Chapter 2-1
334 Words
Chapter 2
The movement of the bed woke me the next morning. I opened my eyes just enough to see Mark getting back under the covers.
“Did I wake you?” his sleepy voice asked.
“No.” I yawned. “I think I was about due to wake anyway. What time is it?”
I heard Mark fumbling with something on his side of the bed. “Just after eight.”
“Is the bathroom free?”
“There was no one waiting when I came out.” Mark yawned, rubbed his bristly chin, and farted. “Sorry,” he chuckled. “Couldn’t help it.”
I shook my head at Mark trying to fan the smell my way. I got out of bed and went in search of my bag to get out a clean pair of briefs. Before I met Mark I would always sleep in boxer shorts, but we soon discovered it was far nicer if we both slept in the nude.
* * * *
When I emerged from the bathroom, I spotted Cliff coming out of the master bedroom.
“Sleep okay?” he asked.
“Yes, thanks.” I nodded.
Cliff smiled. “I’ll start breakfast in a quarter of an hour if that’s okay?”
“Thanks,” I said as I re-entered the guestroom.
“Simon?” Mark asked, sitting on the side of the bed, his back to me. He hadn’t started to dress.
There was something in his tone that made me pause, sweater halfway down my chest. “Yeah?”
“I want to tell Cliff and Tom…about my past.”
“Are you sure?”
“No one, apart from you, knows the whole story.” In a quieter voice he continued, “though there’s a small part that you don’t know either. Telling them might help me deal with it better, too.”
I pulled my jumper down the rest of the way and reached out to place a supportive hand on Mark’s shoulder.
“Thanks,” Mark said, turning to look up at me.
* * * *
“Will a traditional fried English breakfast be okay for you?” Cliff asked when Mark and I had made it downstairs. “The human dustbin over there insists on it at the weekend.” He pointed at Tom, who was sitting at the kitchen table looking hungry.
“I need building up at the weekends,” Tom defended. “I don’t have time for much in the mornings during the week.”
I told Cliff a fried breakfast would be fine.
- Writer
