“Bet he did. Let’s google that shit.” Jodi reclaimed his phone and peered at the frozen screen. “Balls. Forgot it was broken.”
Rupert rolled his eyes. “Come on, hooligan. Let’s get you home.”
He took Jodi’s arm and steered him out of the bus stop. Jodi allowed himself to be led, distracted from the bizarre situation by Rupert’s commanding grip on his arm. For some reason, it didn’t feel odd. Hmm. Perhaps the sparkly powder had scrambled his inhibitions. Ha. Not that he’d had many to start with. The neon body paint smeared all over his torso was testament to that.
“Where are we going?”
“Eh?” Jodi glanced up to find they’d come to a stop at a junction. He glanced both ways, then turned left. “Oh, erm, it’s this way, I think.”
“You think?”
“Iknow.” Jodi pulled his arm from Rupert and grabbed his hand. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
Rupert let Jodi drag him to the zebra crossing, but he stayed Jodi before he stepped into the road. “Oi, look both ways, mate. You gotta death wish or something?”
A series of black cabs rumbled past. Jodi’s coat blew up in the backdraft. He shivered and instinctively moved closer to Rupert, seeking warmth. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Rupert smiled, showing Jodi a set of teeth that had clearly never seen a cigarette. “How about you tell me where to go and I’ll do the driving? You haven’t even got your laces done up.”
Jodi looked down at his scruffy, untied boots. “Yeah ... let’s do that.” He took Rupert’s arm again and, despite an embarrassing lack of control over his own feet, navigated the remaining twenty metres to his first-floor maisonette. “This is me.”
“Nice. Figured you for one of those horrible yuppie apartment blocks.”
“Piss off. I ain’t no yuppie.”
“Fucking hipster, though, aren’t ya?”
Jodi couldn’t argue with that. His skinny jeans and obligatory beard gave him away. “Nothing wrong with hipsters.”
Rupert snorted. “If you say so. My ma warned me about city boys like you.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, no. She actually warned me about slutty city girls with loose morals, but she didn’t know any better.”
Jodi’s heart skipped a beat. “Does she know now?”
“Yeah.” Rupert’s tone turned flat and his endearing grin faded. “Think it’s safe to say I’m off her Christmas card list.”
“But it’s Boxing Day,” Jodi said. “Who did you spend Christmas with?”
Rupert slid Jodi a sideways glance. “What do you care?”
Jodi shrugged. “I guess in the same way youcareenough to walk me home.”
“Unless I’m a serial killer.”
“You’re not, though, are you?”
Rupert grinned again, and the cloud that had descended on them lifted. “Not in the slightest. Just don’t want you to come to any harm. I’ll sleep easier knowing you’re safe in your bed.”
Jodi let that hang for a moment while he fished around in his pockets for his keys. Retrieving them proved simple. Finding the right key and aiming it at the lock, not so much.
Rupert took the keys from him and unlocked the door. He pushed it open and eyed the steep stairs that led to Jodi’s maisonette. “You gonna be okay getting up there, mate?”
“Hmm?”
Rupert sighed. “Come on. Let’s get you in.”
