Page 18 of The Good Neighbour

Hugh put his finger to Josh’s lips. Josh gasped at the touch.

“No need for words. You know where I am.”

He got up and grabbed his coat. Without looking back, Hugh walked out of the room. Josh heard every footfall on the stairs. When the door slammed shut, he punched the nearest cushion.

“Shit,” he said out loud.

The silence deafened him as he sat there, trying to digest what had just happened. The adrenalin forced him off the sofa. He paced the room. Of course, he felt that he’d been unfaithful to Winston. He also knew that Winston would have no such qualms if he found himself in the same situation.

Hugh’s words replayed through his mind. Josh wasn’t sure about anything these days. What had happened to him?

When the doorbell rang, Josh almost jumped out of his skin.

Had Hugh come to finish what they’d started? Josh found that, deep down, he wanted that.

Bounding down the stairs, he could hardly focus when he opened the door to find a young man holding up a carrier bag.

It was the food he’d ordered. Disappointment flooded through him as he took the delivery.

On autopilot he padded through to the kitchen and dumped the bag on the counter. His gaze rested on the letter still sitting on the microwave.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” he said to the empty room.

With a rush of certainty that he hadn’t experienced in a long time, he moved over to the microwave. With a tug, he pulled off his wedding band and placed it on top of the solicitor’s letter.

Not stopping to think of the enormity of what he’d just done, he grabbed the bag of hot food and set off out of the house.

Grateful Hugh lived next door, Josh marched down his steps. If he’d had to travel any farther, he probably would have bottled it. As it stood, it only took a moment until he was pressing Jeannie’s doorbell.

When Hugh opened the door, his eyes widened.

“Josh.”

Josh held up the bag. “I can’t eat all this on my own. Besides, I don’t think either of us needs a sleepless night of worry.”

Hugh’s shocked face crumpled into his boyish grin that mainlined straight to Josh’s crotch.

“Sounds like a good idea. Come on in.”

With full bellies, they sat across the kitchen table from each other. The night had drawn in, so Hugh had lit candles. It gave the whole place a very Parisian bistro vibe. As did the excellent wine that Hugh served. Josh was feeling very comfortable for the first time in years.

“I’m glad I took a rash decision,” Josh said.

“Me too.”

They had skirted round things over the food. It appeared neither of them wanted to bare their souls with their mouths full. Josh was ready. He had no capacity for any more worry.

“I’m sorry for freaking out before. It just…”

“Felt weird?”

Josh nodded. He had no other word for it. He hadn’t kissed anyone other than Winston for years.

But was it good weird or bad weird?

The jury remained out on that one.

“I can understand that,” Hugh said. “Like I said, I’m not sorry it happened.”