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"Coincidence and good timing, in that case." Jay shut the front door and followed him in.
Tommy had visited the place before, and always felt completely oversized in it. The cottage was a highly desirable Tudor residence, but he preferred his warehouse conversion apartment. While here, he always felt he had to keep his elbows in and duck his head in order to avoid bull-in-a-china-shop syndrome, not to mention a concussion.
In the sitting room, Clayton was scrunched on a brown leather sofa with his head in his hands, looking tense. When he heard footsteps he glanced at the door and his expression broke into a relieved smile when he saw who it was.
"Thanks for coming, Tommy."
"No worries," he said, flashing a smile, "but I think there's a misunderstanding here. I called by because I wanted to ask you if you had Kelly's contact details."
Clayton frowned.
"I hadn't called Tommy yet," Jay explained.
"Okay." Clayton shrugged and laughed, sprawling himself more easily into one corner of the sofa, as if the presence of his favorite roadie had brought about a sense of ease.
"What's up?" Tommy looked at Jay for the answer.
"Clayton's considering coming out." Jay paused, his eyebrows lifted, his expression implying the seriousness of the matter.
Tommy tried not to show his surprise, in case that was the wrong thing to do. He lifted his chin in a slow nod. "Right. I see."
"If he goes for it, he'll be giving a press statement tomorrow afternoon when he's done at the recording studio. We might need you around, just to keep the paparazzi at bay until we get out of London."
"It's that Kelly woman's fault," Clayton said, shaking his head, one side of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smile.
"Kelly?" This time Tommy couldn't hide his surprise. He thought they were a long way off from the day Clayton was going to come out, unless he was outed by someone who had happened upon the information, like Kelly had, but someone with fewer scruples. But apparently Kelly had played a part in this.
Jay indicated Tommy should sit down. "I'll get us some beers."
Clayton's gaze followed Jay as he left the room. "It was the fact that she was hunting you down, she wanted you that much. I believed her when she said she wouldn't use the information about Jay and me. It was because she wanted you that badly that she came after you, the only way she knew how. It really impressed me."
"She said she wanted me?" Tommy couldn't he
lp smiling. Despite her bravado and her oh-so-independent "I'm just doing you back, big boy," approach, she did want him.
Clayton nodded. "Yes, and she said some stuff about me and Jay that made me think..." His forehead furrowed again. "I want to be with Jay. If our relationship comes out, it's better if it comes from me. Any other way, and there is going to be a much less positive slant."
"Good point, better to be in control of the information. If you're sure it's the right time for you?" He'd known Clayton for a while, at least three years before he got involved with Jay.
Clayton shrugged. "We're about to go away. We'd only have to suffer the heat for a day or so." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I only need to spend one more day in the studio. We'll do the press release to coincide with the end of that, then do a limited number of appearances before we leave on Tuesday afternoon."
"Makes sense."
Clayton gave him a hopeful smile. "I'd be really grateful if you could be around for this."
"Grateful enough to let me have Kelly's contact details?"
"What is it with you two? You shag, you say good-bye and then you realize you haven't got each other's phone number?"
It sounded crazy, when put that way, and Tommy couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed. "Um, yeah, kind of. So, have I got a deal?"
Clayton's smile widened. "No can do, I'm afraid. She never gave us any contacts. A bonus fee is all I can offer. Besides, I thought you'd have that information pinned down for yourself by now, Tommy boy."
"Hey, you're doing wonders for my ego."
Clayton laughed. "Sorry, mate. So, what gives? Is she playing hard to get?" He looked every bit the rock god again, and so much more at ease discussing someone else's love life.
Jay appeared with three frosted bottles of beer.
