“I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, you’re clearly going to need help. And seeing as I’ve got time on my hands—”
Nathan sat bolt upright.
“You’d come and work for me?”
“Part-time. The missus might have issues if I agree to full-time. But honestly, I’m climbing the walls at home. And she just enjoyed the best weekend in months doing spas and whatnot without having to keep me entertained. The thing is, I thought you could use some support and give yourself some breathing space. A win-win, I think they call it. I could do a shift every fortnight, alternating Wednesday through Saturday when you’re at your busiest and then Monday through Wednesday when you’re quieter—”
Nathan suddenly felt a weight lifting from his shoulders. With Fingal on board, he could finally take time off without guilt. He might even be able to schedule a holiday if they could work out schedules between them. He would also have someone he could trust who’d always speak his mind.
“Yes, Fingal. Hell, yes. I’d love to have you working here,” he said, until a thought came to him. “But what do we do about Arlene?”
This time Fingal leant back in his chair and nursed his tea mug, a smug grin on his face.
“Max is a great guy, you know? He really is. But I have no idea what he sees in his wife. She’s a tyrant, or at least she likes to think she is. Don’t worry about Arlene. You’ve got me in your corner. Arlene won't bother you anymore.”
“What have you done?”
“You know, Nathan, as a member of the fête committee, I think the less you know, the better. But now you realise that I’m as devious as your committee organiser, do you still want me on board?”
Nathan put down his mug, stood and leant across the table, his hand outstretched.
“Welcome aboard,” said Nathan, shaking Fingal’s hand.
“My wife has just become your new best friend.”
Chapter Seventeen
Flight
Nathan sat in a booth opposite Jaymes in a coffee bar at Heathrow Airport, feeling hollower as the final minutes before Jaymes’ departure ticked down. Trying to keep things light, he gave Jaymes an account of the recent committee meeting for the summer fête, which had lasted all of ten minutes.
“Apparently preorders of the calendar are off the charts. Arlene told us she’d gone ahead and arranged her contact to cater the launch. Mikey lost his cool and said Fresher and Son could do that. Not that I really want the gig. Anyway, they had a vote, which ended in a draw. Mikey then phoned Polly—she was doing her parent-teacher thing at school last night—and she sided with Arlene. Can you believe it?”
“Did you talk to her?”
“Not in person. Michael called her on speakerphone so that everyone could hear, but she sent me a private message later telling me to trust her.”
“And do you? Trust her?”
“Always. I thought she might still be pissed off with me about keeping us a secret, but that’s not the case. The thing is, Polly’s voice is usually the loudest when it comes to railing against Arlene’s steamrollering.”
“Let it go, Nate. As you said, you didn’t want the gig anyway.”
Jaymes seemed distracted. His smile was not as generous as usual, and his mind was focused elsewhere. Nathan also noticed his right knee constantly bouncing beneath the table. Not wanting to probe, he assumed Jaymes was mulling over the complexities of the job awaiting him at the other end of a long flight.
“Sorry, Nate,” said Jaymes eventually. “I know this is tough on you, but it’s killing me.” Jaymes raked his fingers through his hair. “I usually can’t wait to get on a plane and start a new adventure. But things are different this time. And I can’t help thinking about the last time I said goodbye to somebody I cared about—”
“I am not him, Jay. And never will be. You have nothing to worry about. That kind of thing is not going to happen. Please trust me.”
“You think I don’t know that? But it makes leaving you all the more difficult.”
Even more out of character, Jaymes’ eyes had teared up, and Nate felt a moment of hesitation. Up until that moment, he had been the one in the relationship being given reassurance. Without a second thought, he got up and sat next to his lover, pulling Jaymes’ head onto his shoulder and placing a steadying hand on the twitching knee.
“Remember what you said to me in the Cotswolds? About me being the one for you? Well, the same goes for me. You’re the one, Jay. Nobody has ever come close. Think of me as your harbour. I’ll be right here when you’re ready to sail home. And I promise to keep the fridge stocked with beer and chocolate and the coffee machine ready to start chugging away on demand. I’ll even sleep on your side of the bed to make sure it’s kept toasty warm for your return. How does that sound?”
Nathan warmed inside when he heard a happy chuckle rumble through Jaymes.
