Page 20 of Thrill

Who was he kidding? His mind hadn’t been on anything else since the lube testing.

He remembered all the little jokes they’d shared that day. How he’d seen a steely confidence in Tyler that he wasn’t showy about. It was an adorable combination. Plus, he was gorgeous. That smile…

“Oi!”

Danny snapped to attention a second too late. His foot became entangled in a dog lead and he fell. He cried out in pain as his knees grazed along the pavement.

While he lay crumpled on the ground, the dog in question, a cockerpoo, came and licked his face. Vowing that he would notdie of shame, blood loss or asphyxiation by this creature, Danny staggered to his feet.

“Son,” Andy said as he ran to Danny’s side and grabbed his arm. “What happened?”

“I’m all right. Sorry, mate. I was miles away.”

The dog owner had extracted the lead now. “Be more careful next time.”

Danny couldn’t even be bothered to argue. The man had stormed off anyway.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Andy asked. “You took quite a tumble there.”

“Yeah. Help me to that bench. It’s knocked the stuffing out of me.”

Andy supported Danny’s arm and they both slumped down. The view out to sea was spectacular. Especially on such a beautiful evening. Danny had never lived anywhere else. He couldn’t imagine it.

“Will you survive?” Andy asked.

Danny peered at his knees. They were bleeding but it didn’t look bad. He’d clean them thoroughly when he got in. Hopefully Monica wouldn’t have the bathroom reserved for her personal use all evening.

“I reckon I will.”

They sat for a second. They had done this when Danny was a kid. Although he had probably been bribed with ice cream to be quiet.

“Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to torture it out of you?” Andy said.

“What?”

“You’re not yourself, son. I can’t help you if I don’t know.”

Danny’s lip quivered. He and his father had always had a special bond. One that had been tested to its limits in the past.

“What’s the point?” Danny said. “I’ve said it all before. I feel like I’m stagnating. My job won’t lead to fuck all. John won’t leave his for another hundred years. He loves it.”

Andy frowned. “Where’s all this come from?”

Danny ran his foot along the gravel and winced as pain shot up from his knee. “I’m talking shit. Ignore me.”

“Not if it’s something that’s bothering you.”

“Okay, fine. I did a lube smell thing yesterday.”

Andy shook his head. He had made it very clear over the years how much he disapproved of Danny’s place of work.

“I got paired up with this guy. He’s new. The Head of Procurement and I bet he’s younger than me.”

“Son. You can’t compare yourself to every smarmy git in a suit. He’s probably got a rich daddy who opened doors for him.”

Danny glanced at his father. “You’re right. I guess I saw myself through his eyes. He’s really together, you know? And funny too. People aren’t usually both.”

Andy regarded him closer. “This guy made quite the impression on you.”