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The eighth and final course of the menu turned up at the table, bringing with it a bittersweet feeling. Knowing it was the end of the meal but at the same time knowing that it would wrap things up beautifully was strangely satisfying.
It had been a magical evening and one where Quint was able to get to know Cody better. As the final plates were taken from the table and Antonio asked if they needed anything else, Quint thanked him for an exquisite meal and gestured to Cody that they would be leaving.
Cody looked perplexed as Quint didn’t seem to be reaching for his wallet.
“Should we not-”
“The bill?” With a shake of the head, Quint quirked a smile and ushered Cody towards the door, thanking each staff member they passed for a wonderful evening. Their warm smiles reflected Quint’s.
“I think I’m beginning to understand now,” said Cody, after a moment of quiet. “You don’t work on money so much.”
“Yeah. It’s an echo of home. We share everything,” said Quint. “Especially friendship.”
ChapterEleven
As soon as Leo arrived at King’s Cross, the bustle of London captivated him. He instantly fell in love with it. Visiting as a child a few times and also on the odd occasion in his adult life for a friend’s birthday had been fun, but to be here on his own, moving ever closer to his dream, well, it just didn’t get any better than this.
After jumping on the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith, he managed to find his hotel easily, which stood near a busy roundabout on the Broadway. One hell of a view from his room on the fifteenth floor enabled him to absorb a panorama of a plethora of iconic sites, some which had materialised since his last visit.
He crashed on his king-size bed, gently regaining focus on the phone screen in his hand as the bounces subsided. A WhatsApp message from Kai pinged up. He was making sure that Leo had found the hotel safely, and Leo decided to phone him rather than just replying with a message.
The room felt empty without Kai, and he felt somehow incomplete down here in The Big Smoke on his own. He almost felt as if he were cheating on him, taking all of this glory for himself when they had embarked on this musical journey together, Kai always nudging him in the right direction. Kai by his side made him feel indestructible.
“Dare I ask whether your trackie bottoms made it home unscathed?”
“Hey, I didn’t have the shits, ya cheeky bastard,” said Kai. “I honestly don’t know what caused that, though, but I’m thinking thatKebabishis called Kebab-ish for a reason. Anyway, how is it down there, City Boy?”
Leo scanned the room as if looking for further confirmation that he was having a great time.
“The hotel is amazing. It’s got a minibar, although I’m not sure whether it’s free,” he said, opening and shutting the door of the mini fridge as if that would provide the answer. “Apparently, I’m allowed dinner at the hotel, but I might just take a stroll and grab something out—treat myself since I’m on me ’olidays.”
“When in London, eh? Well, me, I’m just going to remain inside, stirring my can of deliciously flat Coca Cola until I’m sure my stomach’s settled, then I’m gonna bang a couple of episodes ofYellowjacketsand pretend I haven’t watched them when you eventually return from your travels.”
Leo’s smile faded. “You’d better not.”
“Oh, shite. Did I say that out loud?”
Leo narrowed his eyes and repeated himself. Kai assured him that he’d do no such thing, although he got the feeling the episode-seven recap was already paused on the television screen at that very moment.
“So, what time’s the big meeting tomorrow?” asked Kai.
“Ten, I think. I’m getting the impression nothing starts down here until then.”
“Lucky bastards. Well, break a leg, yeah? And let me know how it goes, soon as you’re done.”
“Will do. Hope you’re feeling better tomorrow, dude.”
They said their goodbyes, and Leo went back to admiring the cityscape, suspecting Kai was ‘cheating’ on him with episode seven ofYellowjackets. So he snatched his coat from the chair by the window, deciding to take advantage of his superb location and headed out to explore.
When he arrived at Hammersmith tube station, he scanned the tube map, trying to see what took his fancy. If he headed into Central London, he would easily be able to check out any number of cool places, all within walking distance of each other. That option seemed to make the most sense.
The train wasn’t too busy heading into town, the other direction taking the hit of most of the passengers. He locked eyes with a few faces as a train passed, commuters trudging their way back from work back into the suburbs with frowns weighing them down.
A couple opposite him had clearly just flown in from Heathrow airport, excitedly chattering away and pointing to the tube map above him, planning where they would visit over the weekend. They squeezed each other’s arms, and the little touches like that held his attention. He’d never fussed about finding love, never felt lonely, not with being in love with music. He’d always been focussed, and Kai had given him all the friendship through life he seemed to need. Sure, he’d had hookups, but nothing serious.
He snorted a smile as he carried on. Mrs. Pentecost’s class… the little boy with the cool haircut that had sat next to Leo on a terrifying first day of school. The warmth from the glow of Kai’s smile when they met that day just seemed to make everything all right. All his fears had dissolved, more so through the lifetime of laughs they’d shared together.
Could Kai ever be anything more? Leo frowned. Would he ever make another move like he did when he kissed him in the kitchen? Leo shook his head. Whoever Kai usually got off with, he kept it to himself. He seemed too… personal, and Kai had pulled back, looking more worried over the damage it could cause to their friendship. At least, that was his interpretation. Maybe he’d been hurt before and just didn’t want to commit with anyone, Leo just couldn’t figure out what it was.
