Chapter Sixteen
Walker
Their usual high, round table at The Bolthole was already two deep with bottles of beer.
Walker sat next to Fox who, he noticed, wore a brand-new checked shirt and a secretive smile, but he insisted he wasn’t sharing his big news until everyone was there.
Although they were chatting, Walker clocked Etienne eyeing the door for Isabella. He nudged him.
‘Missing her already?’
Etienne shrugged and tilted the cowboy hat back on his head. ‘What can I say, mate? I can’t get enough of her.’
Walker shook his head in mock dismay. ‘Who would have thought it? Etienne the one-night wonder practically living with his girlfriend.’ They clinked bottles at the enormity of the change.
‘Now that I’ve found her, I just want to be with her all the time.’
‘Everything changed so quickly,’ Walker said.
‘From the very first time I touched her,’ Etienne replied. Walker had a sudden flash of memory, the feeling of Gabi’s skin under his hands. He found himself following Etienne’s lead and glancing towards the entrance.
‘Same for me and Amber,’ Alex joined in. ‘Although obviously mine didn’t end in a happy ever after.’
‘There’s still time, Al.’ Etienne slung his free arm around his brother’s shoulders.
‘Did you not see her at Story Stars?’ Alex snorted to dismiss the idea.
‘What about you, Fox?’ Walker asked. ‘Anything to report?’
‘Reggie lost another tooth,’ Fox said happily. Walker laughed.
‘How about your love life?’
‘What love life?!’
‘What about your sex life then?’ Etienne asked.
‘Nothing happening, man.’
‘You’re telling me you haven’t been with a woman since that one-night stand last autumn at the games convention?’ Etienne asked disbelievingly. Everyone leaned in for the answer.
‘Nope,’ Fox said.
‘And nothing came of that?’ Alex asked.
‘Nothing at all,’ Fox said. ‘It couldn’t really, after I snuck out in the morning. I don’t even know her name. She was using a gamer tag – Red777.’
‘Have you looked for her when you’re playing online?’ Walker asked.
Fox shook his head no, but Walker wasn’t convinced. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Fox cut him off.
‘No time, no energy.’ He held a hand up.
Alex nodded his understanding, and they clinked bottles.
A whoop from the door told them that the girls had arrived, and all four men turned at once. Let the fun begin.
Isabella was across the room and entwined with Etienne in seconds, snatching his cowboy hat from his head and placing it firmly onto her own.
Amber headed directly to the bar in skinny jeans and cowboy boots, and Walker watched Gabi swing herself across the dance floor on her crutches, breathing out only when she crossed safely and arrived at their table.
Holy shit, he thought. She looked scorching, wearing a checked shirt tied above her midriff and a low-slung denim skirt.
Her bare left leg was tucked into a brown cowboy boot, protective boot on the right.
A tall guy with impeccable facial hair followed behind.
Walker bristled at the hand he had on Gabi’s back, until he recognised the amazingly sculpted face of Isabella’s friend, Jesse.
‘You all remember Jesse, don’t you? My bestie from university?’ Isabella said, grabbing the man’s arm and bringing him into the inner circle. ‘He’s come to visit – and he has a date while he’s here!’
‘Anyone we know?’ Etienne asked. Jesse theatrically looked around in case anyone was listening in, then beckoned everyone close.
‘Toby!’ he stage whispered.
‘As in, Rosie and Wren’s donor daddy?’ Walker asked. They all knew Toby; he was at all of Riley’s parties, nursery events and sports days.
‘The very same. God, he’s so good-looking .
. .’ Jesse fanned his face and looked as though he were fainting.
Luckily Amber arrived with a tray of drinks at exactly the right time, and he drank to cool himself off.
Walker flashed a glance at Gabi as she took a glass, spotting a glimpse of her toned stomach between shirt and skirt.
Her skin gleamed as though she’d just put on body oil.
She met his look full on, and his stomach dropped. She looked full of fire.
At exactly that moment, Fox decided the time was right to share his news. He tapped his glass with a pen and cleared his throat, waiting for everyone’s attention.
‘So, what’s going on?’ Walker asked. Fox took a deep breath.
‘I sold my game,’ he said simply, running his hand through his silver quiff, as though it were nothing special.
As though he hadn’t worked on this computer game design endlessly for the last couple of years, nights, weekends, every hour he could while the boys were at school.
This was big news. Bigger than big. This was massive.
‘Congratulations, bro,’ Walker said, pulling him in tight for a hug.
‘Thanks, Walker.’ Fox grinned. The table broke into claps and cheers and people reached out, kissed him and squeezed his arm, clapped his back, wherever they could reach, knowing how much of himself he’d put into this game.
Walker found himself next to Gabi and caught the scent of her soft, musky perfume as she reached to congratulate Fox.
‘Not only sold it, though,’ said Fox when he could speak again.
‘But sold it to the biggest games corporation in the world. It’s a multi-million-pound deal .
. . and we signed today.’ Fox said the last few words in a rush and then clapped his hand over his mouth.
Someone stammered. Everyone else went silent.
Walker looked at his oldest male friend and felt the breath catch in his throat.
‘Multi-million pound?’ Walker repeated. Everyone looked at each other around the table. Fox nodded and a burst of laughter escaped his mouth.
‘Multi-million pound,’ Fox confirmed, before lifting his chin and howling spectacularly at the ceiling.
The table erupted. Walker and Fox jumped up and down, holding arms. Alex and Etienne jumped on in a tangle of man love.
‘You know what this means, don’t you?’ asked Fox, when the table calmed.
‘It means you’re richer than your wildest dreams?’ suggested Etienne.
‘It means your whole life is about to change,’ added Walker.
‘It means . . .’ Fox said, clearing his throat, ‘Drinks are on me!’