“I need to tell you something,” Udo said.
“Okay,” Steven replied.
“Last year, I met a guy,” he began. “Alex. He was a graphic designer for a fancy advertising firm in the city. Or that’s what he told me. It was a full-on head-over-heels moment.”
Two joggers ran past. Luckily they were too engrossed in their exercise to recognise them. Although in tuxedos on a summer’s evening in Hyde Park, that wouldn’t last for long.
“Where did you meet?”
Udo shrugged. “The apps. We chatted for ages before I even sent a picture. In the end I trusted him enough. He didn’t even recognise me. Alex hated anything played with a ball. We met and clicked. I thought I’d made it.”
“What happened?”
“Six months later, I went to his flat. Training had been rained off so I was an hour early. I didn’t bother calling him. Why would I?”
Udo stopped for a second. Steven squeezed his shoulder. Giving him the strength to finally get this off his chest.
“I didn’t have a key or anything. Before I could ring the bell, Brian Major comes out.”
“Winterbourne’s Brian Major?”
Udo nodded. “We both asked each other what we were doing there. Imagine our shock when we were both visiting our boyfriend, Alex.”
“He was two-timing you?”
“Wait. It gets better,” Udo said.
Now he faced Steven. “Obviously we confronted Alex. I don’t know which of us was the angriest. Brian probably. I think I froze.”
Hardly surprising.
“Brian practically forced entry into the flat. Poor Alex almost shit himself,” Udo continued.
“I’m confused. What was going on?”
“The only thing Brian and I had in common was our agent.”
“Max Bryant?”
Udo nodded. “He’d been paying Alex to keep us both sweet. He wasn’t a graphic designer at all. He’d told Brian he was cabin crew. Quite the juggler, our Alex.”
“Udo, that’s awful.”
“I told him everything about myself,” Udo replied. “Now I’m terrified he’s going to write a tell-all book.”
Once again, Steven took his hand. “When did you last see him?”
“That day. Just before Christmas. I went to the club and said I wanted a transfer. Obviously I sacked Max and legged it up here.”
It all made sense now.
“Fuck. No wonder you’ve been off your game. And seeing him come waltzing in freaked you out?”
Udo nodded. “You won’t tell Javier, will you?”
“I said I wouldn’t and I meant it. Your secret is safe with me, Udo.”
“That means such a lot.”
