Page 49 of Fe
Fen wondered why he’d bothered asking when he couldn’t lift anything heavy, though he could bubble-wrap the fragile items.
“No, you’re fine. Your mum won’t want you exerting yourself. Scott’s going to come. Well, I’ve paid him to help.”
“I could sit at the table and wrap things.”
“No, don’t worry about it. Your mum wants to do that herself. She says she’s going to go through everything and either throw, donate or keep. My money is on a very large pile for keep.” He grimaced.
“She won’t even throw away bits of sewing thread.”
“I know. I’m going to let her have the garden room for all her sewing stuff. I’ve painted it. Don’t tell her. It’s a surprise.”
“Okay.”
“Sure you’re all right about us marrying?”
“Of course I am. I’m happy for Mum. And you. You’re lucky.”
Alistair smiled. “I know.”
Fen went back to the workshop.
Later that afternoon, Scott and Fen were both called into the office by Alistair.
“Want to bet on which of us has a total closest to my uncle’s?” Scott asked.
“No. Just getting one item wrong throws that out.”
“Ten quid says I’m closest.”
“I’m not betting.”
“Loser!”
Fen quietly sighed and followed Scott in.
When they emerged several minutes later, Fen made sure he hid his elation. Alistair had praised Fen’s presentation and pointed out multiple errors in Scott’s estimates. The downside was Scott was livid with him. Not for the first time. Neither Charles nor Alistair seemed to praise Scott for much. He had little interest in the business or in learning how to repair anything. Fen was surprised he’d stayed working there as long as he had, but then he also suspected Scott was paid more than him for doing a lot less work.
If Fen said yes to Ripley, he wasn’t sure he could still do this job, not if Ripley wanted him to have a lot of time off. Maybe it was better to resign. In six months, he’d go travelling, maybe see where the wind took him and come back when he ran out of money. It would be the only chance he’d get before he ended up in a wheelchair.Oh fuck.Thinking that had hurt.He didn’t let himself focus on what his future would be like. He already knew what it held, but no one could predict how quickly his BMD would progress.
Fen took a deep breath. Maybe Ripley’s proposition was no longer on the table. Maybe he’d have to keep working here because there wasn’t much else he could do. Except when Charles and Alistair retired, Scott was the heir apparent and there was no way on this earth Fen would work for him. The only reason Fen stayed was because he liked Alistair and was still learning from him.
That evening, Fen had arranged to see Seth and Morgan, his best friends, for a drink in Borough. Seth worked at a tailor’s with dreams of breaking into the fashion industry and Morgan was a medical student. He was close to finishing now.
Fen had told them about the muscular dystrophy when he’d first met them. Not something he usually did. But they’d wanted to know where he’d been to school before and when he told them, they’d asked why on earth he’d left.Why give up ballet?was a question that would hurt forever. Fen couldn’t bring himself to lie, even though he wasn’t having many issues at the time. No need for a crutch, for a start.
The pair were already in The Bell when he arrived, and Fen made his way through to their table. A lemon and lime waited for him, along with a stranger with dirty blond hair, an ear full of piercings along with two nose studs and a bar in his eyebrow too. He really wished Seth would stop trying to set him up. Seth and Morgan hugged him.
“This is Daniel,” Seth told him. “Daniel, this is Fen.”
Daniel’s hand was clammy and Fen had to fight not to wipe his fingers on his coat.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” Daniel said as Fen sat down.
“That must have taken no more than two minutes,” Fen said.
At least he laughed.
“Daniel’s a graffiti artist,” Seth said.
