Page 112 of He's the One

Col drove them to a large town on the coast and once he’d paid for the parking, he took Theo’s hand and set off towards the main street. Theo knew the town and couldn’t think where they’d be going. Col had saidnoto pub and club and crazy golf.

“BDSM venue?” he asked.

Col glanced at him. “If you want to get eaten alive, you only have to ask.”

“Bingo?”

“I’d rather die.”

“Belly dancing?”

“No. You don’t have a belly to roll.”

“Learning how to throw knives?”

“No. I don’t want to die yet.”

“Self-defence lesson.”

“No. But that might be useful.”

Col stopped outside Thompson’s bookshop.

Theo glared. “I said shopping seventy-three guesses ago.”

“We’re not shopping but you can buy a book if you want.”

He tugged Theo inside. There were lots of people in there, men and women of all ages, and after Col had given their names to a guy with a clipboard, they were handed glasses of wine.

“Right, I think we’re all here,” said the clipboard guy. “Welcome to GTKY. Getting To Know You. Your first task is to find a book you loved as a child. Second, find a book you loved at school, thirdly, a book you love today. When you’ve talked about those, each of you choose a book for the other. We hope you’ll buy them but you don’t have to. You can do the tasks in any order. There’s plenty of seating around the store. Feel free to ask for help. Go!”

Theo looked up at Col. “I have to choose one book? I don’t think I can.”

“Try.”

Theo went for the book he loved today because most people had headed for the children’s section. He hadn’t been joking when he’d said he didn’t think he could choose just one book. He read voraciously and mostly loved what he read because he was picky about what he downloaded.

Everyone was chatting to everyone else and Theo began to enjoy himself. Another glass of wine was pushed into his hand and he was shocked to realise he’d drunk the first one. No one knew who he was or cared. No one was judging him. Col made him feel real. It was so tiring having to be perfect in company, say the right thing, dress the right way, behave as his mother expected. With Col, he could be himself.

He pickedA Gentleman in Moscowfor thenowbook.Hatchetfor his school book andThe Sheep-Pigfor the children’s book. He couldn’t remember the books he’d read or had read to him when he was very small. He vaguely remembered his brother and sister reading to him, but James had read himThe Sheep-Pigand Theo had loved it. A pig who was different and made the most of it. Theo had wanted to be like that. Brave and adventurous.

Col had saved him a place on a sofa.

“That was fun. You start,” Theo said.

“My school book isThe Indian in the Cupboard.”

“I’ve not read that.”

He snuggled in as Col began to tell him what the book was about, a boy putting plastic figures in a cupboard and turning a key that made them come alive. It sounded exciting, so why was he yawning?

Theo woke with a start when Col shook him.

“Time to leave, sleepy head.”

“What? Oh my God. Did I sleep through our date?”

“You weren’t listening to me talk?” Col gaped at him, then smiled. “It’s okay. If you need to sleep, you need to sleep.”

---