Page 11 of The Fete of Summer (Tales of Crumbington #1)

Nathan peered across the table to see if Jaymes was joking. But the tightly folded arms and gaze drilling into the tabletop was defiant. At some point, Nathan would need to ask what had happened. Naturally, some of the guests could not resist the temptation to respond with humorous retorts.

“That’s not a relationship,” came an amused voice.

“It’s barely a handshake,” came another. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll up and run, Nathan?”

“Oh, thus speaks the queen of one-night stands.”

“You’re only bitter because five weeks is longer than the run of your most recent off-West End play—”

“And why is there a ‘y’ in your name, Jaymes?”

“Well, on a positive note, we’ve finished desserts, and Jaymes is still here.”

Laughter grew progressively louder around the table with each remark. Nathan noticed Jaymes had not joined in and felt he ought to say something witty to shut them down, but he didn’t have Jaymes’ quick mind. Defence came from an unlikely source.

“Considering the circles you gentlemen move in, I’m surprised none of you recall that some well-known celebrities have had marriages lasting no more than a matter of hours,” said Gallagher. “By comparison, a five-week relationship is nothing short of heroic.”

“And Jaymes spends much of his professional life travelling the globe,” added Nathan, trying to repay the debt of help Jaymes had given him. Jaymes, who had quietened, looked up and smiled at Nathan.

“And there’s ‘y’ in my name because my father wanted to call me Jay, while my mother preferred James. Hence the compromise.”

“If you don’t mind me asking something we’re all curious about, Jaymes,” said Clifton, not letting the subject drop. “Why only five weeks?”

“Infidelity,” said Jaymes cryptically, returning Clifton’s gaze without flinching.

“I see,” replied Clifton, the response loaded and an eyebrow raised at Nathan.

“Maybe,” answered Jaymes, a smile fixed firmly in place. “I feel fairly certain you know as much as I do about the nature of toxic relationships.”

Clifton’s face blanched visibly, his eyes narrowing on Jaymes. Whatever veiled reference he’d made had stung Clifton to the core.

“Can Gallagher and I please have our cookie questions?” called Martin, and Nathan felt sure he did so diplomatically to break the awkwardness. “I’m sure we’re not the only ones gagging for a cup of that wonderful fresh coffee I can smell brewing.”

He and Gallagher had innocuous enough questions, but across the table, Jaymes had become sullen, avoiding any eye contact.

During Martin’s response, he excused himself abruptly from the table without glancing at any of them.

Nathan wondered why admitting to a short-term and seemingly bad relationship had rattled him so much.

The longest relationship Nathan could boast was his twenty weeks with Bastian.

And did hooking up once a week at most even constitute a relationship?

Nathan had been wondering whether to go after Jaymes when someone touched his shoulder.

He peered up as Clifton took the seat next to him, which had also been vacated.

Without noticing, and while coffee was being served, others around the table had risen and switched places.

Maybe the suggestion had been prompted by Clifton. Nathan hadn’t heard.

“We finally get to speak.”

“And we do have a bit to catch up on, don’t we?” said Nathan.

“My apologies for being frosty to your boyfriend—”

“He’s not—” began Nathan before breathing out a sigh. “Jaymes is a friend. There’s nothing intimate between us. But he and Polly thought I needed a plus-one tonight. Don’t you have a partner?”

“Can’t keep anything quiet when you’re in the public eye.

Raul’s in the States going through some punishing training routines.

We’re more celebrity partners if that makes sense.

Photographed side by side at public events.

He’s very photogenic, and we support similar charities.

But we have an arrangement.” Clifton placed a hand on Nathan’s arm.

“I know I said so on Sunday, but I’m truly sorry about your dad.

A genuinely special man. Always had time for me and never talked down to us even though we were kids. You must miss him terribly.”

Nathan relaxed into Clifton’s familiarity. They used to tell each other everything.

“I’ve had time to adjust,” he said, sighing and offering a shrug. “How are your folks?”

“Mum and Dad divorced. A couple of years after we settled in LA. No big surprise there.”

“You had the whole town talking when you disappeared. Did you know? Theories ran from theft, murder and international espionage to some kind of salacious cover-up. Everything blew over eventually. But for a time there, your family was the talk of the village. Even your grandparents remained tight-lipped.”

“That’s because they didn’t know anything.”

“What happened?”

Clifton pulled his hand from Nathan’s arm and clenched his hands together on the tablecloth.

“I had no idea at the time,” he continued.

“Dad was headhunted for a job in Los Angeles. He had to be discreet because, officially, he had a non-compete clause with his London bank. Eventually they came to an agreement involving some kind of financial settlement, a buyout of his contract or something. Even then, he was sworn to secrecy. He sold the idea to us in terms of a trip to LA being a trial run to see if we could live there. Honestly, I thought of it as nothing more than a family holiday. Sunset Boulevard, Universal Studios theme park, Hollywood homes tour. Once we got there, he told us everything was a done deal, that he’d accepted the job and we weren’t going home.

I pretty much hit the roof. So did Mum. Our lives were here.

But he called me out, Nate. To this day, I don’t know how, but he knew exactly what was going on between you and me.

Some pretty harsh things were said, none of which I’m going to repeat, but in the end, I felt I had no choice but to stay. ”

Nathan had seldom met Clifton’s father. And on those few rare occasions, the man had been indifferent bordering on rude. According to Clifton, he had valued work over family—but always provided for them.

“He blackmailed you?”

“Not in so many words. But nobody ever refused my father. He’s always been very persuasive.

If for any minute I’d thought he was blackmailing me, I’d have told him to shove the move up his arse.

But Mum and I agreed to give things a try.

For the first three months I thought about stealing his credit card and booking myself a flight home.

But I have to admit, life improved quickly.

LA is not Crumbington. We lived right on the ocean with a wooden staircase leading from our back door down onto the beach, and I learnt to surf in the temperate weather along the Pacific Ocean.

I made a few amazingly cool friends, and on top of all that, I was admitted into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. “

“Sounds like the dream life.”

“You’d think so, but nothing is ever perfect, is it?

In college, my older male roommate and I became more than friends.

He loved his film noir and had ambitions of becoming an indie movie director.

But he also ended up being a manipulative and abusive bastard.

Mum saw the signs and intervened. Not long after moving dorms, I got my first break.

A small supporting role in a television series followed by a couple of movie parts, but at least they got me on the map until my first lead.

I think my father may have pulled a few strings there. ”

“Arsehole. Your roommate, not your father.”

“I know. He’s still trying to make trouble, but Giorgio’s handling things now. And that, in a nutshell, is how I got where I am today.”

Nathan nodded slowly, not completely satisfied. He had often thought about Cliff over the years, their closeness and tight bond.

“You never wrote. Not even an email.”

“No, I didn’t. And for that I apologise. You deserved to know what had happened, but by the time things had settled down, life had moved on. I didn’t think you’d have cared anymore.”

“I did. I missed you dearly.”

Clifton raised his eyes to take in Nathan, a sympathetic and melancholic gaze settling there.

“I knew you and Jaymes weren’t an item. He’s not your type.”

Something about Clifton’s confident smile and assumption irritated Nathan.

“How would you know what my type is?”

“Maybe I don’t, but I still get the same Nate vibe.

And you were never a fan of boneheads. He seems like your archetypal caveman.

Nothing like you, a man who’s conservative but sensitive to the core.

I bet you’re still living in your family’s flat above the shop, aren’t you?

” Clifton placed a hand on Nathan’s shoulder, an old familiar gesture.

“Then again, maybe you have changed. Are you really posing naked for a calendar?”

Nate laughed while nodding.

“Reluctantly.”

“You’ve got a good body, Nate. Even better than I remember. And I have a long and vivid memory.”

When their eyes met, Nathan felt an old longing surface. Clifton smiled almost shyly and looked away, before squeezing Nathan’s shoulder once then removing his hand.

“Sorry. Tonight wasn’t such a good idea,” said Clifton.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself.”

“Listen, I’ve got rehearsals for the series all next week, but I can free up Saturday evening.

I don’t always like going out because of the attention I draw, but how about I come to your place?

A night of Xbox and movies, takeout Thai and a couple of beers—and your suggestion for dessert.

On your couch together like old times. I’m sure my fitness coach won’t mind me having a night of carbs and alcohol.

As long as I get a good workout in on Sunday. ”

Clifton’s expression smouldered with remembered want. Had Jaymes been right about him?

“What about Raul?”

“He won’t mind, I’m sure. And what the eye doesn’t see—”

Just then, the phone in Nathan’s trouser pocket buzzed loudly. When he pulled out the device and saw Polly’s name on the display, he assumed Jaymes had contacted her.

“I really need to take this.”

With an apologetic tilt of his head at Clifton, he rose and headed out of the room.

Perfect timing, too, because he’d had no idea how he felt about Clifton’s offer.

Intrigued at what Polly had to say, he took the call to the hallway, only to catch Jaymes on his way back to the table.

They could decide together on their exit strategy.

“Hello, Polly. Let me guess. Jaymes texted you?”

He expected to hear humour in Polly’s voice, but she sounded tense and worried.

“No, Nathan. Some solicitor called the shop phone from Australia. Something important. I wasn’t going to answer at first. I assumed the call would go to a messaging system. But when they kept ringing, I took the call.”

“Who was it?”

“Somebody called Gerrard Flynn, a family solicitor in Melbourne, Australia. Needs to speak to you urgently. He left a number but wouldn’t tell me any more. Says he’s on his way to work now—it’s early morning over there—but asked if you could call him back in an hour. Shall I text you the details?”

Nathan noticed Jaymes heading towards him, looking even more pissed off than when he’d left the room.

“No, it’s okay, Polly. I think it’s time for us to leave,” said Nathan with a quick nod to Jaymes. “We’ve both had enough excitement for one night.”

At Nathan’s words, Jaymes’ features relaxed, his relief palpable.