Page 16 of A Long Way Back
“If we’re living in the same house and sharing a bathroom, I need to know if you’re going to drive me mad.”
“I probably will, but I’ll make you laugh.”Get this job!Was it even a possibility?“I know when to keep my mouth shut.” And when to open it, but maybe this wasn’t the time to tell him that.“I’m good at sorting, cleaning, tidying. I’m pretty good at doing as I’m told.”Christ, he’d quickly learned that lesson.“And I’m honest.”When necessary.
“My parents will want to know everything about you.”
“Oh shit, and I forgot to take my how-to-withstand-intense-interrogation pill this morning.”
Tay sniggered. “When could you start?”
“Now?” Ink’s heart did a little jump until he reminded himself that he hadn’t been sent byHelperand it would be a miracle if this turned into a job.
“You need to go back to Lewisham to get your stuff?”
“No.”
“Do you want the job?”
“Yes.”
“But…” Tay sounded different.Less confident?“Do you want to work for me?”
“Shouldn’t I?”
“Think you can put up with all my crap?”
“Eh… You can wipe your own backside.”
Tay let out a choked laugh. “Yeah, I can. I should warn you, the spare bedroom is tiny and my mother wants to put a double bed in there.”
“I’ll sell my grand piano.”
Tay smiled. “Would you call my parents in?”
Ink pulled open the door and went back to the main room. “He wants to see you.”
They followed him. Ink noticed that Dog stayed where he was, already making himself at home.
“I’ll have him,” Tay said.
“He wasn’t sent byHelper,” said the woman. “I just checked.”
Oh shit.
Tay stared at him. “I don’t care.”
Ink’s mouth lost moisture.
“I do.” His father glared at Ink. “He’s just some homeless guy who happened to be walking past and latched onto the group. He’s probably working out what he can steal.”
“I don’t have anything worth stealing,” Tay said.
“Your laptop?” His father raised his eyebrows.
Ink shrugged. “Pffft. Two a penny. Got any gold cufflinks, a Rolex, or a first edition of Mr Dickhead?”
Tay laughed loudly, and from the way his parents looked at him, it wasn’t something they heard often.
“I want him,” Tay said.
