Christian had taken off the sweatshirt that Syed had forced upon him and was lounging back, one foot up on the seat, the black vest exposing the smooth muscles of his arms.
He reminded Michael of a lion, quietly basking on baked earth, casually eyeing up his prey, poised to spring.
Michael nervously put down his pint, spilling some on his hand. He shook it the drops away surreptitiously, hoping Christian hadn't noticed the further crumbling of his cool façade. Pulling up a stool, he positioned himself opposite him and smiled apologetically.
"Look, I know what this must seem like, but the tubes are fucked.."
He pulled his Iphone from the inside pocket of his jacket.
"I can get the travel updates, prove it. See, power surge.."
Christian frowned and leant forward, checking the screen.
"That's what they first claimed it was in the bombings. Was there a security announcement being played over the Tannoy? That 'would Mr. Sands please come to the operation's room' one? Sy's out there, I'd better ring him, make sure he's okay.."
He reached anxiously for the mobile on the table, just as he was about to pick it up it began to vibrate.
Scanning the screen, he exhaled with relief.
"It's him, his client's only just arrived home because of the traffic chaos, so he'll be a bit late.."
He touched the screen and it went dark. Leaning forward and resting his arms on the table, his biceps flexed, he continued;
"…and he wants to know what I want for tea. Shall I tell him you're still here?"
Michael took a sip of beer and looked up at him over the edge of the glass, causing Christian's eyes to narrow at the flash of blue.
"That's up to you…"
Christian grunted and began to tap out a message.
'Your mate old blue eyes has got himself marooned in the Vic. We're having a chat. Get back soon xxxxx ooh and lamb chops'
"That's him told. Why did you come here Michael? My brother in laws chips aren't that special."
Michael picked up a beer mat and began to twirl it between his fingers.
"I really was doing a photo shoot in the High Street, and, I dunno, it seemed serendipitous to be so near, after meeting up again at the reunion. I just thought we might bump into each other. Shit, I'm just making myself sound more like a stalker, aren't I?"
"A little bit. Has he been on your mind?"
Michael nodded.
"It was so lovely to have seen him, get the mess sorted out. And he didn't call.."
Christian studied his face, trying to work him out.
"No, he didn't. Shouldn't that have told you something? Maybe the fact that it was all okay between you, that your memories could be happy ones, was enough?"
"Not for me."
"It is for him. I don't blame you Michael, I know how he can get under your skin. But what do you expect from this? Do you want to be with him? Is he the prize that you must own? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing you usually get what you want. The latest gadget, the most cutting edge fashion, and then you tire of it and want the next big thing. I'm only saying this because I used to be the same. You can't own Syed, I can't own Syed. He makes his own choices. If you think he would be happier with you, I can't do anything to stop you from making a play for him."
"Arm wrestling, you'd beat me if we arm wrestled for him…"
Michael instantly wished the facetious words unsaid, but Christian laughed kindly.
"And he'd just trot off mildly with the winner? You've forgotten what he's like."
Michael fingered the scar above his lip.
"No. I'll never forget."
"Did he do that to you?"
"He pushed me off the swings. Mind you, I was larking about on top of them, rather than sitting sweetly in one. And he was provoked."
"Michael, what DID you say?" Christian raised an eyebrow.
"I said his new trainers were gay. Actually, I sort of chanted it over and over again, loudly."
"And he didn't take it as a compliment. Were you pulling his pigtails?"
Michael thought for a moment and grinned.
"I suppose I must have been, although then, I didn't even know it myself. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come, It's just I seem to have been shagging Syed clones ever since I saw him again. I'll walk up to the High Street, see if I can find a cab…" He made to stand up, but Christian touched his arm to stop him.
"Stay. Sy knows you're here now, he'll think I ran you out of town. So the Syed clones never came close to the real thing?"
"I wouldn't know the real thing, I've barely touched him."
Christian seemed to visibly relax, the atmosphere began to thaw.
" You poor thing. Sorry, but yay! I have!"
"How did you meet? He said he was prepared to risk it all for you.."
Christian's heart swelled with love.
"Did he? We met at work. He'd come back to his family after being cast out and they got him working in the family catering company. He makes a habit of being cast out, his Mother's golden boy quickly turns into their whipping boy if he dares to be his own man."
"Was it love at first sight, or did it just grow?"
"Well, something definitely grew. Did we become closer over our mutual love of Okra? Nah, I didn't really get him to start with. I would say he wasn't really my type, but I'm not sure I ever had one, male and alive were good starting points. And I did like a rich man, God, I could be a shit. We had a row and he kissed me."
Michael shifted back on his stool, surprised and deeply jealous.
"He kissed you?" He asked incredulously.
Christian tried not to look too smug, to spare Michael's feelings, but couldn't help himself.
"Mm, one nil to me I think. We'd been catering for one of his Mum's friends parties. You've met Zainab?"
"Yes, she always liked me…"
Michael realised he had unconsciously made a pathetic attempt to claw back an advantage.
"She fucking hates me, and she'd change her mind about you if she knew what you wanted to do with him. Anyway, I'd pretty much been called a perverted abomination, waited for my mate Syed to stand up for me, he didn't and seemed to think I was one. So there I was, back at the unit, chucking things about in a big queeny strop.."
"Understandably…"
"Thank you. And he strolls in, all delicious and golden, trying to make light of it, I'm still ranting, he strops off, I grab his arm and blam. The world began, I was his."
Michael saw the joy gleam in Christian's eyes.
"And you started going out?"
"That night was so special, I had never felt anything like that before. The feel of his skin, his mouth. I thought I'd been in love, but I was wrong. What I'd thought was love was just me being needy because I couldn't get what I wanted. Most of the time I was just, love me or sod off, you're clearly mental if you don't."
"It sounds beautiful."
"It was. But the next day he's telling me he's straight and it meant nothing. Bit like him running away from you in his cricket whites. I'm quite envious of you seeing him in those, I might ask him to get some."
"He told you?"
"Of course he told me. I'm his lover."
"How did you get him to admit he had feelings?"
"I didn't, he did it all by himself. Mind you, you saying you feel like a stalker, I have been known to stand forlornly under bedroom windows, so don't be too hard on yourself. I couldn't give up on him. I knew in my bones that he loved me. We've cried, God how we've cried, argued, hurt other people that got dragged into the mess…"
"Collateral damage?"
"Yes, poor cow. Until one day, he quietly picked up the key and let himself out of his cage. So, you can see, if you think you've got a chance with him, think you can love him more than I do, think you can make him love you, I won't stand back and let it happen. I can't."
