9. Edo

Edo thought it was disgusting. Now, hang on a minute, he didn’t have a problem with that kind of lifestyle in theory, but did they really have to go around flaunting it the way they were?

Nick and Luke had been staring into each other’s eyes, kissing in that intimate way that only people who love each other truly can and generally being all PDA and close and freakishly adorable all afternoon.

Couples. Blech.

Tash walked up to him and demanded a drink.

“If I have to watch the two of them mash faces I will want to be smashed myself.”

“White Russian?”

“Unless you can think of something else, yes.”

“’Love Hate’ is really strong,” he said, grabbing a glass and getting started, “but it conveys the right sentiment.”

“It’s not that I don’t love Luke or want them to be happy,” she said, sitting down at the bar, “but do they have to bloody parade their couple-y-ness?”

“I know what you mean.”
“it’s like, congratulations, yes, you’ve found someone who loves you – although I doubt they’ve said that out loud yet – good for you, but the rest of us are still looking for someone who will last more than a date, you know?”

Edo had seen Tash and Eva making eyes at each other at Nick’s birthday party, but wasn’t sure he should say anything.

“I know.”

Tash pulled a face, “It’s just so very in your face.”

Edo handed her the drink, “Love Hate.”

“Thanks,” she took a sip then shuddered at the alcohol content, “Yeah, ok, that’s exactly what I needed.”

Mitch came over, slammed his pint glass down and affirmed, “Barman! Another.”

“Getting to you too, are they?”

“It’s like they’re discovering kissing and holding hands for the first time – it’s all new and exciting and wonderful and they make me want to puke rainbow-coloured kittens.”

Tash shook her head, “Couples!”

“I wonder how long it will take them to realise that we moved to the bar?” Mitch asked.

Edo poured himself a finger of whiskey, “I will drink to that.”
Twenty minutes later, Nick and Luke joined them at the bar, looking sheepish.

They went back to their table after ordering a plate of chips to share from Sam, the bartender and owner of the Old Boot.

Edo smiled at Sam’s raised eyebrow.

“Please?”

“Extra shift tomorrow,” said Sam, taking the tea towel from Edo’s shoulder, “Come in for 8.”

“In the morning?” Edo’s indignant cry melted into an embarrassed, “8 am, tomorrow morning. Thank you, Sam, for the opportunity you’re affording me by keeping me in a job.”

Sam’s grunt was somewhere between  ‘you’re welcome, tosser’, ‘I don’t know why I keep you around’ and ‘go and talk with your friends, you nut’. Edo had become really good at decoding Sam’s various noises. His boss was just older than Edo himself, quiet, with shaggy hair and was the shyest barman to ever tend bar. He wanted to be the sort of bartender that people told their worries to, that the regulars knew by name and greeted with a smile and a handshake, but was just not the talkative type.

Sam and his brother Mark had bought The Old Boot and restored it together. It was cool, Edo thought. The locals, like Jim who-used-to-work-down-the-docks, said that they had tried really hard to keep the same old atmosphere whilst turning it from a run-down “pile of rubble with taps” into this “without selling their souls to Wetherspoons”.

They were both cool people, but Sam’s a bit – Edo didn’t know how to describe it. Quiet would just have to do as an adjective.

Luke had started asking about the girl Mitch had been seeing.

Mitch shrugged, “She’s great, and great in bed – like, scratches on my back, bruises on my hips, stupid grin good – but I don’t think we’re right for each other.”

“Man,” said Edo, flopping into a chair, “I don’t get it. What more do you want?”

Tash gave him a weak punch as she slipped into the booth, opposite Nick, “How about a real relationship?”

“No way,” Edo shook his head, “Not for me.”

“Since you seem so keen on it,” said Nick, folding himself back into the booth, pulling Luke next to him, “Tell me this: how does this sex with chicks thing work anyway?” Nick asked.
Edo exchanged grins with Mitch. Excellent.

“Luke,” prompted Mitch, “Why don't you answer that question for us?”

Luke slid his head into his hands, “Because I value my sex life and also, no. There is no way I'm describing it.”

Sam arrived with their plate of chips and everyone went quiet. His grunt meant he knew they were talking about things he wouldn’t want his other customers to listen to, but he liked them enough to ignore it.

Tash took a chip and poked it at Nick, “It depends. Do you mean how does it feel for the guy or the girl?”

Edo raised an eyebrow at her. Well, well, well.

“What?” she asked, “I may not have ever had sex with a man, but there are some very realistic sex toys out there. One of my exes was bi and her favourite toy was modelled on a specific man's penis.”

Luke groaned into his palms, “That is more information than I ever wanted to know.”

“Then you can leave,” said Edo, waving him away and grinning at Tash, “but why don't you share more details with the rest of the class?”

Nick shook his head, taking a chip from the plate, “You know, Edo, I still don’t see how you’re mentally old enough to be allowed to serve alcohol.”

Edo leaned in close as though he were sharing a secret, “It’s all in the act. Observe, chaval – I am cunningly disguised as a responsible adult.”

7. Nick

Nick twisted his free hand in his hair again, pretending not to see Luke casting concerned looks his way as they walked hand in hand (which was still new and exciting and something Richard had never chanced) on the way to the pub.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked, and Nick nodded, trying to smile.

Nick hadn't been worried about meeting Luke's friends before, but the closer they got to their destination (The Old Boot, which somehow sounded familiar), the more nervous he felt. This was Luke's London family and if they didn't approve of Nick, it wouldn't lead to anything good.

It had been weeks now since he'd first heard all about Mitch and Tash, and now the reality of meeting them loomed over him, crowding out his common sense. He almost wished Lucas and his wife Donna would be there, even though it would have meant more of Luke’s people. He thought that at least Donna would understand how tough it was to meet your boyfriend's best friends – she'd had to go through the same thing with Luke and the other two when she started dating Lucas, not to mention the whole pre-wedding stuff.

"You really shouldn't be this nervous," Luke said as they arrived at The Old Boot. He stopped them outside the door. "I, uh. I kind of spent the most of last week about you, so they’re probably just going to mock me about that."

"Yeah?"

“Yeah. Besides, Edo is in there. If there’s anyone who should be nervous it’s me.”

“Edo?”

“He works here.”

No wonder the place had sounded familiar.
Luke made to push the door open, but Nick stopped him, “But what if they don't like me?”

“Edo already does.” Luke reassured him, “And Mitch and Tash will love you. To be honest, if Tash weren't a lesbian, I would be afraid she might try to steal you from me.”

Nick squeezed his hand, “Are you sure? I don't want this to be... weird. Or disappointing.”

“Disappointing?” Luke squeezed back, “Whatever happens – and it will be fine, you'll see – you'll always have Edo or me to pull you away if the situation becomes uncomfortable.”

“But they're your friends.”

“Right. And if I like you, why wouldn't they? Come here,” he wrapped Nick in a hug, warm and smelling like the spiced coffee they’d shared on the way over, “Listen. If you really don't want to, we don't have to go in. Meeting my friends shouldn't be this hard.”

“I'm just a dancer from a nightclub who you slept with once and decided wanted something more with. Won't they judge you for it?”

Luke’s chuckle reverberated against him, “They won't judge me for it – trust me, everyone in there has done far worse things, remind me to tell you how I met Mitch and Tash – and they won't judge you for it either. You are so much more than a dancer from some club. You're amazing. Now we're going to go in there and show them just how amazing you are.”

Nick took a deep breath and made himself say, “Ok. Fuck, ok, let's do this, before I change my mind.”

They walked into The Old Boot and Nick schooled his expression to change from nervous to happy, as though to convince himself (and possibly Luke's friends) that he was fine with this. It was all in the acting. He could do this, did it every night he had to dance.

Tash was sitting at the bar, wearing a green top and a slinky skirt, talking to Edo, who was pulling a pint.

“Luke!” she exclaimed, running over in heels so high she was probably fighting vertigo, “Hi!”

“Hello.”

She hugged him tightly, whispering something in his ear.

Nick hastily wiped his hands on his jeans then offered Mitch, a tall guy with close-cropped hair and dimples, his hand. Mitch shook it vigorously.

“Nice to meet you.”

“And you,” Nick hoped his smile was more confident than he was, “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Mitch’s grin widened, “I assure you, it’s probably all true. Especially the part where I’m amazing.”

Tash poked him in the ribs, “Pfft. You must be confusing yourself with me again. Go on, your turn.”

Mitch turned to Luke and gave him a manly hug, complete with slaps on the back. 

“And you must be Nick,” she smiled, “I'm Tash, this is Mitch.”

Mitch nodded.

Tash tilted her head in a put-upon innocent manner, “Can I have a hug?”

“Of course.” Nick said, opening his arms.

Nick's breath got squeezed out of him. Tash may be tiny, but her hugs were rib-crackingly strong.

Edo chuckled from behind them.

“You,” said Tash, pointing a dark green fingernail at him, “are next.”

Edo just pushed a bunch of drinks at them.

“To calm the clearly stressed: beer for Mitch, Malibu and coke for Nick, White Russian for the lady and a Gay Bartender for Luke.”

Nick flashed him a grin of thanks, “You’re my favourite.”

Luke made a disappointed face at him, taking his drink, “I thought I was your favourite.”

“Ah,” said Edo, “but I bring him alcohol.”

“Ah,” said Tash, “but Luke brings him sex!”

Mitch let out a great guffaw of a laugh.

Luke let his head drop onto Nick’s shoulder.

“Save me,” he whispered, “it’s only going to get worse from here.”

“Nonsense,” said Mitch, guiding them towards a table, “We’re fairly genteel people.”

“That’s a big word,” said Luke, following him and winking at Nick, “For someone who yesterday told me that a hypochondriac was a water mammal who thought he was ill.”

“Hippochondriac,” corrected Tash absently, sipping at her White Russian, “and this thing is gorgeous, ta Edo!”

Nick had quick look around at the pub as they walked across it. It was old fashioned, all dark, polished wood and red velvet seats, the smell of old books mingling with that of good cider and chips.

They sat down and there was a moment of silence before Tash turned to him and asked, “So. Sex or personality?”

Luke buried his face in his hands.

“Excuse me?” Nick asked, not entirely sure what to make of that question.

“Which was it that convinced you to go out with Luke here again? The sex or his personality?”

“Because that’s not personal or even any of your business…” muttered Luke.

Mitch shrugged, “You invited her, you knew this was going to happen.”

“I thought she might start with something more polite, like where he works or how we met…”

“We know how you met.”

Tash sighed, “It’s just that I don't know what would compel anyone to go home with you. You're so... male.”

Nick put his hand on top of Luke's and squeezed back, “Well, since I'm gay, that's pretty much the first item on the checklist.”

“Hmm,” Tash swirled her glass around, as Mitch sat next to her, “I suppose. But still. You could have done so much better than Luke.”

“Glad to know this is going to turn out into another one of these 'Let's All Mock Luke' sessions,” he said, rolling his eyes, “I do so enjoy them.”

Mitch grinned, “What? Were we supposed to discuss your love of cock instead?”

Nick cracked a smile as Luke gave a sigh, slipping a hand onto his thigh, “I knew this was going to happen. I just knew it. I’m sorry, I should have warned you.”

“To be fair,” Nick leaned over towards Mitch conspiratorially, “I do quite enjoy his love of cock.”

And that right there was the moment he figured out everything would be fine, even if Luke was still uncertain about this. Nick himself was still nervous, despite Tash's bright, honest smile and Mitch's loud, obnoxious laughter and, really, they were Luke’s friends. If they loved him, how could Nick not love them?

He turned his palm over and slid their fingers together, using it as an anchor point.

“Edo said you were cool,” Mitch added, using his beer to point at Nick, “but I'm never sure if I can trust a man who has rather questionable tattoos on his buttocks.”

“How do you-,” Luke stopped himself, “No. I don't even want to know.”

“But Luke, amigo,” said Edo, putting a big plate of chips in the middle of the table and dropping into the last available seat , “it's such an interesting story!”

Nick smirked, “Is it the story about the woman with the blue eyebrows?”

Edo quirked an eyebrow, “They were green. But no.”

“The Goth girl?”

“No, she was my first tattoo.”

Nick stared for a moment, “You got this one for a guy.”

Edo nodded and Mitch cried out in his best shocked voice, “Dear Lord, I'm surrounded by homosexuals.”

Tash shrugged at him, “What do you expect? We're required by law to have at least one straight person at our gatherings. Otherwise we're not allowed to use the term 'meeting', we have to call it an 'orgy'. I can't believe I'm the only lesbian who turned up.”

Edo grinned at her, “I have an inner lesbian, if you're interested.”

Tash pushed her drink away in disgust.

Nick looked at him with pity, “She’s rejecting the alcohol. Edo, I think you went too far.”

“It's ok, she still loves me really.”

Mitch snorted, rising to the bait, “Oh yeah? What makes you think that?”

“I have access to the best gay club in town.”

“I shall not be bribed into your matchmaking sessions,” Tash sniffed, exaggerating her displeasure, “If it’s an Edo plan it will all lead to disaster.”

 “I don’t know,” said Nick, glancing over and Luke and sharing a smile, “Personally, I think his last one worked quite well.”

Mitch let out a sound that could only be described as a delighted squeal.

When Nick looked back at Edo, the man had placed his chin on his palms and looked rather like an anime character.

“You are the cutest.”

Tash nodded, “Ok, fine. I ship them too.”

Luke was as confused as Nick was, “Ship?”

Mitch nodded, “So hard. Definitely OTP material.”

“I don’t have a single clue as to what you’re talking about,” said Edo, “But it sounds kinky.”

“It can be. But we’re losing them, quick, Mitch, say something clever!”

Mith paused, halfway to grabbing a chip.

Nick took a sip of his drink and Luke let go of his hand to do the same.

“Confucius say: man in front of car gets tired, man behind car gets exhausted.”

The occupants of the table let out a collective groan.

“Mitch,” said Tash, appalled, “That was terrible. We must be making a terrible impression on young Nicholas here.”

“Nicola, actually. I’m Italian,” he said, pulling a chip from the pile, “And no, you’re still well within my realms of normal. After all, I’ve known Edo almost as long as I’ve lived in the UK.”

Luke’s hand was back to resting on this thigh, and the warmth was a good reminder that, in the end, these were just people who had the best in mind.

Edo put an offended hand to his chest, “I resent that – you’ve known JT for longer and he is much odder.”

Tash pretended to consider this, “I don’t know, you’re pretty weird.”

Edo picked up Nick’s drink and stole a mouthful, “You’d know, doctor.”

“Physiotherapist, please. We’re much nicer than doctors!”

Nick asked her about her job, with devolved into a fifteen minute rant about hospital paperwork before she stopped herself, smirked at him and said, “Congratulations. You passed the test. You’re now officially allowed to date our Luke.”

“Thanks, I think.”

Mitch nodded, “It’s an honour and a privilege.”

Nick nodded solemnly back, “I shall not take it lightly.”

“Wonderful,” said Mitch, slathering his next couple of chips ketchup, “The League of Evil will reconvene next Thursday from six to eight. Please let us know if you cannot make that date and we shall compare schedules.”

“Will do,” Nick replied, turning to Tash, “But in answer to your previous question, I’d say a combination of the two, but personality was the defining factor. You can’t build a relationship on great sex alone.”

Nick could have sworn Edo winked at Luke, but by the time he looked over, Edo was grinning at Tash, who looked like somebody had just told her Christmas was coming early this year, and every present was a way to embarrass Luke, whose face was slowly turning brighter than the seats.

3. Edo

“Luke, chaval, where have you been?”

Luke gave a thin smile and collapsed onto a barstool, letting his briefcase fall heavily at his feet, but he was clearly trying to pretend nothing was wrong, “Working, you tosser, where have you been?”

He looked tired, the sort of bone-deep exhaustion that hits after working too hard, and thinking too much and not sleeping enough. He had dark bags under his eyes, almost black enough to be bruises, and he was paler than Edo had ever seen him. His clothes were wrinkled.

Edo grinned, the way he always did, and chose to ignore the state of him, “Entertaining the lonely, of course.”

There had, in fact, been a rather lovely girl who had wanted him to… Well. Edo shifted slightly, grabbing a glass to ignore the memories. Damn, that had been a good afternoon.

Luke’s smile didn’t even hit both corners of his mouth, “Of course.”

He hadn’t seen Luke in over two weeks, which was a very long time for two of them. Even when Sofia had still been in his life Luke would come round to the Old Boot for a pint and a plate of chips or a quick catch up.

“How’s work?” He asked, pulling a pint for him.

He knew Nick had had a couple of conversations with him, but he had remained remarkably tight-lipped about them, so he hadn’t pushed. Officially, he didn’t know how Nick felt about that, because he always shrugged and said he didn’t know Luke well enough to be crushing on him. But unofficially? Edo begged to differ. Nick was definitely a relationship kind of guy, so it had been difficult for him to walk away after a night of sex (apparently awesome sex, if his blush every time that night was mentioned was anything to go by) and a morning after where they’d discovered they had things in common (because he and Linda were awesome and kindred spirits and one day he was going to tap that) with only a number and no certainty of any future with this guy. Such a romantic, in his own way. It was probably screwing with his head a little bit, especially after Richard.

Nick had been happy for the first few days when the contact had happened, but now they clearly weren’t talking and though he tried to hide it Edo could tell that he was upset. After all, he’d known Nick longer than anyone else in London, if he couldn’t tell what the boy was feeling, nobody could.

Edo had texted Luke a couple of times himself, but got nothing back, so he’d not tried again, waiting for Luke to come to him instead. And here he was.

Luke shrugged, taking the offered drink, “Busy. Moving up in the world of marketing just means more work for me.”

He’d figured that Luke had got that promotion he had been talking about, because Luke was focused and hard-working and a good guy, often bringing in work to do while he waited for his friends in a booth by the window. That was a possible distraction.

“New corner office with wide floor-to-ceiling windows, beautiful secretaries at your beck and call, calling you ‘sir’… S’alright for some people, isn’t it?”

More likely he was avoiding his old haunts for a little bit while he wrapped his mind around living without Sofia. Edo knew Sofia hadn’t really approved of him, in all his foreign, tattooed, good-looking glory. She probably compared him unfavourably to Luke, who had all of the home-bred, English charm of a successful career man. Who was also fit as all hell. What? Edo was perfectly capable of admitting he was not the only good-looking guy in the room.

But Luke came back to the pub and spent time with him anyway, made small talk and asked questions and wanted to be friends, despite the occasional glare from Sofia, when she deigned to step foot in the pub.

“She hasn’t called you back, has she?” He said, somewhere between concerned and relieved.

“No. And I don’t think she will.”

“Oh?”

Luke didn’t even look at him, just continued to stare into his glass as though it would solve the mysteries of life for him.

“Yeah.”

Nick had been wearing a similar expression when he’d said goodbye to him last night. This was ridiculous. Both of them were pining, even if they didn’t realise it.
Edo glanced around to make sure no other customer needed him before diving into the conversation.

“Are you ok with that?”

Luke looked up this time, forehead gently creased, “I think so. She left me a letter, trying to explain.”

Edo nodded, not wanting to interrupt the train of thought.

“She said that she doesn’t love me. And I can deal with that.” He ran a finger round the rim of his glass, “And she’s with someone else now. Fine, I can deal with that too. It’s weird, not having her around, but it’s ok. I don’t miss her, really,” he looked up, frowning. Frustration, or reliving something, “I miss having someone around, but let’s be honest, that hasn’t been her for a while now. I’m not angry, I don’t resent her, only how she did it, how she left.”

And that was that. Fact. Pure statement of fact. No wonder he’d stayed away whilst trying to work this through.

“And that’s alright. She was right, we were living in a routine and I just don’t need her like I used to.”

Edo nodded again, watching Luke’s expressions shift as he explained himself.

“My mum says I’ve always been in it for the long run – sports teams, societies, clubs, friendships, relationships. I lived with Sofia as if she was going to mean the world to me forever and Sofia just didn’t. Feel like that or live like that. And she just doesn’t, and I don’t,” he paused, staring at his glass again, “I don’t want her back.”

“Good for you.”

Luke jerked his head up to look at him, “What?”

“Good for you. I think you’ll be better without her.”

“Yeah,” he said, wrapping a hand around his pint and cracking a smile, a real one, “Yeah. I think so too.”

There was a moment of silence, in which Edo acknowledged that Sam was looking pointedly at him, then across the room to where the Coopers had finished their meal and made a vague but just as pointed gesture towards Luke, who was staring at his glass again. He really was tired.
Sam sighed and went to deal with the empty plates himself.

“Hey Edo.”

“Yes, chaval?”

“Thanks for listening.”

“No problem. Anytime.”

Luke gave him another smile and glanced over his shoulder at the booth he usually sat in.

“You expecting people?”

“Lucas, Mitch and Tash will be by in a bit. I got blackmailed into coming here, but they’re not wrong, I guess. Socialising is good for you,” he said, imitating Tash, “You can’t hide in that flat forever!”

“She’s right, tío. Some fresh air and some hot babes, you’ll be fine in no time.”

Luke laughed and got up from the barstool, “Well, I know I can always come find you if I need a night out.”

“That you can.”

Luke walked over to the booth to wait for his friends, “Could you bring over a plate of chips, please? I forgot to have lunch today.”

Sam gave him the side-eye as he put the order through to the kitchen and Edo smiled winningly at him.

“Is your friend ok?”

“He will be.”

“Good,” said Sam wiping down a section of the counter, “He came in last week on one of your days off and looked like he was contemplating drowning himself in his pint.”

Edo looked over to where Luke was rifling through his briefcase, searching for something.

“Yeah, he’s going through a bit of a tough spot, his girl left him, but he’ll be fine. Better than before, even.”

“If you say so, mate.”

Dan pushed a plate of chips through to them from the kitchen, “Order up!”

Edo took them over, stealing one, mainly because he could, grabbing ketchup, salt and cutlery as he went past and decided that while Luke was his friend, Nick was closer than that and he should do what Linda called protecting their own.

“Hey, Luke?” he said, putting the plate down in front of him.

Luke looked up from his jumble of papers, “Yeah?”

“I’m happy that you know how you feel about Sofia, but I need to make sure you know what you’re doing about Nick.”

Luke fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, “I don’t know yet.”

He nodded, “And that’s cool, but don’t string him along. If you like him, tell him. Don’t make him wait for something that might never happen.”

Luke bit into a chip so that he couldn’t answer. Cheeky bugger.

“You both deserve good people and if it’s each other that’s awesome, but if it isn’t then that’s awesome too. Just make sure you know what you’re doing.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t even know if he wants to see me. I haven’t really been around.”

Yeah, Edo knew. An unhappy Nick was strange and disturbing and wrong, and something the Epiphany staff had had to deal with in the past week.

“Text him. Easiest and most effective way to get hold of him at this time of day.”

A table on his left raised eyebrows at him until he went to deal with them. A table with two girls, and it wasn’t a date because neither was wearing perfume. Excellent.
He put on the most charming smile he could and took their order.

When he looked at Luke, the guy was staring at his phone, concentrating. He bit his lip when he pressed send.

The girls were lovely and indulged him in a bit of casual flirting, but left without leaving their numbers. Ah well. Such things did happen, even to Edo.

Luke got a text back about half an hour later, after his friends had arrived and ordered food. Judging by the look on his face and the noise his friends made at the sight, it was probably Nick.

“Hey Edo,” said Mitch, in his badly regulated indoor voice, “Luke’s getting a date! Give the man something appropriate to drink, yeah?”

So Edo was making his way over with a ‘Sex With The Bartender', because he was clever like that, when he got a text too.

Mitch roared with laughter when he told them what the drink was and he stayed long enough to mock Luke for the grin that he couldn’t hide, then excused himself to check his phone.

It was from Nick.

Thank you, hermano.

Hermano. Brother. Oh, Nick.

You’re welcome. I call dibs, the first child gets named Edo. The Magnificent.