Francis Maida Avenue #2
“Ian!” I reply, raising my glass in his direction, ready to tease him about whatever flirty detour made him late, usually an easy guess. But the dejected look on his face stops the words in my throat.
I’m still deciding whether to ask what’s wrong when he beats me to it, blurting out, “Where is everyone?” He doesn’t even need to specify who he means.
“Uh… I’m afraid Seb and Remi have slipped off to the kitchen again, some flimsy excuse to make out like teenagers. I actually caught them earlier…”
Ian shoots me a sharp sideways glance that shuts me right up, and I can’t help but smirk to myself. It’s just too easy to get a rise out of him on the topic.
“What about Jamie and Noah?” he cuts in, clearly changing the subject before I can elaborate further.
“Last I saw, those two were practically devouring each other right in the middle of the party…”
“Francis!!” he warns, having caught on that I’m deliberately pushing his buttons.
“Why don’t you ask me where Anne went instead?” he offers, feigning innocence.
“Auh!” I groan, clutching my chest with theatrical flair. “Low blow…” I add, while Ian shakes his head and finally cracks a smile.
We lock eyes for a long moment, silently calling a truce, these little jabs are part of our dynamic, and we both know exactly when it’s time to switch gears.
We hug, clapping each other’s backs like brothers, and that’s when I realise it’s time to cut to the chase. Jokes aside, us Blackbird boys, we’ve got each other’s backs, always.
“McAvoy, why don’t you tell me what’s with the long face?” I say, pulling away and nudging him lightly in the ribs.
He gives me a sideways look for a second, then lets out a loud huff that says everything about his mood. “My parents are dumping my brother on me for a few months!” he groans.
I blink at him, caught off guard. Of all the reasons Ian might be sulking today, this one was not on my list.
“Wait… what do you mean dumping him on you?” I ask, amused by his choice of words.
“I mean Jack’s been accepted into some weird dance academy or whatever, and now he’s moving to London…”
“Well, that’s great news!” I cut in. “Aren’t you happy for him?”
Ian looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, then says, “Of course I’m happy for him… What I’m not happy about is him moving into my place while he looks for somewhere else to live…”
“Well, I’ve got two brothers and a sister, they’re all older than me, but I wouldn’t mind having them stay with me if they ever needed to…” I reply in what I think is a perfectly reasonable tone.
He cuts me off again, clearly exasperated.
“You don’t get it…” Ian groans, dropping his usual polished financial-analyst composure. “Jack is a nightmare, a total eccentric. He’s always bouncing around in those ridiculous outfits… We have nothing in common and having him in my flat is going to completely sabotage my social life!”
“If you’re talking about the boys you usually hook up with, I doubt they’ll be put off by your little brother being around…”
I meant it to be reassuring, but judging by Ian’s scowl, I’ve only made things worse. Great. Can’t seem to get anything right today.
Ian narrows his eyes and hisses, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Uh… nothing!” I backtrack immediately. “Just that the boys you date are usually so mesmerised by your magnetic charm, they probably wouldn’t even notice anything else…”
“Oh, please!” he snaps, elbowing me again, harder this time.
Totally worth it, though, because now my friend seems to have shifted his focus away from poor Jack.
“Are you implying I date shallow people?”
“Absolutely not,” I reply solemnly. “Zane, Melvin, Branson, Taylor, Lucas and… what was his name again? Ah yes, Jordan! I’m sure you had loads of intellectually stimulating conversations with all of them. And the others… well, I’m afraid I’ve lost track of their names.”
“Okay, okay, I get it!” he cuts me off again. “Point taken, I’ve been a little promiscuous. I’ll admit it. Although I don’t remember you being such a moralist,” he adds, eyeing me with mock disapproval.
“Me, a moralist?” I shoot back, all innocence.
“Never! I just meant, having your brother around might put a temporary pause on your usual parade of handsome young visitors. Maybe. Maybe not. I doubt it, honestly, and not because I’m a moralist,” I stress the last word with a look, “but because it seems obvious that, at the moment, you prefer to see younger guys who aren’t exactly looking to settle down.
Just like you. That’s totally valid, and you know I’d never judge you for it.
But if, at some point, you did want something more serious, your partner would have to meet your family eventually, Jack included.
So, I really don’t get what the big deal is.
In fact, this whole living arrangement could be a great chance to spend some time together and get to know him a bit better. ”
Ian pulls a face. “That’s because you’ve never met him! Trust me, Jack is a total pain in the arse.”
“Oh, come on,” I laugh. “What’s he ever done to deserve that much disdain?”
“It’s not what he does. It’s what he doesn’t do. Trust me. He lives in his own little world, and instead of giving him a wake-up call, my parents have always coddled him. Even my dad…”
Ian shakes his head with a sigh, and I take a second to look him over properly, from head to toe.
Despite the casual occasion, he’s dressed, as usual, to perfection.
Today he’s gone for a light blue suit that fits his tall, athletic frame like a glove, paired with a crisp white shirt, tailored and worn open at the collar, no tie.
Noticeably, his jet-black hair, fair complexion, and deep, dark eyes make for a pretty damn attractive combination. Ian’s a good-looking guy. Smart, too. Whether he’s got his brother crashing at his place or not, he won’t be short on company.
Why don’t you bring him along next time we meet at the Blackbird?” I ask, suddenly curious. “Do you already know when he’s moving in with you?”
Now that I think about it, I’ve never actually met Ian’s younger brother.
To be honest, my friend has never struck me as particularly close to his family.
Over the years his parents must have come to visit him more than once, but he’s never made a point of introducing them to us.
Then again, he’s hardly an isolated case.
Several people in our group don’t have especially tight bonds with their families of origin.
I’m no exception myself. Even though I have relatives I adore, ever since moving to London, I’ve kept those two worlds fairly separate.
In a way, over the past few years Emma, who comes to London almost every weekend with Maude, has become a sort of mother figure for all of us.
On one hand, it’s a tender thought; on the other, it fills me with a quiet sadness.
“I’m not entirely sure…” Ian replies.
When I stay quiet, he goes on, “I told him to come midweek, so in theory he should already be at mine by Saturday.” Suddenly, a thought occurs to me: “What about Ollie and Kit? Are they okay with Jack staying at yours for a while?” Ian gives me the kind of look you reserve for someone who’s just asked the most obvious question in the world, then rolls his eyes.
“You know them…,” he says, exasperated. Then he adds, “Kit’s so wrapped up in his training that he wouldn’t even notice if a troop of boy scouts moved into the living room.
As for Ollie…” He pauses for a second, and his whole expression softens, just at the mention of his flatmate’s name.
“And Ollie… what?” I push, suddenly intrigued.
“Well, he lives in his own world, somewhere between theatre, make-up tutorials, and all his glamorous social commitments. But he’s so sweet and tender-hearted that I’m sure he’ll end up adoring even my little brother.”
I’m just about to ask who Ollie’s currently dating when a muscular arm suddenly lands around my neck and another around Ian’s shoulders.
Out of nowhere, we’re pulled into a bear hug by Remi, grinning like the Cheshire Cat: “McAvoy! You finally made it! We were waiting for you to let Leo blow out his candles!”
Then he gives Ian a cheeky wink. My friend blushes, and I almost feel bad for him, after all these years, he still hasn’t figured out when Remi is joking.
The three of us head over to the refreshments table, laughing and bantering, where the birthday boy is already waiting, nestled in Sebastian’s loving arms.
As the music starts and the usual off-key chorus begins, signalling it’s time to blow out the candles, I find myself completely overwhelmed by the love that fills the air today.
And just for a moment, I forget all my problems.