“Fair point,” she said. “I’m not even going to think about how he’ll feel afterwards.”
“It’s Jake. He doesn’t feel. He just does.” Zack watched as the adjudicator went through the same procedure as before with the rules. The crowd was noisier this time; clearly, eating donuts was more interesting than the eighty-five beans he’d managed with chopsticks.
The blonde head of Rayah came over to them, what looked like a virgin bloody Mary in her hand, although Zack was pretty sure it could’ve contained a shot of vodka. She’d had a few too many last night and had been suffering this morning. “I’m just so proud that my brother’s about to eat seven donuts in three minutes,” she said.
“Without licking his lips,” Sorrell added. “Don’t forget the important stuff.”
The timer started and Jake began, having no issue polishing off the first donut within twenty seconds and then moving onto the next, maintaining a reasonable pace.
“I don’t think I can watch.” Rayah looked pale. “I’m going to go outside and get some fresh air.”
“You do that,” Zack said. “Leave us to endure the rest without you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said and slipped away.
Scott had already taken leave, possibly because Keren had arrived, kitted out in running shorts and a Santa hat. She looked over to the bar and then towards the back, clearly trying to work out where his brother was, before finding somewhere to watch Jake as he moved onto donut number four. The boy was smashing it.
“Has Keren ever said why her and Scott don’t get on?” Zack said to Sorrell. There was just over a minute and twenty seconds left for Jake to break the world record.
Sorrell shook her head. “Not even a hint. They can’t even bear to be in the same room as each other at the moment. I think he’s going to do it.”
The cheers from the crowd in the bar were deafening, Jake’s name being chanted. He was on donut number seven with twenty-three seconds left, his face coated with sugar. Zack supposed that he should’ve felt proud that his cousin and best friend was about to break a second world record, but instead he was thinking about the vomit Jake was sure to come up with at some point during the five kilometre snow run.
“He’s done it! Jake Maynard has set a new world record for the most donuts eaten in three minutes without licking his lips!” The adjudicator actually sounded excited.
“Want to wait outside while he stuffs grapes into his mouth?” Zack asked Sorrell, his hand on her waist.
She gave a slight nod. “Why don’t we walk up to the start line. What time does it begin?”
“Midday,” Zack said. “Gives people time to get over the worst of the Christmas Day stuffing and hangovers. Won’t be too muddy this year though.” It had been a tough call as to whether it was going to go ahead because of the weather. However, the Severton Striders had come up with a second course around one of the fields and one of the farmers had ploughed out a track. The dumpings of snow from the plough were going to be used later for a snowball battle, so everyone was happy, including his uncle who was out with the mulled wine van again. “Don’t fancy running it?”
Sorrell laughed. “Running really isn’t my thing. I enjoyed walking last week though,” she said. She was wearing his earrings and the new scarf he’d bought her, another of Gran’s creations. He’d picked up the perfume she liked and new gloves, as well as a recipe book by the last winner of the Great British Bake Off and she’d been delighted, delighted enough to spend some time with his cock in her mouth. But that wasn’t the point. He had eleven days to make her feel that this was more than temporary.
“I’ll watch you from here,” she said. “I’ll have a mulled wine waiting for you. Or maybe an energy drink.”
He grinned, hearing the sounds of a crowd behind them. Clearly the record breaking was over. Other runners were lining up, most in fancy dress, one man wearing what looked like an adult nappy with a sign saying Baby Jesus on the back. Zack simply shook his head and erased the image from his brain. Runners tended to be on the insane side of stable. Only Alex, out of all of them, was a serious runner. He and Scott had done a half marathon, more to prove a point rather than anything. Jake had, of course, done a marathon because it was Jake and that was what he did, but Alex ran fells, which was something you should be treated at an asylum for, in Zack’s opinion. He understood climbing, hell, he would spend most of his free time climbing if he could, or caving, but running the damn things seemed beside the point.
“Energy drink. Then lunch. Then snowball fight,” he said. “We’ll be on opposite teams.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“It’s men against women.”
“Is that safe? Husbands against wives? Scott against Keren?”
He laughed, starting to stretch. “Probably not, but it’s fun. I have something to ask you but you don’t have to agree.” It was a fairly big ask.
“I’m not planning to run off with Jake, promise.”
He laughed. “Trust me, no woman has ever ended things with me and moved on to him.”
“But it’s happened the other way round?”
Zack smirked. “Might’ve done. But that’s in the past. Seriously, say no if it’s too much. My mum’s coming to stay for a couple of nights. Do you want to meet her? She should’ve been there for Christmas, but couldn’t make it else I’d have introduced you then. I’ll be spending some time with her as it’s not often we get to see each other. I also realise it might not be on your agenda. I get this is early days.”
Sorrell gave him that soft smile, the one that was starting to play with something in his chest and make it expand, consuming him.
“I’d like to meet her. Include me in something you plan.”
