The Summer of Us by Lily Morton

Author:Lily Morton [Morton, Lily]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Lily Morton
Published: 2016-11-22T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Song: ‘Angel’ by Massive Attack

John

Half an hour later after getting changed I come down the stairs to find Matt waiting in the foyer. He’s changed too. He’s pulled his golden hair back in a low bun and looks exceptionally good in black skinny jeans and a black v neck t-shirt that hangs low showing off his tanned chest. I look at him worriedly. “Do I look okay?” I whisper, not wanting Ed to hear and take the piss.

He looks me up and down slowly, his eyes darkening. It’s the first time that he’s ever done it and although I’m wearing dark jeans, a navy button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and navy Vans I still feel naked.

“You look -” He stops and clears his throat. “You look amazing.”

I tug on my shirt nervously. “I don’t want to stand out. I’ve never been to a gay club before.”

He smiles. “Well I’m disappointed that you didn’t pack your pink leather chaps, but I’m sure the gay people of Cannes will get over their devastation.”

I shove him playfully. “Oh fuck off!”

His smile slides off his face and he looks serious. “I get the feeling that you were goaded into this so if you want to back out I’ll make your excuses.”

I feel suddenly let down. “I’m going to be in your way aren’t I? I won’t come.”

“Stop,” he says, grabbing my arm and pulling me closer. I swallow hard as he talks in a low intimate tone. “I want you to come. There’s nobody else that I would rather go with but I need to know that you want to go, as opposed to having some sort of pissing competition with Ed.”

“I would very much win that,” I confide. “I think the only thing that he can beat me on are the salaries of the supermodels. I’m afraid that my knowledge of useless facts is a little limited.”

He looks at me almost fondly. “Johnny, you never fail to surprise me.”

“In what way?”

He shrugs. “It’s been a funny few months but you don’t approach anything the way that other people do.” He pauses, shooting me a sharp look. “What did Ed say to you in your study this afternoon? I know that I walked into something and you’ve seemed bothered all evening.”

I shake my head. “He can’t bother me.”

“Johnny,” he says in a gentle voice. “You are the cleverest man that I know and very worldly, but you are also straightforward, direct and honest and expect other people to be the same. Someone like Ed isn’t any of those things and he has a horrible way of identifying people’s weaknesses and digging the knife in. Now what did he say?”

I shrug, affecting disinterest. “About how much you hated me. Nothing that I didn’t know already but very detailed.”

He curses, shoving his hand through his hair and upsetting the bun so that strands fall around his face. “Bastard! What a fucking bastard! Well he’s gone tomorrow. I didn’t want to throw him out and upset you, but he’s fucking gone.

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