Noah sighed. “Actually, I’ve had a bit of a learning curve myself.”
“Oh?”
“Some of the lads have given me a month’s wages to get things underway.”
Carmine was astounded. “A month’s wages? On your salaries. That will be huge.”
Noah nodded.
“They’ve only just told me,” he explained. “I’m blown away.”
“How exciting. Imagine what you can do. Not only for Malcolm but across the country. Noah, this is everything.”
He had to keep his voice down. So much for the image of selfish footballers only worrying about where their next Maserati was coming from.
“I know. I’ve no idea how to go about it. I guess we’ll find that out.”
“We?”
“You and me, dingbat. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it properly. All-in.”
Tingles ran up Carmine’s spine. Fuck, he hadn’t dared to dream this would go as well as it had.
“There’s only one thing I want to say,” Noah said.
Carmine had been ready to take Noah’s hand and jump. Now he stopped.
“What?”
“There will always be an age difference,” Noah began. “I promise you I don’t care. I have to know that it’s something you can get over. It’s literally the only thing we can’t control.”
Carmine rested his foot on top of Noah’s. It was the only physical contact he dared make. Even so Noah jumped. A glint in his eye.
“Then we have to allow for it,” Carmine replied. “I won’t ever get into video games. It’s best to be brutally honest.”
Noah snorted. “And I won’t get into spending hours reading design books.”
Cheek. Carmine thought he’d curbed that particular addiction when he was with Noah.
“How about I read books while you play games?”
“See,” Noah said. “We’re compromising already.”
Carmine giggled like a child. The adrenalin and joy overriding his system.
“Shall we finish up here and go to yours to seal the deal?” Carmine said.
Noah drained his cup.
“After you.”
It had been a night of lovemaking, laughing and planning. Carmine found himself at Noah’s dining table the next morning digging into homemade porridge with fruit.
He usually settled for a croissant on the go. This was part of the compromise, he supposed. To have Noah across from him made it more than worthwhile.
“Thank you for pretending to like it,” Noah said as if reading his mind.
Carmine forced another spoonful down. “Perhaps I might have a shelf in your cupboard when you move to the new house.”
