Rentboy

not.
    But I’m not dressing in cords and a pullover, so get that out of your head. Anyway, what am I saying?
    I can’t come. I promised the twins I’d spend the weekend with them.”
    Joining him at the window, Eddie drew Fox close to his side. “You can dress any way you want,
    and you can bring the twins along with you. Are they rambunctious?”
    “No, they’re really quiet.” Quiet was an understatement. Neither had ever uttered a word except
    his name.
    “They can wander off round the village and amuse themselves. There’s always a cricket match
    on Sundays in the summer, right on the village green. It’s rather impromptu. Perhaps they could join
    in.”
    Neither twin would know what to do with a cricket bat, and they’d never understand the
    instructions. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”
    Sighing, Eddie said, “All right. I’ll leave it with you. I’ll be leaving here between nine and half
    past on Saturday morning. If you are not here during that time, I’ll go without you. Do you have a
    mobile?”
    “No.” That was another lie.
    “I’ll wait till half past.” Eddie leaned down to kiss the top of his head.
    A black car stopped on the street outside the flat. What the hell was going on? “Look, Eddie.
    There’s that car again.”
    “It looks like the same car, but why would it be? There are lots of cars like that driving around
    London.” Eddie pulled Fox round to face him and kissed him tenderly on the lips. “Come away from
    the window. Come to bed with me.”
    “Yeah, all right.”
    “And will you stay the night? Please.”
    “Yeah, but I’ll have to leave early.”
    “Just don’t take my computer this time.” Eddie smiled.
    Chapter Six
    In the bright morning sun Edward threw his overnight bag into the car boot and then sat in the
    driver’s seat with the windows down, waiting and watching in the rearview mirror for Fox. Twenty-
    five past nine and there was no sign of him. If he doesn’t come by half past, I’ll wait another fifteen
    minutes.
    The whole thing was a stupid idea in the first place, inviting a Goth and his teenage siblings to
    go home with him to meet his uptight parents. At least Nik would love them, but how would he
    explain his friendship with a young man more than ten years his junior who wore black clothes, had
    obviously dyed hair, and whose eyes were covered in makeup? He prayed the twins had good
    manners. With any luck they’d spend the whole time with iPods blasting their eardrums.
    At twenty to ten his disappointment magnified. Fox wasn’t coming, and it was probably for the
    best. Edward would have a boring weekend with his family, eat lovely meals, and get some nice
    presents. With a deep sigh he acknowledged he would far rather eat Pot Noodles and get chased by
    the police with Fox at his side.
    Black hair and a pair of heavily made-up eyes appeared in his driver side mirror, forcing a
    spontaneous grin to crack his face. Happiness surged through him. Edward popped the boot for their
    bags and jumped out of the car.
    The sight that greeted him brought back every doubt he had harbored while sitting there and
    more. As expected, Fox was dressed in all black, but instead of a pair of jeans, he wore a leather kilt.
    The stretch of bare leg between his knees where the kilt ended and the tops of his black boots stood
    out like milk bottles. His black T-shirt had long sleeves. Fox always wore long sleeves. His hair was
    spiked so it stood on end like a hedgehog, and he had added red dye to the ends of the spikes so they
    looked like paintbrushes dipped in red.
    “Hello, Eddie.”
    Despite his shock, Fox’s smile had the usual effect on his heart.
    “Your eye’s nice and swollen.”
    Touching his fingertips to the result of his brawl with the ASBOs, Edward smiled slightly. “You
    came.”
    “When I come, you come.” Fox grinned.
    “What?”
    “It was a pun,” Fox said. “A sexual pun,” he added when Edward frowned in confusion. “Come:
    c-o-m-e. Come: c-u-m.”
    Involuntarily Edward’s hand flew to his mouth, and he laughed.
    “Eddie, it wasn’t that funny.” Fox hugged him. “Is your birthday today or tomorrow?”
    “Today.”
    “Right, then. Happy birthday.” Fox kissed him on the lips before introducing the twins. “That
    one’s Arden, and that one’s Alder.”
    At least the twins weren’t Goths. They were very skinny like Fox and wore identical denim
    shorts and tie-dye T-shirts. Their blond hair fell straight and