Jim puts the plate of burgers down and pinches Kian’s cheek. “You are my baby. I was trying not to embarrass you in front of your boyfriend.”
Kian rolls his eyes but smiles at the same time.
Jim picks up a pair of tongs and waves them at us. “Do we need to talk about safe sex?”
Kian presses his face against my arm. “Save me.”
“No.” I was hoping he was going to save me.
“Okay, well, congrats again.” His dad puts the tongs down, picks up a brass bell, and rings it. For an awful second, I think he’s going to announce to everyone that Kian and I are boyfriends. “Food’s ready,” he shouts. “Come and get it.” He winks at me as if he senses the potential embarrassment rolling off me in waves. “Eat up before all the food vanishes and you have to wait for round two.”
We load up our plates with food and then go and sit on the edge of the fish pond. After a couple of minutes, Rufus and Halle join us.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Rufus asks.
I assume he’s referring to me coming out to our parents. “No. It was fine, actually.”
“Were your parents okay?” Kian asks.
“Yes. A little shell-shocked, but they came around quite quickly.”
“I’m glad.”
“I’ve snagged us use of Granddad’s holiday house next weekend,” Rufus says. “You’re going to come, aren’t you?”
“Next weekend?” I ask.
“Yes. Any coding plans you might have can be put on hold. In fact, I think we should ban laptops altogether.”
“I don’t know. I am joined at the hip to mine.”
“It’s true,” Kian says. “I had to prise it out of his fingers to get him here today.”
“Next, you’ll be telling me he codes while you suck him off,” Rufus says.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter under my breath. “Did you have to say that?”
Rufus smirks. “Yes. Scotland. Next weekend. Be there or be square.”
“No one says that anymore,” Kian says.
“I think it went out of fashion in the nineties,” Halle agrees.
“Hey, don’t go ganging up on me.” Rufus holds up his hands. “Are we going to the holiday house or what?”
I look at Kian.
“I’m up for it,” he says.
“I bet it’ll be nice to return to where you got together,” Rufus says. “Hey, you should bring the pink handcuffs.”
“Handcuffs?” Halle asks.
“Long story,” Kian says. “One I don’t think Rufus will want us to tell you.”
“Uh, probably not. Jett? You’re coming, right?”
“Yes.”
