Hard Tail(35)

Feeling I needed to be more proactive in the business, I came out from behind the desk. "Anything I can help you with?" I asked. With a bit of luck, they'd just want a pump adaptor. I could manage that, no problem. Hell, if I put my mind to it, I could probably manage to sell them the whole pump.

The good-looking one turned. "You're not Jay," Blondie commented with a business-like smile and a raised eyebrow. If I wasn't mistaken, it held a hint of a challenge.

"Oh-no, are you friends of his? I'm Tim. His brother." I held out my hand, and Blondie shook it firmly. "I'm looking after the shop while he's in hospital-he broke his leg," I explained at Blondie's sharp, interrogatory glance.

"Sorry to hear that-is it a bad break?"

"Pretty bad, as they go. I'll be down here for a few weeks at least."

"You're not from around here?"




 

 

"No-London. Mill Hill, actually." I felt like I was being interviewed and rushed to get a question of my own in. "You're locals?"

"We live in Southampton. I'm Luke, by the way. And this is Russell." He turned to indicate The Beard, and his whole manner altered. The hardness disappeared from his eyes, and his smile grew warmer.

"Hi." Russell leaned past Luke to offer me his hand. "Luke's persuaded me to try cycling-I think he's trying to get me fit or something."

"Get out of it!" Luke gave Russell an affectionate shove. "I want you to try it because I think you'll enjoy it, that's all. You're fine-you don't need to worry about getting fit." His gaze lingered over Russell in a way totally unlike the brusque, calculating glance he'd given me-and Russell's response was a shy smile and a long look down at his surprisingly nice shoes. I strongly suspected Blondie's influence there, seeing as the rest of Russell was clad in M&S jeans and a hand-knitted sweater.

Finally putting it all together, I stared in shock. Were they … ? Could they really be … ? I blinked as Luke grabbed Russell's arm to drag him over to look at one of the higher-end mountain bikes. They were certainly acting like a couple. "I'll get Matt," I blurted out.

It wasn't the gay thing, honest. I just knew they'd need some specialist advice, that's all. Matt came out wiping his hands on a greasy rag and gave the Odd Couple a friendly smile. "Oh, hi, Luke. You all right?"

"Better than you are, by the looks of things," Luke said with a pointed glance at Matt's lip.

"Oh, that-hit a low branch out in the forest, that's all," Matt told his trainers with one of his sudden bouts of shyness.

Luke didn't say anything, but he gave Matt a sharp look before flicking his gaze to me. Not having a bloody clue what he was after, I gave him a weak smile.

It wasn't returned. Apparently, whatever Luke had wanted, I'd failed to provide it.

"You know, you never mentioned this mountain biking was dangerous," Russell said with what was probably meant to be a mock frown, but which unfortunately got lost in the beard.

"Nah, it's just me-I'm a total klutz," Matt said. "So you managed to talk him into it, did you?" he asked, turning to Luke.

Luke waggled an eyebrow as he flashed Matt a brief but blinding smile. "You know me. I've got my methods."

Matt blushed, just in case any straight people in the vicinity hadn't caught on to exactly what sort of methods he was referring to. Blondie was probably thoroughly enjoying making a heterosexual feel like a minority, I thought. Not that there were, actually, any heterosexuals in the vicinity, but his gaydar obviously wasn't as finely honed as Pit-bull Pritchard's. 

It was probably still streets ahead of mine, though.

I retreated behind the counter and watched grumpily as Matt pulled out one bike after another for Russell to look at, sit on and listen to Luke and Matt arguing technical details about. Around halfway through, Russell turned to catch my eye with an expression that said clear as day he didn't have a bloody clue what they were on about either, which made me feel a bit better.

"Have you, er, been together long?" I asked Russell when he was finally allowed up to the counter with his credit card, Luke and Matt still debating the merits of full suspension bikes versus hard tails. (Luke was a full susser fan. I wasn't surprised.) Russell smiled, his beard creasing up at the corners of his mouth. I thought I'd probably like Russell, if we met socially. "Nearly a year now," he said happily. "Amazing, isn't it? Don't know what he sees in me."

There are times when honesty is the only way to go. And this was quite clearly not one of them. On the other hand, there was no way I was about to start complimenting men on their appearance, whether I meant it or not. "I'm sure he's in no doubt," I hedged in the end.