Page 8 of Kicks

Eddie stole an amused glance at Tyler, who was chuckling away to himself.

“Why’s that, Scott?”

“It’s very bad for your bones. You’re not getting any younger, Edward.”

Eddie frowned. “I’m three years older than you. You make out like I’m your father.”

“Okay, fine,” Scott said, stopping in his tracks. He bent over. “I can’t do this anymore. I need to work up to it.”

Eddie rubbed Scott’s back. “Are you really this out of shape?”

“Shut up,” Scott managed.

“Perhaps that’s enough for day one,” Tyler said. “We can do a few more next time.”

Scott stood upright. His face resembled a beetroot. “I agree.”

A car passed by them and honked. It was Charlotte from reception. Scott gave her a one-fingered reply.

“Come on,” Scott said, recovering his breath.

They walked back to the headquarters. Eddie flung his arm across Scott’s shoulders.

“We are keeping this up, you know,” Eddie said.

“I have no doubt,” Scott replied. “I love it when you’re masterful.”

A dollop of rain fell on Eddie’s forehead. He looked up and the clouds had become very angry indeed.

“Summer downpour,” Tyler warned.

“Now watch him run,” Eddie added.

For someone who had been close to flatlining minutes earlier, Scott tapped into his energy resources and ran across the remainder of the estate with an alarming speed.

Eddie and Tyler jogged after him.

“What’s the emergency?” Tyler asked.

“Do you have no idea how long it takes him to style his hair?” Eddie replied. “Scott has a relationship with water in the same way the Wicked Witch of the West does.”

They were still laughing as they got into the lift that Scott had held for them.

“Not funny,” Scott said, breathless.

They got out on the office level and walked into reception. Thankfully, Charlotte hadn’t made it back to her desk so they waved at Doris from finance who filled in for her.

“Oh, Scott,” she cried. “I knew you’d be through. Look what I have.”

She produced a large paper bag from under the desk.

“Doris, you devil,” Scott said, skipping over to the reception desk. He peered into the bag and looked at her excitedly. “Chocolate brownies? You shouldn’t have.”

Eddie swaggered up to his side. “No, she shouldn’t. Scott is on a health kick.”

“Away with you,” Doris said, waving her hand. “There’s not an ounce of fat on him. There’s three in there. One for each of you.”

Tyler had joined them now. “Doris, that’s so kind.”