Page 117 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
“You can change your mind,” Devan said. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Now I’ve put on my best sweater? The one I can only wear once without having to wash it?” Jonty chewed his lip. “I want to see my mother. I want answers from her so I think Idohave to do this.”
“You’re still sayingthink.”
“I know I am.”
“Do you want me with you?” Devan asked.
Jonty glanced at him. “Yes, inside the house, but maybe outside the door of the room. Just in case I get all stabby and need stopping.”
“Okay.”
Mike had delivered Jonty’s board and bike before they set off, and they’d put them in the garage only to find there were already a couple of surfboards in there, and other equipment for the beach along with two bikes. Mike had also delivered a warning to Devan, a quiet word when he thought Jonty couldn’t hear. “You’re making this harder for him. Don’t fuck him around.” Devan hadn’t answered. Jonty wasn’t sure whether he wanted to thump Mike or hug him.
“What would you like to eat tonight?” Jonty asked.
Devan laughed. “God, your changes of direction make my head spin. I’m happy with anything. But not brawn. I feel sick thinking about that.”
“Pizza then. I’ll make it. Pizza, then hot tub.”
“I need to go to the hotel later today to talk to my guys and work out how much to offer for the hotel.”
“Maybe I’ll be able to afford to buy it. I’ve been saving up. I have aThis is going to change my lifefund. I’m counting on my new suit and shoes helping towards that change.”
“No one could resist you in that suit. You want to come with me to the hotel?”
“I’ll stay here and get the pizza ready. I like to cook pizza naked.Shiiit.I shouldn’t have told you that. Don’t rush back and crash. I can’t eat two pizzas.”
Devan smiled.
Jonty gave a shaky exhalation. “What if he’s not in?”
“He’ll be in. He’s sick, remember?”
“Doesn’t mean he can’t go out.”
“I suppose. But he knows you’re coming.”
“Maybe that’s an incentive not to be in.”
Devan’s phone rang and he accepted the call. “Hi, Clara.”
“Morning, Devan. Roger and I are about fifteen minutes away from McAllister’s.”
“Great. I’ll meet you there late this afternoon. There’s a wedding in the hotel today, so it’s going to be busy. That works to your advantage. With so many people milling about, you’re less likely to be noticed. I’ve left a message at reception that they’re to give you a key to my room. Any problems call me. Hamish McAllister knows I have people coming up, so you can speak to him if you need to. If anyone asks, you’re building inspectors called in by McAllister. He’s going to talk to his staff tomorrow, so we need to give him a price as soon as possible. Sorry to press you.”
“No problem,” Roger said.
“We’ll get right on it,” Clara added. “See you later.”
Devan pressed a button on the wheel to end the call.
“I had a text from Hamish saying there was a meeting for all staff at eleven tomorrow,” Jonty told him. “So he didn’t know at that point that Vincent had sacked me.”
“I’m going to sort that out.”
“Oh.”
