Page 45 of The Fete of Summer (Tales of Crumbington #1)
“I’ll still have those commitments. But I’ll also have a base here in England. And the college position would give me plenty of free time between terms, which I’d hope to use to continue my field research, something I’m fairly sure the college would actively encourage.”
“I thought travelling the world and working outside for a living was your dream.”
This time Jaymes leant down to bring their lips together and kissed Nathan almost chastely.
“Dreams change.”
The kiss became something more. Jaymes pulled Nathan on top of him, pulling their bodies together until Jaymes’ stomach rumbled and growled again so loudly that both of them laughed and lost the moment.
“You know what? I figured this day would be a long one. So I knocked up a batch of chilli and made some baked jacket potatoes. In case Polly or any others came back. How about I heat those for us while you go and shower?”
“How about we prepare food together once we’re both showered?”
“Still the same shower, Jay, I’m afraid. Gonna be a huge squeeze with both of us in there.”
“Excellent. Another one I can cross off my ‘missing Nate’ list.”
* * * *
Later, dressed in sweatshirts and pants, they sat in comfortable silence at Nathan’s small dining room table, enjoying soft music on the radio.
A bowl of chilli and a bottle of cold beer sat in front of each of them.
Nathan marvelled at how much he had missed this simple, quiet time together.
As he sat smiling at Jaymes who had released a satiated sigh and pushed away from the table, a warm bare foot landed gently on his own. Eventually, Nathan broke the silence.
“You still haven’t answered my question. About who was in on this covert operation.”
“Here’s where things get a bit convoluted. Remember Gallagher from the dinner party?”
Nathan nodded.
“I gave him my number, something Giorgio managed to pry from him. He called me in Malaysia saying he’d been worried about Clifton and you. Concerned you might cave in and allow Clifton to do something he later regretted—”
“That would never have happened, Jay.”
“I know that. Which is what I told him. Honestly, I think he was more worried about the adverse publicity if something did. Giorgio got the message in the end. So did Clifton. Although he bid on you pretty aggressively at the auction.”
“You heard that?”
“Some of it. I was hidden backstage the whole time, listening to everything going on and waiting for the signal. Once I’d called Raul, I gave my phone to Giorgio, who took over.
Clifton’s mother is one tenacious woman.
Her first counterbid was my signal. I’m guessing you were caught up in that whole back-and-forth farce with the rest of the crowd and didn’t notice Giorgio hand a phone to Arlene.
But Raul and I had already spoken, and he said he would outbid them both, offer two of three thousand pounds, if necessary—”
“Try ten.”
“What?”
“Raul bid ten thousand—”
“Did he, now?” laughed Jaymes. “I didn’t hear that part. Ken told me to go and hide by the merry-go-round before they announced the final amount, and the sound was muffled back there. I didn’t hear the actual bid. But that makes total sense. Giorgio must have told him to bid high.”
“Giorgio?”
“Imagine the headlines tomorrow. The icing on the cake for the press.
First, Clifton in a bidding war with his mother for a date with the handsome Crumbington baker.
Then a mystery bidder pledges ten thousand pounds, which trumps them both.
That kind of story sells. Hell, if they got permission to include the particular naked baker's centrefold picture, even I would eat up that kind of clickbait—”
“You really think Giorgio—?”
“Of course. He’s a businessman. I'd bet good money the whole thing is already up on social media sites getting thousands of hits.” Jaymes fell silent and studied Nathan. “Does that bother you?”
“Not anymore. Shit, Jaymes, not only was the fête a hit but you’re sitting opposite me. How can I possibly have an issue with any of it?”
Once again they sat in comfortable silence until something else popped into Nathan’s head.
“If you’ve spoken to Giorgio, you probably know that Clifton's putting in a bid to buy the bakery. And I’m going to accept.
We haven’t hammered out the full details yet, but I've offered to continue running the place for six to twelve months. Hopefully, we’ll still have a home for now.
Not only that, but I’m going to apply to do what I always wanted and try to get into the Sports and Exercise Science degree programme at Surrey University in Guilford.
If I'm successful, Ken Mills says he can get me an interview with a guy who manages three of those Open Road mega-gyms. They’ll be able to provide me with the practical health and nutritional experience I need to complete the programme.
For the first time in as long as I can remember, I’m pretty stoked—but nervous at the same time, if that makes sense. ”
“Daring to do something different? Of course you’re nervous.
Hey, if we were to get a place in Horsham—which is twenty miles from here—I could get the mainline rail link into London each day, and you could easily travel back here or to Guildford, as long as you don’t mind driving my death trap of a Land Rover. ”
Tears brimmed in Nathan’s eyes before he could stop them. Jaymes didn’t need to ask whether they were tears of joy, and he came around the table to pull Nathan up from the chair into his arms. They stood together, an unmoving dance, bodies pressed together, Nathan overcome with happiness.
“Nothing’s confirmed yet,” Jaymes whispered in his ear, although the words sounded more encouraging than cautionary. “But this feels so right. And I know we both feel the same way.
“I love you, Jay.”
“I love you too, Nate.”