Hard Tail(29)

"It's not. I'm looking after Jay's shop until he's back on his feet."

"Jay's bike shop? But doesn't he have staff? Can't they do it?"

"No." It felt weird, and somehow wrong, to talk to Kate about Matt, so I changed the subject quickly. "Anyway, while you're on-what are we going to do about the house?"

"Oh-well, we're planning to stay at Alex's. It's a lot more convenient, really, for work. I suppose I just assumed you'd buy my half-when you get another job, of course. When do you think you'll be getting another job?"

I bit back my initial, impatient reaction. Upsetting Kate wouldn't get us anywhere. "I don't know. I think we should put the house on the market. Who knows," I added, inspiration striking, "I might get a job down here. It'd be nice to be nearer my family."

"Are you sure?" Kate sounded dubious. "I thought you loved London." There was a pause. "This isn't some kind of midlife crisis, is it, darling?"

There was a moment of awful silence, which I rushed in to fill before she could apologise for the accidental endearment, which would have been even more painful than the original slip. "I'm only twenty-eight! I'm not having any kind of crisis. I'm just taking the opportunity to … re-evaluate a few things, that's all." 

"Well," Kate said brightly, "good for you. Um. I think I'd better go now-would you like me to sort out the house, then? Contact an estate agent, that sort of thing?"

"Yes, I think that'd be best." Now I'd said it, it felt like my old life was disappearing at breakneck speed. It was an odd sensation-thrilling but more than a little unnerving. "I'll be up during the week to pick up some more stuff-Tuesday night, probably." I was hoping she still went to Pilates on a Tuesday.

"Good," she said a little vaguely. I wondered if this was as unsettling for her as it was for me. Still, I was sure Alex would help her through it. Bastard.

"Good-bye, then, Kate. Take care."

"You too," she said. Just as I was about to hang up, she spoke again. "Tim?"

"Yes?"

"I really am sorry about all this."

What do you say to something like that? That's all right would be letting her off the hook a bit too easily, Me too would sound like an admission of shared guilt, and So you bloody well should be was way too confrontational.

"Me too," I said in the end and hung up.





Chapter Eight




Monday morning, I got to the shop to find Matt sitting in the doorway waiting for me to unlock it. He gave a big smile when he saw me and unplugged his iPod from his ears while I checked my watch hurriedly.

"I'm not late, am I?"

"Nah, it's me, I'm early." Matt managed to stand up without falling over either foot, although it was a close-run thing. He winced as a stray shoulder hit the doorframe.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine. Just knocked it yesterday, that's all. Came off the bike," he added, his head down as he brushed off his jeans.

"Have a good day off?" I unlocked the door, and we stepped inside, the bell jangling cheerfully to welcome us.

Matt shrugged, lopsidedly because he only used his good shoulder. "It was all right. You?"

"Oh, you know. Did a lot of boring stuff; went to see Jay."

"Yeah? How's he doing?"

"Great! Well," I amended as honesty kicked in, "actually he's bored out of his mind. He was asking about you."

"Yeah?" Matt looked pleased to be remembered-and a bit guilty. "I meant to go in and see him yesterday, but Steve wanted me to stay at home."

What was this bloke, Matt's keeper? "Well, you can pop in any evening after work. They're very relaxed about it at the Spire."

"Yeah? Maybe I'll go in tonight, then."

"Trust me, he'll be glad to see you." I had a thought and went over to grab the magazine from the bottom of the pile behind the counter. "Tell you what, you can give him this. A bit of porn ought to cheer him up no end!"

Matt laughed. "Don't know what the nurses'll make of it, though!"

I turned away to hide what was undoubtedly a sly expression.

It wasn't the nurses Jay would have to worry about.

It was Mum.

***

The morning was fairly quiet-a few customers, a couple of deliveries and a bloke who wanted me to sign up to a directory of local businesses. It seemed reasonable, so I went with it, a little surprised Jay hadn't done so already. During one of the lulls, I ambled into the back room to talk to Matt, finding him, as usual, hard at work. Didn't he ever slack off when no one was looking?




 

 

He glanced up from the tyre he was fitting. "Problems?"