Page 36 of The Mission

“In 1896 the greatest cloud in the world was listed as Cloud 9 in a new cloud classification. So if you’re on cloud nine, you’re on the tallest cloud on Earth. I love clouds, though not always when I have to fly through difficult ones. Lightning isn’t fun when you’re in it.”

“Oh God. I don’t need to hear that. I think we’d better get dressed.”

“Are you still worrying about what my family will think? They like you. They’ll be fine with you staying over.”

Conrad pulled on his shorts. “Not tonight. If it’s all right with your mum I’ll stay on Christmas Eve and maybe for Christmas Day. I fly home the day after Boxing Day.”

“And I fly home the day after that.” Arlo hesitated. “I…”

Conrad kissed him. “Yes, I want to see you again. We’ll exchange addresses. Your schedule’s likely to be trickier than mine so you just tell me when we can meet up.”

“New Year. I’ll come to you.”

“I’ll cook.”

“Can you cook?”

“Beans on toast.”

Arlo’s mouth dropped open.

“Or toast on beans. I could add cheese.”

“My jaw won’t drop any further.”

Conrad smiled. “Yes, I can cook. Sure you want to come to mine and not go to a party?”

“We can have our own party. I need you to keep taking me to the top of cloud nine. Maybe we can find a cloud ten.” Then Arlo groaned. “No, I can’t. I’ve just remembered. I’m flying on New Year’s Eve. Damn it!”

“Then we’ll have our New Year’s Eve on a different day. I’ll do a lightshow with my torch. I can do all sorts of animal impressions with my hands. Maybe with my body too, I’ve never tried that.”

“I can’t wait.”

8

Conrad had the best evening in forever. He’d not really played games before, not since he was at school, but teaming up with Arlo had been fun. They’d playedGo Fishwith the children, and Conrad had made sure he didn’t win because the delight on the face of whichever kidhadwon was greater than winning himself. Though sometimes it was hard to cheat, especially when some sharp-eyed youngster pointed out that Conraddidhave a sea turtle.

Then they played some dinosaur game that Conrad didn’t even have to try to lose because even by the time they were packing it away, he hadn’t understood what was happening. Maybe the kids had made up their own rules. That was fine, they’d enjoyed themselves.

Once the children were in bed, the adults playedBalderdash, and Conrad had found he was funnier than he’d realised. The game involved making up what you thought a weird word meant but somehow Conrad managed to think up funny things that amused everyone. Batrachian was not a tailless amphibian but an orgy between a bat, a rat and a guy named Ian. Contributed by Conrad.

Though he’d struggled with the second game,Who’s in the Bag. The aim was for your partner to guess who or what was named on the card you were holding without saying the word, so by singing, miming, describing or impersonating. The Lehners were so tuned in to each other that they seemed to guess correctly in an instant, whereas Conrad struggled to identify anyone Arlo was pretending to be. He didn’t even get Madonna, not until their time was up. Arlo’s attempt to make his hands into pointed breasts led Conrad down the entirely wrong path to a T-Rex. After he said that, everyone was hysterical.

But it was fun and that was all that mattered. Somehownotplaying the game properly was more enjoyable than following the rules. Conrad couldn’t remember when he’d laughed so much. If he ever had.

I fit in.

That feeling was so strong and comforting that it made his chest tight with emotion. What had Arlo seen in him? Some guy crying in an office. How had Arlo seen more than that? But somehow he had and Conrad had let himself open up, take a chance and his world had grown bigger.

When people began to make their excuses and slope off to bed, Conrad knew he couldn’t stay. Somehow it felt even more important to show sufficient respect to Arlo and his family. This was not a fling. This was something special. And waiting would prove that. Well, they hadn’t waited but there was a difference between having fun on their own and getting into Arlo’s bed when all his family were watching.

Rurik came over. “Had a message from the QParks team. The guy who put the poles in place is adamant that two were moved, even though you flattened one of them. We can’t prove Warner did it, but either way, it wasn’t your fault that you fell.”

Conrad nodded.

“Is there anything else I should know about him?”

“Probably, but… I don’t feel comfortable telling you.”

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