“How are you holding out?” Lee asked.
“Oh, you know,” Drew said, trying to be funny. “I’ve just got about a million fans pissed off at me for pretending to be queer while I’m sitting around wondering if my not-fake boyfriend hates me.”
He winced hard as soon as the words were out. So much for being cool.
He heard Lee exhale. He also heard a lot of noise and distraction behind him, like he was out shopping or something.
“Sorry,” he said immediately. “It sounds like you’re busy.”
“Um,” Lee said, drawing the syllable out. It wasn’t at all the response Drew was expecting. “I’m sort of doing something, but I was going to call you about it.”
“Oh?” Drew was completely lost.
“Yeah.” Lee hesitated. “Okay, this is weird, but are you filming this evening?”
“No. I actually just got done for the day.”
“Really? You’re free right now?”
“And for the rest of the day,” Drew reiterated, his heart beating even faster.
“Wow.” Lee was silent for a minute, but the background noise continued. “So I know this is a longshot,” he went on in a quieter voice, “but do you want to come down to my mum’s house this afternoon?”
“Your mom’s house?”
“Yes. The one with the garden.”
“I remember your mom’s house.”
“So do you want to come?”
Drew thought about it for a second. Honestly, yes. He wanted to get as far away from the mess around him as he could. “I’d love to.”
“Great. Do you remember how to get here?”
The conversation took an entirely different turn as Lee gave him the address again and they made plans to meet.
After that, the phone call ended, and, feeling like he was in a daze, Drew called Ali to come back and get him.
Half an hour later, he was in the car on his way to Kent. He had no idea what was going on, but his entire soul seemed to thrum with promise, as if his life was about to turn another corner.
He was still in a daze when he walked up to the front steps of Sharon Cresswell’s house and knocked on the door. His body buzzed as he waited for Lee to answer, and when he did, Drew was so happy to see the man that it was a miracle he didn’t fling himself straight into Lee’s arms and beg him to never let the two of them fight again.
Instead, he said, “Hi.”
“Hi,” Lee replied, face going pink.
They stood there, staring at each other like lovesick fools who had gone up on their lines for a second.
“I don’t know?—”
Lee shushed him, then took his hand and drew him into the house. Not just into the house, but through the house and into the back garden.
The back garden that had been transformed into some sort of fairy tea setting, complete with tulle bunting, glittery decorations that looked like they belonged at a four-year-old girl’s birthday party, and a gorgeous table set for tea, including a beautiful cake.
“What’s all this?” Drew asked, not sure whether to laugh or gape.
“It’s a grand gesture,” Lee said, pulling out one of the chairs at the table for Drew to sit.