Chapter 42
“You fucking—”Andy started to say.
Roger broke free and ran off down the street,dropping the few things he’d earlier picked out of the boxes.
Andy turned to Luke,who looked as though he was about to collapse.He pulled him into his arms and snuffled the top of his head,murmuring calming words to his trembling lover.
“It’s not true,what he said about—”Luke started to say.
“Shush.I know it’s not.”He continued to make soothing noises until Luke calmed.“Craig,can you mind things out here for a few minutes?”He then led an unresisting boyfriend down the area steps and into the flat.
****
Luke seemed to bounce back pretty quickly,much to Andy’s relief.Andy thought the prospect ofnever having to see Roger again played some part in Luke’s recovery.He had listened while Luke talked about Roger,privately hating the man even more at every new revelation.But he kept his opinions to himself.
Finally they had everything in the van.Andy’s leg was aching;he must have gone up and down those steps a couple of dozen times.Collapsing onto the sofa,he closed his eyes.
“Sam and Donnie have invited us for an early dinner,”Luke said.“As we’ve got everything packed,we can’t cook here.And you need a rest before driving all that way.”
Luke’s suggestions made sense.It would probably mean they would have to delay their journey until after rush hour,but Andy knew he needed to rest his knee,so he agreed.
****
Luke’s friends were as hospitable as previously.Andy really liked the couple.The main topic of conversation was Bruce and Daniel.By unspoken consent,Roger was not mentiond.
“I agree,their relationship is a little—shall we say—unorthodox,”Sam said,carrying in ahuge platter of roast chicken and all the trimmings.“But they are so compatible.”
“Do they,like,stay in their roles all the time?”Craig asked.
Andy had warned his nephew to behave;he didn’t want a repeat of their last visit.
“No,”Donnie said,beginning to carve.“Only when they’re out in public.But Daniel is a natural submissive.He finds it comforting to assume the role you saw last night.”
Dinner took quite a while,all three of them tucking in,much to Sam’s delight.But eventuallyAndy announced they really had to be making a move.He wanted to get home to his dog and his pigs.
They all trooped out to the street,where Sam held Andy’s upper arms,stood on tip toe and kissed his scarred cheek.“Remember what I said,you’re all welcome to come stay anytime.”
“Thank you.”
Earlier,Andy had snuck into the kitchen,told Sam about how he feared Luke would miss going to places like the pub on the Old Brompton Road,and asked him if he knew of any inexpensive hotelsthey both could stay at when he brought Luke to London.
“Don’t be silly.You’ll stay here.Bring Craig if you like,but he’ll have to sleep on the sofa bed in the front room.”
****
“Are we there yet?”Craig asked again.
Andy was forced to smile.“We’re half an hour closer than the last time you asked.”
“Good,‘cause I need the bog.”
“I can stop on the hard shoulder and hold you out of the van while you wee.”He still had an arm over Luke’s shoulder,and gave him a squeeze.“I used to do that for him when he was a nipper.”
“Piss off,”Craig said,causing the other two to laugh.
Luke wasn’t sure why he’d picked that particular gym.It must have been the same hand of fate that had guided Andy into his life.
He’d had his new,or at least new to him,car for about a week and was itching to go out and about,exploring his new surroundings.Parts of Yorkshire reminded him of his native Wales.That was a trip he would have to plan soon.He’d not been home for the best part of six months.
On one of his drives,which took him closer to Wakefield’s city centre,he came across a gym,and although he’d given serious consideration to joining such an establishment,his ribs still caught him unawares every now and again.He decided to just drive by and maybe check the place out in a couple of weeks,once he was back up to full health.However,at the last second,something made him put on his indicator and turn into the gym’s car park.
After locking his three-year-old Mini Cooper,Luke patted the metallic black bonnet affectionately as he passed it.Then he made his way to the gym’s plate-glass and chrome entrance.
“If you don’t like the rules,you know what you can do.”An older looking man,still really fit for his age,was speaking.He wore track suit trousers and a body contouring blue T-shirt with the gym’s logo.A younger and not quite as fit-looking man,dressed in similar clothing,was standing behind the reception counter.
“Don’t worry.I’m fucking out of here,”the younger man said.
“Fucking being the operative word,”the older man fired back.
Luke watched,bemused,as the soap opera played out in front of him.
“I’ll send you your P45 and whatever salary you’re owed.”
The younger man laughed.“The cheque will be so small,it’ll probably fall through the weave of the postman’s bag.”
Despite the conversation not being any of his business,Luke found himself smiling.He was never any good at quick comebacks.The younger man,whom Luke estimated was about his age,brushed past him and went out the door.
The older gent sighed,wiped his hand across his face,and then turned to Luke.“Sorry about that,mate.Staff problems.Just can’t get anyone reliable these days.”
“Er,no.”
He looked Luke up and down.“You wouldn’t be interested in a receptionist’s job,would you?”The guy shook his head.“Sorry,forget I said that.”
“Well,actually—”
And that was how Luke found his first post-porn job.The pay wasn’t overly generous,but at least I can keep my clothes on while I work,Luke thought as the man explained what his duties would be.It all seemed pretty basic;Luke knew he could do it in his sleep.
“Um,you look familiar,”the man said,after finishing his explanation of the gym’s computerized member login system.
Luke wanted to say that he just had one of those faces,but knew his past career was bound to be revealed at some point.It didn’t look like a gay gym;he would be surprised if there were any outside of London and possibly Manchester,but he thought it best to come clean.
“Oh,”the manager eventually said,once Luke had finished filling him in about his past career.
“Will it be a problem?”Luke wondered if he should contact the Guinness Book of World Recordsfor having had the shortest lasting job.
“No,not at all.In fact,that wasn’t where I thought I’d recognised you from.I’m not gay.”Luke believed his gaydar to be infallible.He knew Tony,the manager was telling the truth.“I thought you were one of my sister’s ex-boyfriends.”
“Definitely not guilty of that one.”Luke shot him one of his winning smiles.
Tony laughed.“No,guess not.”
“Will it be a problem,that I’m gay?”
Tony shook his head.“Though we don’t ask our members about their sexual preferences,I strongly suspect a fair percentage of them prefer their own sex.One thing,though.”
“Yeah?”
“I have a strict rule that there’s no sexual activity on the premises.”Tony held up a hand to forestall Luke’s next comment.“I’m not homophobic.The rule applies to both men and women.We also have lady members,though the men outnumber the women by about three to one.It’s just,if you were thinking of using this job as a…”
The gym Luke frequented in London was a total cruising and pick-up joint.“No,honestly,I just want to work and exercise here.I have a boyfriend who I’m committed to.”
“Sorry.I promise I wasn’t singling you out.I mention this to all new employees.Though Frank,who you saw leave a few minutes ago,ignored the rule on sexual harassment and,well,we got complaints from some of the lady members.Today was the last straw.”
“His loss is my gain.”Deciding he ought to change the subject,Luke pointed to a glass fronted case near the reception desk.“I see you sell food supplements.”
“Some.It’s an area I’d like to expand.”
Luke told Tony that he’d always had an interest in that sort of thing.He decided not to add that his former profession made him very aware of his body and how it looked.
“That’s great.Frank couldn’t care less about that side of the business.I think you’ll be a real asset to us.”