Page 8 of The Stand-in Dad

7 DAVID

Back in the flat, David and Mark were surrounded by the smells of an open jar of crushed garlic, fresh chillies from the garden herb pots on the windowsill and sizzling sesame oil that Mark was heating up in the pan. They cooked together every evening, or most evenings, in a synchronicity that had surprised each of them when it first started. It was only for a treat that one of them would get to relax while the other prepared a full meal, or if Mark had to stay much later at work, or David was running an event downstairs. Birthdays, sometimes. There was something about it that made the best jobs (slicing) twice as fun and the worst jobs (washing up pans) half as hard.

‘So Meg’s lovely,’ Mark said, beginning to stir finely diced spring onions and garlic into the pan.

‘Isn’t she!’ David replied, running carrots across a mandoline. ‘I feel so sorry for the stuff with her parents, but she’ll have a great day. I’ll make sure of it.’

The flat was a good size, for the two of them. When they had been looking for a place to live and a location for the shop, at first they had thought it would be nice to live separately from the business, and to be able to escape a little. When Number Fifty-Six had come up, they had both decided it felt right, and now they were happy they’d made the choice to have everything on their doorstep. They could so easily go for a drink, and their fish and chips was always warm when they got it home because it was, David had calculated, just a forty-two-second walk from shop to sofa.

The kitchen was painted white and opened onto the living room, which had two large windows that were great for people-watching onto the street. Some people might call it busy, the way they liked to have everything on show in the house, but there was a reason, David thought, for all their knick-knacks and photos and all the parts that made up their lives to be on full display. Off the hall were two bedrooms; one for them, and another which always had a clothes horse up ready for the change of sheets for their ever-rotating cast of friends who came to stay.

‘Do you think you might be so keen to help her because it reminds you of your parents?’

David knew Mark had been thinking that thought downstairs. There were very few subtleties you could get past a partner of nearly twenty years, and he had been wondering when Mark was going to bring this up.

‘I guess it just makes me more likely than your average Joe to help her, since I’ve been through a similar thing.’

‘And Joe wasn’t available.’

‘Exactly.’

David rolled his eyes.

There was a pause, and then Mark looked at David and spoke again. ‘Just make sure you’re looking after yourself and not taking on too much.’ He reached out a hand to David. ‘This feels very much like repeating your childhood, and what if they suddenly come around and then you’re out of the picture?’

‘We always say it’s more important to help someone in need, more important than anything else.’

‘I know, David, but we’re getting older,’ Mark said, putting down the wooden spoon into its little resting spot on the counter. ‘We’re already so busy with the youth club. It’s nearly summer, and that means marshalling the Race For Life, that school fete you usually do. You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.’

‘I’ll be okay,’ David said, stroking Mark’s arm. It was another of the sayings Mark loved that he had heard a million times. ‘I appreciate the concern, but it’ll be a few hours a week. You never know, her parents might change their minds tomorrow.’

‘As long as you’re not upset if they do that …’

‘I won’t be.’

‘From what I know of Mr and Mrs Kirby, I don’t know how likely it is that they will change their minds. They’re quite scary at school, and she can be quite stubborn. I didn’t want to say that in front of Meg.’

Mark continued to stir and though David sensed there was something else he wanted to say, he changed the subject instead.

‘How’s business?’

‘What was that?’ David had definitely heard, but sometimes he found himself answering as if he hadn’t, in order to buy himself a little more time.

‘The shop, the floristry side … is it picking up?’ Mark asked, now concentrating on cooking strips of chicken so they were browned enough, but not too much. ‘I know you said the accountant was a bit full on when you saw her, but I haven’t had the full story. Meg made it sound like you were worried?’

David sighed. He hated to worry Mark, or to make the shop his problem, but he knew it was the right thing to do and he knew Mark, of course, would want to help him. ‘It’s bad, Harry said. You know I’ve been trying so many different things, but nothing’s really taken off. I keep wasting the seasonal bouquets. I only ever sell a couple.’

‘What else did Harry say?’

‘I think she enjoyed the whoopie pie from Angie more than she enjoyed sorting through my filing system but …’

‘Did you charge her for that?’

‘Who are you, HMRC?’

‘David …’

‘It’s all fine! Anyway, the numbers. The topline is that the events that were keeping us steady are falling, but we can’t just increase prices anymore. We’re down on funeral flowers, so I’ve been looking at what we can do.’

‘Well down on funeral flowers … I guess I can only say that’s a good thing.’

‘But also down on weddings and christenings. Birthdays too. Valentine’s was down a quarter on the year before.’

‘Sorry David.’

‘Houseplants are holding strong,’ David said. ‘But the margins on those are tiny. Day-to-day buying is a bit down, across everything. I’ve put on more events and am looking at what other businesses might want to use the space. I’m going to reach out on that queer business network I’m building.’

‘That’s a good idea,’ Mark said. He was shaking the pan vigorously to coat the contents evenly in the sauce he’d made, but his voice was calming and tender. He reached out his arm towards David. ‘It might take time, but you’ll get there. What’s the network called?’

‘I don’t have a name yet. Let me know if you think of one.’ David had finished laying the table. ‘Benji said opening the network up to allies too might help with forming collabs or whatever he called them. I thought it might also be a good way to meet people for Meg’s wedding, as well as the shop.’

‘It’s a good idea,’ Mark said. ‘As long as it doesn’t distract from the shop. The social media thing could be good too I guess, but don’t just follow what Benji says without thinking about it. It’s your shop and you know it better than anyone. What if we alienate the older crowd that have been buying from you for over a decade?’

‘Is this because Benji told you you couldn’t pull off a backwards cap?’

Mark flashed him a grin. ‘It’s possible.’

David came to hug Mark from behind, resting his head on his partner’s shoulder.

‘I know Benji’s a bit, I don’t know, unpredictable,’ David said. ‘But he’s older now and I think this will be good for him. We might go viral!’

‘That doesn’t sound good.’

‘Mark, viral is a good thing.’

‘Like when things are sick now?’

‘Exactly.’

‘Or when Benji said something was dope and you had that conversation with Jacob about drugs?’

‘Trust me,’ David said. ‘I’m trying things. Harry said at current estimations I’ve got about five months and then we’d have to start winding things down.’

Mark was shocked. ‘I had no idea it was this bad …’

‘Everywhere’s struggling, but with everything we do in the shop, the margins are so tight … But … I’m not going down without a fight.’

‘I’m sure you’re not, David, but—’

‘No buts,’ David interrupted. ‘I’ve got Ray, Benji, the business network, you. How could I fail with that dream team?’

‘All right.’ Mark put the plates of steaming food down on the table. ‘Just earmark that money we wanted for a holiday next year … I think we could both do with one.’

They sat down to eat, as they always did: a candle lit in the middle of the table, and no music, just the two of them together. They chatted about the news and the book David was struggling to finish. Mark talked about his sister’s new job, and how his mum was persuading her to go part-time, so she could spend more time with her children, his niece and nephew, in their teenage years before they left the house.

After they were finished, they both stood up to complete the task of the clean-up. David began to wash up, since Mark had done the bulk of the cooking.

‘Oh and remember Saturday next week, we’ve got the youth club careers night downstairs,’ Mark said. ‘You said you’d prepare something.’

‘Yeah, of course. I won’t forget,’ David said, though he definitely had. ‘Looking forward to it.’

‘Okay, thanks.’

‘Since I’m doing the washing-up,’ David said tentatively. ‘I guess someone else needs to take the bin out.’

‘I hate taking the bin out!’

‘So do I, Mark, but I’m preoccupied with all this, and everything with Lilies.’ He indicated the chopping boards and pans. ‘I can do anything ,’ he said. ‘But I can’t do everything. ’

Mark threw the tea towel at him and went to get his shoes.