Page 31 of Commitment Issues
“But you did. And the cleaner?” Laughter’s tugging hard at his lips. “That was inspired, but also not so far from the truth. One of the men I found him with was the window cleaner. He’ll hate that, when he gets to hear of it. As he will. Marcus is Gavin’s friend, not mine, as you may have gathered, but he’s indiscreet and finds it hard to keep his mouth closed. Anyway, enough about him. Where did theEllscome from?”
I groan. It’d been off the cuff, said before I could stop myself. Just like the rest of it.
“I didn’t mean to make you sound like a teenage girl. It just came out of my mouth. Sorry.”
Elliot shakes his head and smiles. “The last person who called me Ells, or Elli, or anything like it, was James, when we were fifteen. I dislocated his jaw, broke his violin, got detention for the rest of term, and had my privileges taken away from me.”
“I thought you were at boarding school, not a young offenders’ institute?”
Elliot snorts. “It was every bit a prison as young offenders, but with worse food.”
“So, I should never, most definitely, absolutely ever call you Ells again?”
“Come on, we need a proper drink.”
We abandon the vile green cocktails Andrew had thrust into our hands, and I scamper after him as he strides towards the bar.
And then I realise — he hasn’t answered my question.
