“Untrue,” George said, affecting a pout that made him look all too appealing, his full lower lip luscious, a teasing look in his eyes that made Theo’s cock harden.
When he heard the step of the innkeeper’s wife returning, he tore his gaze away.
“Here you are, gentlemen,” she said, setting a large tray down on the table. Theo was amused to see how George’s eyes lit up at the sight of the food. “I’ll bring the provisions for your walk shortly.”
For the next while, all of George’s attention was concentrated on eating, but eventually, he said, “Have you arranged a local guide for our walk?”
Theo shook his head. “We don’t need one. I have our route all worked out.” Reaching inside his coat, he drew out the small book he’d made his notes in, set it on the table and patted the leather-bound cover. “It’s all in here.”
“May I see?”
“Of course.” Theo pushed the book towards him. “Though my scribbles may not make much sense.”
George went straight to the most recently used pages, his eyes widening, then narrowing again as he took in Theo’s cryptic notes. Eventually he shook his head in defeat and began turning the pages back to notes of earlier trips, this time just looking at the names at the top of each page. “Scafell Pike,” he murmured, “Skiddaw. Helvellyn.” Glancing up, he smiled. “These are all in the Lake District, aren’t they?”
“They are. Have you been?”
George shook his head. “I’ve wanted to visit for a while. I tried to persuade Ollie to go with me when we were at university, but he said he couldn’t see the point of tramping around the countryside all day long.” His smile grew wistful then, and he closed the notebook, pushing it back towards Theo.
It was absurd, but Theo felt envious. Jealous even. Jealous just because George was thinking of Ollie instead of him. He tried to hide his ridiculous thoughts with a careless shrug, saying, “I’d go with you, if you wanted.”
George looked at him in surprise, then smiled. “Would you?”
“Of course, I love that part of England—my mother grew up there. I’d enjoy showing you all my favourite places.” He picked up the note book and waggled it. “And of course, taking you up my favourite mountains.”
George pinkened, though with pleasure, Theo thought, rather than embarrassment. “I would like that,” he said simply. “Though you may wish to see how well I do today before offering to take me up any more mountains. I may infuriate you with my slow pace.”
“Oh, I think you’ll do well enough,” Theo said. “You’re fit as a fiddle, even if you are a bit unused to hills.”
“Wiltshire’s quite hilly, actually.” George protested, then added grudgingly, “Though admittedly, it’s not mountainous.”
Theo chuckled.
George took a swig of his small beer before he spoke again. “How long do you think our route today will take?”
"Six or seven hours I would think. The main reason we’re setting off so early is because this is the very best time of day to walk.”
“What, so you’ve got me up at the crack of dawn for nothing!” George exclaimed, sounding appalled.
“You won’t be saying that when we reach the summit and the sun’s at its height,” Theo replied, grinning. “You’ll be thanking me for my foresight. Besides, the weather’s lovely this morning, but it may not hold out all day.”
George shot him a sceptical look. “Hmm. So what can I expect on this walk? Will there be sheer rock faces to tackle?”
“Not quite. There are several routes to the summit. I have two in mind. Both are fairly taxing, but the first one is safer. The second has a section you may find difficult if you have any fear of heights. It’s a bit of scramble, and there are some alarming drops.”
Theo was trying very hard not to show his own preference, but George probably knew him well enough to guess.
“I don’t mind heights,” he said. “Tell me about the second route.”
“Well,” Theo said. “We’d walk from here up to Pen y Pass which is straightforward, then on up to the Crib Goch ridge. The ridge is the risky part. We’d have to be careful there, and it may take some time to get across. There’s one other part with a bit of a scramble before the final ascent to the summit, but once we get to the top, it’s plain sailing. The descent is gradual so it’s a fair way back but quite easy walking.”
“Tell me more about the ridge part.”
“As I said, that’s the riskiest bit but also the best bit. It’s a thin, high ridge, sharp as a knife in places, but if the weather’s good, the view is astonishing.”
“In that case,” George said, “I think we should do that route.”
Theo couldn’t stop his smile breaking out at George’s easy agreement. Before he could say another word, though, the innkeeper’s wife bustled back into the taproom, holding the knapsack he’d given her which was now bulging with provisions.
