Page 66 of Fool Me Twice
The cold wind was making him regret chucking a perfectly good cup of coffee, and Kai could probably do with something to warm them up, so Zig backtracked to the nearest coffee shop before heading on up to the tor.
He told himself all the way Kai wouldn’t be there, but when he got to the gate, there they were, bundled up in their sleeping bag as usual.
“All right, mate?”Zig called, relief making him grin.
Kai smiled in answer.“I’m good.You?”
Zig made a face.“Peachy.You like lattes?Not got any milk allergies or whatever?I’ve got black if you’d rather.”
“Latte, please.I need the calories.Thanks.”Kai took the cup Zig held out and warmed their hands on it.
Zig sank down into a cross-legged position next to them, the ground under his bum like a block of ice.Probably seeping damp into his jeans, too, but they were black enough that at least it wouldn’t look like he’d wet himself when he got up.“Bit of luck, you being here, and all.I’d have felt a right muppet having to drink two ventis on me own.”
“Lose my number, did you?”Kai asked, eyebrow quirked.
“No, I— Ah, shit.”Just call him bloody Kermit.“Could have texted you, couldn’t I?Asked what you wanted.I amreallynot thinking straight today.”
“Got something on your mind?”
Zig took a sip of his black Americano.It tasted bitter.Funny how quick he’d got used to having milk again.“Yeah.Kinda.”
“Let me know if you want to talk about it.Or we can talk about something else.”Kai shrugged.“Or sit and drink coffee and not talk at all.”
A couple in high-tech hiking gear reached them and sent a dirty look their way before walking on, ignoring the mostly empty margarine tub Kai had out withThank Youscrawled on it in Sharpie.
Zig coughed.“Wankers,” he muttered.
Kai giggled.
A lady in patchwork trousers stopped to drop in a couple of quid.She gave Zig a sharp look.“You ought to wrap up warmer.There’s nothing of you.You know you can get warm clothes at the shelter, don’t you?”
“Uh, cheers.I’m good, ta,” Zig said, embarrassed.Mind, itwasa bit nippy up here.
“You go to the shelter,” she admonished him, like she was worried it hadn’t sunk into his obviously thick head the first time, and strode away up the hill.
Kai was laughing into their scarf again.
Zig rolled his eyes.“Think I’d better leg it before she comes back down.She might not take no for an answer next time.Hey, are you all right?Keeping warm enough?”
Kai gave him a side-eye.“I’m fine.Someof us know when it’s time to go to the shelter.”
Zig flipped them a middle finger, feeling better already.
“So where are you off to after this?”Kai asked.“Not up the tor, if you’re hiding from the patchwork-trousered philanthropist.”
Zig grinned.“The what now?Have you been reading books or something?”
“You oughtta try it sometime.Broadens your horizons, and some of ’em have pictures in.And it’s warm in the library, and you don’t have to buy stuff to stay.”
“Oi, I read books.I’ve been toboththe libraries in town.”Zig sighed.“Probably end up back in one of ’em after this.That’s the trouble with bar work: you get your free time while everyone else is working.There’s only so many times a bloke can wander round the shops before they start to think he’s casing the joint.”He huffed a bitter laugh.
Kai gave him a long look.“If you’ve got the money, you could go to the Chalice Well.It’s quiet there.S’posed to be really spiritual.”
“If it’s spiritual, how come it costs money?”
Kai shrugged.“It’s a garden, innit?Needs upkeep.Spirituality isn’t going to weed the beds.Or clean the loos.”
“Don’t they have, like, acolytes to do that?”
