Page 32 of The Fete of Summer (Tales of Crumbington #1)

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.

“I don’t deserve you, Nate.”

“Probably not. But I’m afraid you’re stuck with me now.”

While he was speaking, a young blonde girl in a purple cafe uniform appeared with their drinks. As she put them down on the table, she glanced nervously at Nathan and Jaymes and smiled genuinely before uttering one word.

“Adorable.”

As soon as she had left, Jaymes nudged Nathan.

“You are adorable, you know? She’s dead right.”

“She’s talking about both of us.”

Happily, the exchange seemed to defuse the tension, and they each reached to sample their drinks.

“I should have delayed by a day. I could have been there for your semi-finals tomorrow.”

“And another week, so you could be there for the calendar launch? Or another month so you could attend the fête? At that rate, you’d never have left.”

“Maybe that’s not such a bad—”

“We talked about this. You’re doing what you love. Which makes me love you even more.”

Beneath the table on the bench seat, Nathan felt Jaymes’ hand reach to grasp his own.

“By the way, Nate, thank Clifton for letting us use his car and driver. That was really thoughtful.”

Nathan had almost declined. Clifton had told Nathan he would be accompanying his partner, Raul, to a meeting that day, and they had other transport arranged.

Nathan had still hesitated. Since Clifton’s return to Crumbington, he had been less than reliable.

But he had come through this time. Sitting in the spacious back seat with Jaymes, pressed up against each other, had been the perfect send-off.

“I’ll message him. And make sure you call me the moment you land.”

“Yeah, best if I text. I arrive at Kota Kinabalu airport midmorning, which translates to the early hours over here. We can video-chat later tomorrow once I’m settled. And I can show you my luxury digs.”

Jaymes had already told Nathan about the basic accommodation accompanying his trips, with often four or more to a room. Not that he spent much time in them.

“Photos, too, please. I’m going to buy a couple of small clocks for the kitchen, one for London time, the other for Malaysian. That way, I’ll know when to call you.”

Jaymes sighed and kissed the top of Nathan’s head. “Still wish I could put you in one of my cases.”

“Me too. But they’re already checked.”

Arms around each other’s waists, they strolled to the departure section of the airport.

For a change, according to Jaymes, they encountered no lengthy queue of travellers waiting to disappear into immigration control.

They enjoyed a tight hug goodbye before Jaymes released Nathan and vanished into the bowels of the airport.

On the way there, Nathan had planned to stay longer at the airport to find a viewing gallery and watch as Jaymes’ plane took off.

Overwhelmed and confused by the number of signs and the volume of people milling around, he had almost given up on the idea.

But Jaymes promised to send him a text message as soon as he boarded, so Nathan wandered around until he found an information desk.

Two airport staff—one male, one female—stood chatting.

Nathan stood to one side, scanning the leaflet stand, amused at their conversation.

“He’s an absolute dream, if you want my honest opinion. Did you see him on a Harley in Tangerine Smile ? Thighs to die for. Or between. Whatever works.”

“You’re gushing ‘cause he’s one of yours. And didn’t I see something about him being the subject of a sex tape?”

The man scoffed. “More fake news. But if there’s a link, forward it to me.”

“Seriously, though, don’t you find him plastic, too fake? Too good-looking?”

“Are you kidding me?” said the man before nodding his head to a point somewhere behind Nathan. “Look at him over there. Pure sex on legs.”

Nathan turned, startled, fully expecting to see Clifton striding towards them.

Instead, he realised they were referring to a giant poster suspended above the shops advertising the pilot episode of Candlelight , the new television thriller starring Clifton and Helen Monash.

In the advertisement, Clifton strolled purposefully down an archetypal English country lane with his co-star just behind his right shoulder and looking equally stern.

“Sorry, sir,” came a female voice. “Excuse my colleague’s appalling taste. Can I help you with something?”

With her assistance, he discovered a reasonably quiet cafe on a mezzanine level, one overlooking the external airport complex.

Even though he had no idea which runway Jaymes’ plane would take off from, he installed himself at a small table by the window and ordered a toasted sandwich and a pot of tea, determined to make them both last.

When his order arrived, he sat back in his chair, sipped his drink and thought back on the incredible year.

So much had happened. Getting photographed naked for a team calendar, reconnecting with Cliff, his childhood sweetheart and now a famous film and television star, and finally finding out he had a cousin on the other side of the world.

But the best part had been meeting Jaymes, the catalyst for this new, improved version of Nathan Fresher.

Jaymes had somehow unlocked something in Nate and made him feel wanted, even when they weren’t together.

Last night they’d spent the whole evening making love, each of them taking turns to memorise the other’s body, to brand each curve, each muscle, each scar and freckle into memory for the lonely nights to come.

Instead of being melancholy at missing Jaymes, Nathan recognised he had someone who would always be there for him, someone not far from his thoughts, someone whose mere existence could make him smile even when he was working thousands of miles away.

Interrupting his thoughts, Nathan’s phone beeped with a message.

Jay: About to close the doors. Miss me yet?

Nathan snorted aloud. Jaymes’ telepathy seemed to be working on overdrive today.

Nate: What do you think? Of course I do. Safe trip, Jay.

Jay: Gonna miss you too. But I’ll be home before you know it.

Nate: I’m already crossing off the days.

Jay: Just got told to turn off my phone. Love you, baby. Will txt when I get to KK.

Nate: Love you too. Come back to me soon.

Nathan fixed his gaze outside the airport window.

Eventually, he picked out the distinctive logo on the tail of a plane, one that had to be Jaymes’ flight.

Hiking in a deep breath, he heard the muffled sound of engines roar and watched as the implausibly large aircraft trundled slowly down the runway, nose tilting up, before gliding almost in slow motion into the air.

Moments later, the plane had breached low-hanging clouds and disappeared into the daytime sky.