“How long have you known?” asked Edward.
There was a genuine look of fear on his face. Did he think Milo had known all along? Working in politics probably made it hard to trust people, and they may have been hooking up for a while now, but did they really know each other?
“It was after you said your name was Eddie. It sparked nothing immediately, but there were a few things that made me think it could be a possibility. An overactive imagination of possibilities, but still a possibility. Okay, how many times did I just say ‘possibility’ in the last few seconds?”
Edward’s mouth twitched as if he were trying to suppress a smile. It wasn’t much, but Milo would take it.
“To rule you out as an option, I did some digging and found that interview. I asked you the same questions, and that confirmed it.”
“So you blocked me.”
“Yeah. Not my best moment, but I took that news article at face value. One of my best friends, Lexie, is trans, and I’m overly protective of her, even though she can more than look after herself. Once I knew it was you, and the scrutiny you’re under, I didn’t want what was happening between us to get out and fuck up your career.” Milo had to take a breath. “It was all just too... messy.”
“Did you say your friend’s name was Lexie?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Is that why you’re here then, Milo? Did I pass your little test?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Does Lexie live in my constituency?”
“Yeah, but . . . wait . . . fuck! Did she come and see you?”
“Have you got a picture of her?”
“Yeah, on my phone.”
He pulled it out of his pocket and went to the album he had from her most recent birthday. Edward walked into his space. The body wash he’d used took Milo immediately back to their times at The Back Room, and he felt his dick twitch. Now wasn’t the time for his mind to be wandering to inappropriate places. Edward looked at the picture and gave a nod.
“Yes, that’s her. So, you didn’t send her to speak to me?”
“No, I did not. She didn’t give you a hard time, did she?”
“Nothing like that. She told me her story. That’s what . . . that’s what inspired me . . . you know . . . to do the interview.”
“I can’t believe she did that. Well, I can believe she would do something like that, but it wasn’t what I expected you to say.”
“How long have you known Lexie?”
“Since university.”
“So, you’ve always...” He stopped, pondering the words he wanted to say.
“I’ve only ever known her as Lexie, if that’s what you were going to ask.”
Edward looked like he wasn’t sure what to say. His jaw ticked as if he were trying to hold in emotions. He clicked his fingers and spun round, putting the kettle back on and busying himself with the tea. It took only a few seconds to come to a boil again. He turned to look at Milo.
“White with two.”
Edward nodded and carried on making the tea. The silence didn’t feel uncomfortable. It gave them both a moment to process this new dynamic. It wasn’t just the fact that they could see each other, but Milo felt the power imbalance had shifted as well. Edward was a high-flying politician, and Milo was just... well, he was just Milo. They didn’t fit together, not even as friends. Did they have anything in common other than their sexual compatibility? And why was Milo even thinking like that? It wasn’t like anything more serious could happen between them, but one thing was for certain: Eddie was even hotter in person than he was on TV or in pictures.
“I can hear you thinking from here,” said Edward, passing the tea to Milo. “Let’s go into the lounge.”
Milo followed him out of the kitchen, which was a sizeable space with a dining table and sofa in it. They walked down a hallway, past the front door, and into a cosy lounge, which had a snug feel to it. Edward sat on the sofa. Before he overthought it, Milo sat next to him and put his mug down on the side table.
“I guess you want to know why I’m here?”
