Best Served Cold

Chapter Two - Michael

Tearing myself away, I leave Charlotte and Harry behind me, clipping downstairs to the lounge where my ‘second wife’ works with her son. Adam’s hair is much more co-operative than Cara’s, parting under her brush, smoothing down to glossy strawberry-blond curls. He beams under his mother’s attention.

Sweet kid…

James bustles papers and plans into his briefcase, steel-capped boots and a yellow hard-hat into a bag, then swings, muttering, “Keys… Keys…”

“On the hall table, Mr Alexanders,” says Ross.

“Ah, thanks. Tell Richard I’ll catch up with him around lunchtime. I’m on site this morning.”

“I’ll do that, sir. But you may miss each other. He has an appointment with the Mayor later in the morning. I believe he expects it to run into the afternoon.”

“No problem. This evening then. I’ll just say goodbye to Charlotte, then I’m off.” Keys jingling in his hands, James trots upstairs, and half a minute later, trots down again. A quick peck on the cheek to Cara, and a ruffle of the hair for Adam, and he’s gone.

Time for me to get to work too.

Maybe a run in the gym too.

Or a swim.

Loosen up the kinks…

I give Cara a jiggle, bouncing her a bit. “You bringing Adam with you? To help.”

She beams. “Ya! Ya. Ya!”

Adam breaks away from Beth, batting at the brush as she tries to finish. Beth lunges, grabs and misses, then scowls as Adam makes his escape, so far as a sweet girl like Beth can scowl. Adam toddles after us. “Me go! Me go, too. Help Cara and Nunky Mikey.”

can“That alright, Beth?”

She purses her lips. “Won’t that be a bit much for you? Two of them when you’re trying to work?”

“Nah. They get to do new things and meet people. When they get bored or tired, I’ll take them to the crèche. They’re always up for that.”

“Sounds good to me,” she smiles. “Actually, that’d be great.” She swings a look over her shoulder and drops her voice. “I’m trying to get Richard to see a chiropractor. He’s done something to his back with that bricklaying work the other day and doesn’t want to admit it. I need to keep at him ‘til I can actually get him in the car with Ross.”

Beyond her, Ross looks away with a not very well concealed smile.

“Not surprised. After thirty years since he last did any of that stuff, he should have just done a few minutes and then come back to it. You have to build up to that stuff. Anyway…” I gesture Adam along with me. “… You do that and I’ll do babysitting duty.” I peck her on the cheek. “See you later.”

As I stride away, I hear Ross’s voice behind me. “So, what’s the address of the clinic, Beth? I’ll plug it into the navigator.”

*****

Five minutes of discussing possible summer menus with Sally. Two minutes while she slices up an apple for Cara and Adam to share, then a stroll to the gym, the kids clutching their prizes in sticky-fruit fists.

In the gym, I find Chad running through some limbering-up exercises. “Morning. All okay?”

He pauses, half-way through a stretch. “Yeah, sure. Just getting warmed through. Don’t like hitting the morning with cold muscles.” He sucks from a water bottle, steps up onto a treadmill and tucks the bottle into a holder by the control panel. “Just having a run, then it’s the first of the self-defense classes in twenty minutes.” He taps the panel, which beeps to a build-to-a-sprint cycle.

“I get that. Mind if I join you?”

He chuckles. “You’re the boss. You don’t need to ask me.”

Setting the kids up with a couple of hoola-hoops and a rubber floor mat, I join Chad, taking the machine next to his, setting the program to a hill-climbing workout. From the corner of his eye, Chad watches, then taps his peak power setting up a point or two. “Anyway,” he says. “Congratulations. I didn’t get chance to say so the other day. How’s fatherhood?”

Enthusiasm floods over me. “Thanks.” My grin breaks loose again. “And it’s… It’s just great. Charlotte’s still tired, as you can imagine. But there’s plenty of us to help with the everyday chores. So long as she feeds Harry and catches up on her sleep, she doesn’t have a lot to worry about.”

greatChad ups the speed on his treadmill, “And Cara? How’s Big Sister taking it?”

I chuckle. “Pretty well so far. She was more than fascinated by the gunk in the birthing pool. I think the baby that came out of it was a bit of an anti-c****x. Oh, by the way, thanks so much for your help with the building. With all of you wading in like that, we got more done in a couple of hours than I could have managed in a fortnight by myself. Mitch is just thrilled.”

thrilled.”“No problem.” His grin partners mine. “I wanted to help. It"s great to see Jenny looking so happy. Everything in her life shaping up as she wants it.”

Sub-text?

Despite my best intentions, I bristle. “You"re still very fond of her.”

“Oh yeah. When we were kids, I really loved her. I just was too young to realise I wasn"t in love with her. But she"s still my oldest friend.” He slants me a sidelong look. “You cool with that?”

Don’t be so f*****g stupid…

He’s gay…

He’s He’s married and gay…

He’s and gay…“Sure.” Then, injecting some sincerity, “These days, yes. ‘Course I am.”

“Good…” Relief runs a smooth ripple through the word. “… Because I really don"t want to have to duke it out with you a second time.”

Face heating, I c***k a laugh. “I don"t think Charlotte or Seb would speak to either of us if we did that again.”

His replying nod is vigorous. “For sure. Still…” That look slide sideways again. “… We could have a friendly sometime. Y’know. Rules. Gloves. Do it properly.”

friendly“Hmmm. Good idea.” I pause, considering Charlotte’s possible reaction. “Might keep it between ourselves though.”

“Yeah… Maybe.” He sniffs. “You like music to run to?”

“Sure. Why not?”

He fishes into a pocket producing his phone, swiping through apps before settling onto the thumping beat of We Will Rock You.

We Will Rock You.“Yay!”

“Yay!”

Adam and Cara throw up arms and quit their hoola-hooping, instead jiggling together in short-limbed dancing to the rhythm.

Then, tapping at his control panel, Chad ups the power on his program.

Hmmm…

I tap up my own to match.

*****