into her mouth like she was in an eating competition.
