Page 50 of Fool Me Twice

“It ain’t so easy, all right?”Si had probably gone as red as his tea.“What if I ask him and he says he don’t want nothing serious?Gonna feel a right numpty then, ain’t I?”

“As opposed to the way you’d feel if youdidn’task him, never got together, and found out on your deathbed he was in love with you all along?Faint heart never won fair maiden—of any gender.”

Si laughed despite himself.“If there’s one thing I know about Zig, it’s that he ain’t no maiden.”

“But you would like to win him, yes?So think about it.And then ask him.”Esme stood up.“I like him.Although perhaps you shouldn’t take that as a recommendation; I’ve always had terrible taste in men.”

“I’ve never seen you with a man,” Si said without thinking.

“Never let it be said I don’t learn from my mistakes.Now, finish your tea and away with you.I’ve got a till to cash up.”

Si chugged the godsawful stuff down in one and headed up to his flat, trying not to gag.

When eight o’clock rolled around and Zig still wasn’t back from work, Si had to face the fact he’d be spending the evening alone.Maybe it was a good thing, though?It felt like they needed some space from each other.Time to think about what they both wanted.

Trouble was, Simissedhim.Was worried about him too.It couldn’t be good for him to work such long hours.Was Ange taking advantage of him?Course, he’d have the week to recover, assuming he didn’t pick up any more extra hours.He could sleep in while Si went to work.

It was like tag-team flat-sitting, this was, Si thought with a sigh.

When Adam rang, it was a welcome distraction.

“All right, mate?”Si answered eagerly.

“Yeah, I’m good.How about you?Still got your house guest?”

“Yeah, but he’s working tonight.”

“How’s it going?”Adam’s voice sounded a bit off, but Si couldn’t work out what the subtext was.Assuming it wasn’t just a bad line.

“His job?Good, I think.”

“I meant you and him.”

“You know we ain’t together, right?”

“Right.”There was a pause.“Had a good weekend?”

“Yeah.Took Zig out for a ride on the Harley.”Si decided not to mention the honeymoon hotel and the giant dick pic.

“Uh-huh.”

Si was suddenly tired of trying to read Adam’s tone of voice without any accompanying visual input.“You fancy going out for a quick pint?”

All right, maybe the flat was a bit depressing tonight with only him in it too.

“Bit cold, innit?”

“Don’t be a wuss.A bracing walk’ll do you good.”

“Fine.Where?”

“Prince of Wales?”At least he’d get to see Zig.Check he was okay.

“If you want.”Adam didn’t sound exactly keen, and Si could guess why, but sod it, it’d been their local for years.If Adam didn’t want to see Zig there, he could sit with his back to the bar.

“See you there in twenty.”

In the end, Si bumped into Adam on the corner before the pub.He was on his own.“No Corin?”Si asked as they headed down the street.