Page 90 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
“Ignore him, babe.” Mike put two keys on the table in front of Jonty. “Until you find somewhere. One for the house, one for the van in case you have to take anything out of it.”
“I will, thank you. I’ll need my bike.”
“Right,” Willis said. “We’re off to work. Don’t burn the house down.”
“Shall I let the cat out?” Jonty asked.
Willis widened his eyes. “We don’t have a cat.”
“He’s pulling your leg.” Mike ushered Willis from the kitchen.
When Jonty had finished his breakfast, he washed up and put everything away. There was no point going anywhere until the letting agencies were open, so he sat and made a list of everyone he’d need to inform that he was no longer at his former address. Electricity provider, post office, council, bank, water authority, work… But most would have to wait until he had a new address to give them.
BY THE TIME HE SEToff for work that afternoon, he’d told his current landlord why he’d left, reluctantly accepted he’d have to pay for a month when he wouldn’t be staying there, and he’d been to see three rooms. He’d said no to them all. The first because the area seemed dicey—a guy pissing into a bush in broad daylight had put him off. The second was no good because the shared bathroom was clearly occupied by the spirit of a dead skunk. Or two. The smell made him gag. He discovered why the last was so cheap when the over-friendly guy with a comb over showing him the room made it clear he expected Jonty to beniceto him a couple of times a week.Yuk.
As he cycled, he wondered what to say to Vincent who was bound to ask him why he wanted to speak to Devan and why Jonty had pretended to be someone else. He decided to tell the truth, that he’d been showing Devan around the area and thought he’d lost his phone in the guy’s car. That sounded perfectly innocent. Which begged the question as to why he hadn’t wanted Vincent to know.Damn.He’d have to go with saying he thought Vincent might get the wrong idea.
And then there was Devan, who’d probably tried to call him, had maybe even gone back to the bedsit, and was likely thinking Jonty was sulking. He wasn’t. Though he hadn’t forgotten the choice Devan had made when Ravi had called him.Not me.Nor had he dismissed the fact that Ravi had been with Devan for two years and Jonty not even a week, andbeen withwas a bit of an exaggeration in Jonty’s case.
Jonty got off his bike in the hotel car park, and saw no sign of Devan’s growly car. He wheeled his bike to the rail at the back and secured it. Once he’d changed into his suit in the staffroom, he headed for the front desk. Vincent was dealing with a couple checking in who were telling him they were attending the wedding the next day.
“Get Mr and Mrs Jessop’s bags, please, Jonty,” Vincent said.
Jonty nodded and collected the cart. The couple had suit hangers and a hat box as well as two cases. He took them and their luggage up to their room—a pound coin tip—and went back downstairs. He wanted to call Devan’s room, in case he’d parked his car elsewhere, but he didn’t get the chance. More bags to carry. Once he’d delivered them—no tip—he slipped up to Wave and knocked on the door. There was no answer, though he hadn’t expected one, except maybe from Ravi. So no answer was good news.
But as he came down the stairs from the top floor to the next with a bounce in his step, he bumped into Vincent.
“What were you doing up there?” Vincent asked.
“I wanted to speak to Mr Smith.”
“Why?”
“I think I left my phone in his car.”
“You did what?” Vincent snapped.
Jonty thought he heard a door open down the corridor, but before he could warn Vincent, the hotel manager was off again. “Do I need to remind you of our rules? You’ve worked here long enough to know that you do not associate with guests outside the hotel.”
“But I was—”
“There are nobuts,Jonty. Devan Smith is a guest and you work here. How could you leave your phone in his car?”
“He asked me to show him the area.” Though that wasn’t true. He was the one who’d offered.
“Did he?” Vincent raised his eyebrows.
“Well, I might have offered.”
“And did you show him your flat too?” Vincent spoke through clenched teeth.
“I’ve moved out. I’m staying with friends.”
“You’re on thin ice, Jonty. Do not bother Mr Smith, you understand?”
Jonty nodded.
“Go back to the desk.”
