Part 23 (1/2)

Chapter Fourteen.

When Haris went down for breakfast, he found Tyler and Wilson in the kitchen. Tyler was on his knees next to Alcide and both he and Wilson had their backs toward him.

”Sit,” Tyler said.

Alcide wagged his tail but stayed on all fours.

”Sit,” Tyler said and pressed on his rump.

”He's very willful,” Wilson said.

Yes, he f.u.c.king is.

Tyler reached up and broke off a piece of bacon from the rasher on his plate. He held it in front of Alcide. ”Sit.”

The dog immediately sat. Tyler gave him a tiny piece of bacon. ”Good boy. Now fetch the ball.”

The dog bounded off but came back without the ball.

”Sit,” Tyler said and as soon as Alcide dropped his haunches, he gave him the bacon.

”It's easy with bacon,” Wilson said.

But doesn't work with thirty f.u.c.king thousand pounds?

”Well, you have to start somewhere and then build up to him wanting to please you for no more than a pat on the head.” Tyler dropped onto a chair.

So what did I do wrong?

Wilson spotted him. ”Oh, good morning, sir.”

”Morning,” Haris mumbled.

Tyler smiled at him. ”Morning.”

Treacherous f.u.c.king b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

Haris sat at the table and reached for his orange juice. Tell him to pack. He reached for his toast and bit into it.

”Have you remembered about the gig tonight?” Tyler asked.

”I'm busy.”

The smile slid from Tyler's face.

Ask your dark-haired friend.

”Would you like to come, Wilson?” Tyler asked.

”Well, I-”

”Wilson will be busy too,” he snapped.

”Oh. Okay.”

I am such an a.s.shole.

Tyler pushed to his feet, his breakfast unfinished. ”I better get going. Thanks for breakfast, Wilson. Bye, Alcide. Bye... Yeah, bye.”

Haris filled his mouth with toast so he couldn't tell him not to come back.

A moment later, the front door slammed and Haris jumped.

”Trouble in paradise, sir?”

When he didn't respond, Wilson cleared his throat and Haris braced himself.

”I do find, sir, that talking is the first step towards sorting out problems. Though I'm sure you have perfectly sound reasons for remaining stoically silent, might I be so bold as to suggest that telling the young man what the problem is might be a step in the right direction?”

”No, you may not.” Haris glowered.

And for once, he shut Wilson up.

But after a useless day at work, he accepted that he was being an idiot. He was a.s.suming Tyler had been unfaithful, but he didn't know. There could be another explanation for that photo Stan took and all he had to do was ask Tyler who the guy was.

Haris spotted Tyler the moment he and Wilson walked into the venue in Borough. He stood center stage under a spotlight with a guitar hanging around his neck, laughing at something the ba.s.s player was saying. Almost as though Tyler had sensed him come into the room, though Haris couldn't see how that was possible because he stood in darkness, the guy stared straight at him and his face lit in a smile.

His gut clenched. Something in the way Tyler looked at him made him feel...warm, wanted. You couldn't fall for someone in the amount of time they'd known one another, and yet one glance from Tyler made him think anything was possible. And he hated him for it because it made him feel weak. He couldn't be in situations where he felt emotionally vulnerable. He hadn't wanted to come tonight but Wilson had worn him down.

He fought his way to the bar, bought a beer for himself and a tonic and orange for Wilson, and found a place for them to stand at the side of the room. There were no seats empty. The place was packed with people a lot younger than him. More Tyler's age. He winced as a mic screeched and then Tyler said, ”Thanks for coming. We're called Falling. If you like us, tell your mates. If you don't, keep your mouth shut.”

He nodded to the drummer and they began. Tyler was wearing tight black jeans that emphasized his slender hips, a sleeveless black leather top, and he looked...perfect. Oh Christ. He should have guessed he had a fantastic voice but it was more than that. He sang with his entire body, the sound pouring from his soul straight into Haris's heart. And I hurt him because I a.s.sumed and didn't trust. The dark-haired man could be a friend, not a lover. All he had to do was ask, except that would mean admitting he'd had Tyler followed. So a.s.sume the best not the worst, you idiot.

The band went through numbers by different artists: Robbie Williams, James Morrison, Coldplay and Snow Patrol, before Haris realized he'd not taken a drink of his beer. The members of Falling were talented and versatile. By their reaction, the audience seemed to think so too. Now his eyes had adjusted to the light, Haris recognized Simon Keys, from Spot, the music magazine. He was nodding his head to the beat and glancing around the room, gauging the reaction. When his gaze landed on Haris, he nodded and smiled.

Tyler tapped the mic. ”Thanks, everyone. Almost done. You can nip to the loo in a minute but we're gonna do a few of our own songs so cross your legs or you'll miss a treat. The first's called ”Eye of the Storm” and it's dedicated to a right pain in the neck.”

Within moments Haris's throat blocked up.

You saw me there Hanging from the cross Caught in the eye of the storm You cut me free And now I'm torn Still caught in the eye of the storm Can you live With or without me Trapped in the eye of the storm I want to be with you Doing whatever it takes Living in the eye of the storm When they finished the final set, the applause was deafening. Tyler had a broad smile on his face as he acknowledged the cheers, and Haris saw him scanning the crowd, looking for-me-and then the smile became even wider and Haris smiled back. No more a.s.suming, he knew whatever Stan had seen, he was wrong, that whatever the picture showed, it wasn't what it seemed, and that Tyler was his if he wanted him and he did want him.

”Well, that was a surprise,” Simon said at his side once applause for the last song had died away. ”You said they were good, but I hadn't expected that.”

Haris laughed. ”I hadn't actually heard the band before, only Tyler and not singing. You're impressed then?”

”Oh yeah. They're a cut above the rest. Doesn't mean they'll make it, but they have talent, they're different, and they can do more than mimic other bands, which is a start. They're in with a chance. I need to go and speak to them while they're packing up. Thanks for pointing him out. Lucky guy.”