“There are so many good artists around, I imagine it’s hard to compete. Did you leave behind family?”
“Parents, grandparents. Not seen them in a while, though.”
I used to have a brother, but he’s dead because of me.
“And what about the singing?” His eyes lit up, and I realised he was more comfortable talking about this than anything else.
“I sang in the choir when I was a boy. Stayed away from the fucking priests, though.”
He chuckled. “I can imagine. They don’t have the best reputation.”
“Tell me about it. I played in a couple of bands back home, but when I moved here, it all dried up. I could never find the right setup.”
By now, my coffee was stone cold, and with all this talking, I needed another. I stood and waggled my coffee cup. “Do you need to rush off? Can I get you anything else?” The awkwardness seemed to have passed, and he’d relaxed a little. His knee had stopped jiggling. He’d even smiled. It transformed his face from slightly disgruntled to devastatingly handsome. He’d said he was nothing to look at, but I disagreed.
“I should go. It’s been… nice.”
“Are you sure?” The coffee shop had filled with school kids and their parents. The noise was increasing, and the stools next to us had been taken by schoolgirls laughing and giggling. “Or we could go somewhere else?”
He glanced at his watch, then outside. Decision warred on his face, his brow furrowed.
“Come on. What have you got to lose? We’re only just getting to know each other.”
“I…”
“No excuses. Grab your coat. There’s a bar I sing at, and it’ll be quiet this time of day. You know you want to.”
Was that a small smile? Was I getting through to him?
“Okay, but not for much longer.”
Fuck, yeah.
Leaving the now raucous coffee shop behind, we headed out into the cold. Winter was definitely moving in early. I shivered and fastened my jacket, but it did little to keep out the frigid wind.
Harvey, on the other hand, looked snug in his warm scarf and thick coat. I bet it wasn’t cheap, either. It looked good quality, unlike the clothes I wore. My budget didn’t run to such extravagances.
“Is it far?” His breath puffed out in front of him, visible to all.
“Nah, just around this corner, then about half a mile. Why? Are you getting tired? Young lad like you.”
“I’m twenty-eight. Not that young.” He didn’t look that old, but he carried it in his body. He wasn’t unfit, but he seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. What had happened for him to be like that? He had no family, but surely, he found joy in something.
I bumped his shoulder. “Nah, you’re still a baby at twenty-eight. Wait until you hit your mid-thirties. Then the trouble starts.”
Despite his asking where the bar was, he appeared to know his way there. I remembered last week when I swore I’d seen him hanging around, but having talked with him today, this part of town wasn’t his thing.
Bars and clubs lined the street, and fast food shops that didn’t open until ten in the evening at the earliest. Beer cans and bottles littered the streets along with empty chip papers and plastic burger boxes.
We’d walked from one of the nicer parts of town to the seedier, rundown part in a matter of yards. I pushed the door open, letting him walk through first.
He stopped dead, and I couldn’t blame him. The smell of stale beer and weed permeated every fibre; the walls, carpets, and the upholstered stools. Why had I brought him here again?
A few of the usuals were dotted around. Some sat by the bar nursing hour-old drinks. Until later tonight, this place was a haven for the unemployed and the alcoholics. Not at all likethe place I’d originally met Harvey in. That one was high-class compared to this.
We’d barely made it through the door when Ash ran over and threw himself into my arms. It was unexpected, but I caught him. He was tiny.
“You are such a naughty man, leaving me in the club last week. Not that I minded. Jed was more than willing to look after me, if you know what I mean.” I rolled my eyes as he giggled.