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“What are you doing?” Grant asked. Surely Mas wasn’t expecting to kiss and make up? Or maybe with Grant on his knees, he’d be expecting a conciliatory blowjob or something, for old time’s sake. If Mas really needed that to feel things were even, then Grant would do it. Probably.
He’d feel guilty as hell, though. Dare might not think they were in a committed relationship, but Grant had no desire to mess around on the side. He didn’t want to live that kind of life anymore. It wasn’t fair on anyone, least of all himself. He could see that now.
“Perry,” Mas yelled through the open doorway at the rear of the shop. “I need you down here. Now!”
Oh no. Grant wasn’t about to give both of them a conciliatory blowjob. He went to get up from his knees, but Mas walked over and pushed down on his shoulder. “Oh no you don’t. You’ll stay there until you’ve apologised to Perry too.”
“Just an apology? That’s all you’re after?”
“What else do you think I’d be after?” Mas stared at him and put his hands on his hips. “Bloody hell, not that. If you think I’d ever let you anywhere near my boyfriend’s bits, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“That’s not what I was thinking,” Grant mumbled at the floorboards, his cheeks beginning to heat uncomfortably.
“What’s going on?” said an unfamiliar voice from across the room. “Mas? Who’s this?” Grant looked up to see the skinny ginger bloke wearing some kind of matching outfit to Mas’s.
“Oh, it’s you.” Perry folded his arms, and Mas went to stand next to him, mirroring his pose.
“Grant here has come to say something to you,” Mas said.
“He has?”
“I have. Uh, Perry, I wanted to apologise for everything I put you through last year. I honestly can’t really remember what I said, but from what Mas has told me, I’m pretty sure it was all untrue and unfair.”
“Maybe not entirely,” Mas said. “I mean, I did used to be a bit of a slapper.”
“Oh, hush now,” Perry scolded. “Don’t talk about yourself that way.”
“I’m just being honest, since that seems to be what’s going on here today. What do you reckon, Perrykins? Think we should forgive him?”
“Have you apologised to Mas?” Perry demanded, and for all his skinny, wouldn’t-say-boo-to-a-duckling-let-alone-a-goose demeanour, there was steel in his voice.
“I’ve said I was sorry. I am sorry,” Grant corrected.
“And you’re happy with that?” Perry asked.
“Me? Oh yeah, I think he’s grovelled enough.” Mas giggled then, and Grant remembered the warm sound with a pang. “Can’t believe he’s on his knees. Must be Dare’s doing. You’ve finally found someone who can top you, then, Grant?”
“Can I get up now?” Grant asked, dodging the question.
“I don’t know—” Mas began, at the same time as Perry said, “Of course you can.”
Grant got to his feet gratefully. The floorboards were harder than they looked, and now the knees of his suit were dusty.
Perry stepped forward, his hand outstretched, and Grant shook it automatically. “Here’s to letting bygones be bygones,” Perry said solemnly.
Grant nodded and turned to Mas. “Mas?” He held his hand out, but Mas hung back.
“Mas,” Perry scolded. “The man’s apologised, and you’ve accepted it. The least you can do is shake and make up.”
Mas shook his head again, but Grant noticed his lower lip trembling. Then Mas flung himself at Grant and tackle-hugged him. “You total bastard,” Mas said, beating ineffectually at Grant’s back. “You don’t know how much I loved you once upon a time. And then you came back with too little, way too late. And I’d already found Perry by then anyway, who’s way more of a man than you are. Were. Whatever.” Mas sounded dangerously close to tears, and Grant hugged him back, giving Perry a look that hopefully explained how awkward Grant was finding it.
“There, there,” Perry said, moving to unwrap Mas from Grant and folding him up in his own arms. “No need to make Mr. Matravers suffer any more than he already has. We’re all friends now, aren’t we?”
Mas snuffled a few times, but then he turned in Perry’s arms and gave Grant a suspiciously bright smile. “So, friends share their news, don’t they? Tell us, Grant, how are you getting along with Dare? Bet he wears the trousers in your relationship. Finally managed to top you, has he?”
“Mas, that’s a rather personal question,” Perry hissed, but Mas waved his objections away.
“I, uh, well, not exactly.” Grant tried to work out how to answer that series of questions. “We’re not really in a relationship or anything.”
“But you want to be,” Mas stated, like there was no doubt.
“I’m not sure. I think so. Maybe. But...”
“But what? He’s a good-looking bloke. Great in the sack, so I hear. Don’t worry, Perrykins. I’m not speaking from experience or anything.”
Perry breathed a sigh of relief that matched Grant’s own. That would be too bloody weird for words, if they’d all slept with Mas.
“So come on,” Mas insisted. “He really likes you, I can tell. And you like him, don’t you?”
“Well, yes, of course.” Even if Dare could be hard work at times.
“So what’s the problem, exactly?”
“It’s complicated.”
“So try me. I’m good at this stuff.”
“He is,” Perry confirmed.
“Well, we’re just both so different.”
“I don’t know. You’ve both got that whole toppy, won’t-take-any-shit arrogance thing going on.”
“I don’t mean in personality so much. But our lives are worlds apart. I could hardly go introducing Dare to any of my friends or colleagues. He wouldn’t get along with them.”
“So? You never introduced me to any of them either.”
It was true, but Grant still floundered.
“Anyway, that’s not even true,” Mas said. “You’ve got friends in common.”
“Like who?”
“Well, duh. You’re looking right at them. Oh come on, we just shook on it, didn’t we?”
“Yes, I suppose.”
Mas carried on regardless. “In fact, we should all go on a double date sometime. It would be fun. What do you reckon, a meal or a club? Or both, maybe. Or perhaps something more interesting for you alpha male types like paint-balling. Bet that’s great fun. I’ve never been paint-balling before. Or Laser Quest.”
Grant looked at Perry helplessly and got the same expression in return. “I think a quiet meal would be better for getting to know each other,” Grant ventured.
“Right. That settles it. We’ll all go out together. It’ll be fun. Oh come on, you know it will. We’ll paint the whole bloody town pink.”
What on earth had Grant managed to let himself in for? And would Dare ever agree?
One thing was for sure, if Dare didn’t get in touch soon, there wasn’t much chance of it happening anyway.
Grant walked down the road from Cabbages and Kinks in a daze, got back into his car and rested his head against the steering wheel.
When, exactly, had his life got so complicated? Once upon a time, it had all seemed so easy. Marry the girl who was his best friend, have children and climb to the top of the ladder in his chosen career. Happiness would follow. It was bound to.
It was only now Grant started to wonder if he hadn’t been looking in entirely the wrong place for happiness. Only trouble was, he didn’t know how to change the life he’d chosen. And when he closed his eyes and tried to imagine happiness, it looked a lot like a cocky, shaven-headed bloke with tattoos. Which made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Dare didn’t make him feel happy. Dare made him feel confused and angry and horny. But at least that was better than feeling depressed.