“We’re friends, Jasim. You can be yourself here.” Leigh lifted the salmon onto a serving plate and switched off the BBQ.
“I don’t think I know what myself is,” Jasim said quietly.
“Well, I suggest you find out before someone else discovers him.” He nodded towards Ru.
“He’s so young. He’s done nothing, seen nothing.”
“He wants you.”
Ru was laughing at something Newt had said. The joy in Ru’s face sent a surge of lust rushing through Jasim’s body. He was glad he was wearing his shirt outside his jeans.
Leigh and Newt know I’m gay.This wasn’t a sudden realisation. They’d known before he’d come here tonight. Well…assumed, maybe. Jasim waited for the barriers to slam down, panic to grip him. The only thing that gripped him was desire. He and Ru could at least have this.A meal with friends. Add that to the list of stuff they could do. Jasim smiled. Though not the Galapagos. He looked over at the three sitting at the table, all of them laughing and he wanted to be part of that, wanted that to be normal, not to have to be constantly on guard.
Jasim joined them. Newt had put three different salads on the table and topped up the glasses of those drinking wine.
“Do you like Guinness?” Newt asked Ru.
“No. It’s horrible. I snuck a can once from my uncle’s supply and tried it. Never again.”
“An accent like that and you don’t drink Guinness?” Newt scooped brown rice salad onto his plate. “You’ll be telling me you don’t believe in leprechauns next.”
“I don’t like beards,” Ru said.
“Nor me.” Newt shuddered. “I worry they’d get caught in my piercings. Not those piercings. Not that I want a leprechaun’s mouth around my dick.”
Ru’s jaw dropped.
“Don’t ask him to show you,” Leigh said. “Because he will. He’s quite happy to whip his dick out at any opportunity, whatever the company.”
“Local priest included,” Newt said. “Though he’d probably like it.”
Ru chuckled. “Have you had him round for dinner?”
“No, but we should. Good idea, Ru.” Newt winked at him.
They were making Ru feel comfortable about being gay.Maybe me as well?Was that what they were doing?
“Thank you for letting me stay with you, and for the meal,” Ru said. “Maybe I could cook for you another night. Except you’d need to provide the ingredients because I don’t have any transport.”
“What might those ingredients be?” Newt asked.
“Fish and chips?”
“And how does that require cooking?” Leigh raised his eyebrows.
“Oh yeah, well that would be the meal. I use beer to make the batter and the chips are triple cooked. It’s nice with peas. Frozen, not fresh, because they’re sweeter.”
“Oh God. Tell me you iron, put your socks in the laundry basket and never miss the toilet when you take a piss and I’m not letting you go,” Newt said. “I need you as a good example to certain people who shall not be named but their name begins with an L.”
Ru giggled and the sound warmed Jasim’s heart.
Leigh gave a heavy sigh and turned to Jasim. “How are things going to go in the match?”
“The Saints’ patron is as much of a liability as Nicolás, so we’re pretty evenly matched.”
“It’s a bit rough when matches come down to the only players who aren’t professionals,” Leigh said.
“But without them, there would be no game.”
