“Rarely as in never?”
Uh oh.
“Jonty?”
“He walked out. Said he was going on a few days’ holiday, but I have no idea when he’s coming back. He told me I was in charge. I managed to get into his computer. And everything is fine. Although there’s something I need to talk to you about that I discovered.”
“So everything isn’t fine. Are you okay?”
Jonty held back his sob. “Yes.”
“I’m reading that as no. You sound tired.”
“I am. You know that saying—don’t bite off more than you can chew? Well, I always seem to do that. Usually, you don’t mind and neither do I, well, not that I actually bite, or chew, but now I think I might be choking a bit.”
“Talk to me when you get back. I don’t want you driving and choking. Not in my Aston.”
“I love you. Even though you love your Aston more than me.”
“There’s nothing I love more than you, Jonty Bloom. See you soon.”
Jonty put his phone back in his pocket and grabbed his jacket and put the leads on the dogs.
“Night, Marty,” he said as he passed.
“Night.”
Jonty walked back to him. “I was wondering…”
“Yes.”
“Would you dress up for the Halloween event? Something creepy? Maybe like… Er… Oh, I don’t know…” Except he did. “Uncle Fester out of the Addams Family?” Shit, is that offensive? “Not because you’re bald. I mean Wayne is bald, but he’s going to be in a bloodstained apron. If you wore a long coat buttoned up to the neck, you might…” Really shut up. “Well, just an idea. I’d like everyone in costume.”
“I’ll see what I can find.”
“Great, thanks.”
Jonty headed across the car park, realising he should have called a staff meeting about what was going to happen. His head was still buzzing with ideas, alongside anxiety about the hotel and what he might have discovered. He loaded the dogs into the footwell, took off their leads, and Winnie climbed on the passenger seat.
“If you’re going to sit there, don’t move,” Jonty said. “And remember not a word to Devan because you’re such a blabbermouth.”
He drove home very slowly. If Winnie scratched the leather, he wasn’t sure Devan would believe that some wild creature had leapt in, clawed the seat and leapt out again before he could do anything.
Jonty was exhausted by the time they got home. As he opened the front door, the dogs bounded in and ran into the main room. Jonty dropped all the stuff he was carrying. He pulled off his coat and immediately shivered in a cold draught. When Winnie yipped repeatedly, he tensed. Had there been a break-in? Obviously, it couldn’t be Brad, because that fucker was locked up, but fear surged into Jonty’s throat and he grabbed an umbrella from beside the door.
Hang on a minute. Was it Devan? He was terrible at wanting the glass doors open all the time. Sometimes it was like sitting in a fridge, with Jonty having to warm his hands on Devan’s stomach.
“This is your only warning. I’m armed and extremely dangerous,” Jonty called. “I’m a professional cage fighter.” He strode towards the main room with his heart hammering because what if it wasn’t Devan, only to come to an abrupt halt when he saw a familiar figure smiling up at him from under the dogs.
“Tear Devan limb from limb, Charlotte! Lick him to death, Winnie! He opened the bifold doors again and we’re all going to freeze to death.”
Jonty dropped the umbrella and fell to his knees. Moments later, he was in Devan’s arms being kissed by him, with Winnie and Charlotte crawling all over both of them, licking any bare skin they could find.
With the dogs finally settled, and the doors closed, Devan managed to get Jonty onto the couch. Jonty was clutching him tightly, his hands fisting Devan’s sweater, his face pressed into his shoulder, while Devan stroked his back, trying to calm him down. Sometimes Jonty was like an overgrown puppy, not that Devan would change him.
“Tears of joy?” Devan asked.
“Yes, but…”
“What? A but? Has the shine gone already?”
“I am so happy you’re here, but…wait for it…I’m such an idiot. Why did I think this Halloween thing would be a good idea? I should have just stuck to a party for friends, then I could have made cheesy witches’ fingers and shortbread gravestones and brain jelly and it would have been simple, but fun. Now the whole thing is trundling along like a juggernaut and dragging me with it. And then I found something out about Bruce and I don’t know if it is something or if I’m making it into something. And I’m so hungry I could eat you. On the plus side, my hands are no longer cold. Thank you, beloved hand-warmer.”
Devan chuckled and kissed Jonty’s head. “When did you last have something to eat?”
“I can’t remember. At least a week ago.”
“You ate your meal and half of mine on the plane. That was a few days ago.”
“I love plane food. It’s so cute.”
“Not always.”
“When it’s not, you can eat mine.”
“Thank you. When did you really last eat?” Devan stroked Jonty’s cheek.
“I didn’t go shopping yesterday and there’s nothing in the fridge. I’m a complete failure as a boyfriend. I need to go on a course. How to be the best boyfriend ever when your boyfriend is really, really demanding.”
Devan laughed.
“I should be looking after you because your mum is ill and all I’m doing is whining.”
“And making me smile.” Devan kissed him and gradually Jonty melted against him.
“Calm again?” Devan asked.
“Yes.”
“What did you find out about Bruce that has you all worked up?”
Jonty tensed. “No longer calm. I had coffee with the major this morning and he complained the brand had been changed and it wasn’t as good. And that the price had doubled, and chocolate biscuits taken off the menu. He was very upset about the chocolate biscuits, but I made sure he had some today. Oh, but I forgot biscuits for Dottie! Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, I’d only had a sip of my Americano before I got called away, but it didn’t taste wonderful. Wayne said it was crap too and when I looked at the invoices, Bruce has changed the supplier to a company called Bandax, and he’s ordering loads more than we usually did and it’s expensive. Not as expensive as cat poop-coffee but still… Is Bandax a group supplier?”
“No.”
“Oh. Bang goes the theory of economies of scale. See? I did listen when you explained that it was better to buy Flakes in bulk rather than one at a time.”
“When have you ever bought one Flake?”
“I used to. Anyway, it’s not just coffee. Butter too, and other stuff, but then I stopped looking. It could be nothing. The hotel is bigger. Maybe more people are drinking coffee. Maybe it’s a combined deal or something.”
“Or maybe Bruce is taking a kickback.”
Jonty nodded. That was exactly what he’d wondered. “Do you think that’s why he walked out? Maybe he’s gone for good, not just for a short holiday. Oh God, I had no idea what I was doing today.”