Chapter 25 Reubyn
Reubyn
Anxiety is written all over Miles’s face as he opens the door.
‘Is everything all right?’ Reubyn delivers the words with a grimace that suggests he knows everything is very much not all right.
Miles ruffles his hair with the palm of his free hand as he holds the door open. ‘I just got accosted by another reporter.’ He looks up and down the corridor and closes the door behind them. ‘It’s happening again.’
Reubyn perches on the desk, his lips pressed into a line. ‘I saw the reporter. Is there anything you want me to do?’
‘I don’t think there’s anything we can do.’ Miles falls silent for a moment, then sighs heavily. ‘I’m waiting for the police to get back to me about last night, and in the meantime, I can’t even go to the bloody shop without getting harassed.’
Reubyn frowns and shakes his head. Poor Miles is really being put through the wringer, and the timing of these most recent unfortunate events couldn’t be worse.
Reubyn took ownership of the bus this morning, and it’s incredible – even better than the pictures suggested.
It’s been months in the planning, and he’s been so looking forward to showing Miles.
But he has a feeling that unveiling it now might be inappropriate.
Like cracking a joke at a funeral, it might be just the thing to lift spirits, but there’s also a significant risk it could make matters worse.
Reubyn walks over to the window and peers through a gap in the curtains.
He looks at Miles and opens his mouth to speak, then changes his mind.
He scratches his head. ‘I don’t know whether to tell you this or not. ’
Miles clenches his teeth. ‘Oh God. What now?’
‘It’s not like that. It’s nothing to worry about.’
‘Yeah, well, whatever it is, it can’t make things worse than they already are.’
Reubyn’s heart flutters as he grips the curtain and begins to pull it back.
‘Don’t,’ Miles says. ‘I think there’s a photographer out there.’
Reubyn lets go, having widened the gap in the curtains by about a foot, and a shaft of light pierces the centre of the room. ‘But I need to show you. The thing is, it’s parked outside.’
‘What is?’ As soon as the words leave his lips, Miles’s expression changes – his eyes bulge at a realisation. He knows, Reubyn thinks. Miles will have noticed the bus parked outside the hotel – it’s not like it blends in.
Reubyn waves him over. ‘Come and have a look.’
Miles walks to the window and peers out through the curtains.
Reubyn pulls a set of keys out of his pocket and tosses them into his hand. ‘That motorhome down there, it was meant to be a surprise, but in light of what’s been going on, I guess you’re probably not in the mood for surprises.’
They both stare down at the vehicle, taking in its sheer magnitude – it’s the size of a coach. It’s also new and immaculate. The motorhome is on six wheels, and the body is covered in panels and hatches – all hiding fancy features powered by hydraulics.
‘What is this?’ Miles says. ‘Have you hired it or something?’
‘No, I got it through a brand partnership. Normal deal – I just need to promote it with some video content. It’s ours for a week. If you want it, that is.’
Miles is silent. His eyes dart and flicker.
And then he smiles, a broad, easy grin – the first time Reubyn has seen him smile in days – and it spreads like a virus to Reubyn’s own lips.
‘Mate,’ Miles says, ‘this is perfect. I mean, it’s perfect.
’ He slaps Reubyn on the back. ‘I can’t believe you did this. It’s genius.’
Reubyn beams. ‘I’m glad you like it.’
‘I have questions, though.’
‘Fire away.’
Miles points out of the window. ‘Do you even know how to drive that thing?’
Reubyn laughs. ‘Yep. I had a go just now.’ He decides not to mention the fact that, strictly speaking, he’s meant to have an HGV licence – something he assured the company he had. ‘I’ve had some lessons. It’ll be worth it, I reckon. I should get some good content out of it.’
‘When can we leave?’
‘Whenever we want.’
‘Tonight?’
Reubyn shrugs. ‘We could. But I would suggest we load up on supplies, get everything we need, and then move on in the morning.’
‘Okay, okay.’ Miles nods, his eyes scanning the room, where his belongings are spread out across the space. He opens his case, and then picks up a pair of jeans, rolls them up and puts them inside. ‘What about the girls? Can they come?’
Reubyn grins. ‘I’m glad you asked. I’ve already told Faith about it, and she wants to join.’
‘She does?’
‘She wants to be a YouTuber, and she’s offered to help as a kind of intern.’
Miles grins back. It’s incredible to see how much his mood has suddenly lifted. He takes another look down at the motorhome. ‘But would there be enough space? If they both came, that would make seven of us.’
‘There’s loads of room.’ Reubyn hooks a finger to beckon Miles, whose newly found energy has caused him to wander all over the room, tidying various items into his case. He points at the vehicle. ‘You see those panels on the side of the bus?’
‘Yeah.’
‘When it’s parked up, those side bits can extend, so the interior pretty much doubles in size. We could fit ten people in there, easy. It’s epic inside, it really is. Do you want to come down and take a look?’
Miles shakes his head. ‘Not right now.’
Reubyn’s smile fades. ‘Yeah, of course. I wasn’t thinking.’ He bites his lip and stares out of the window for a moment, then turns back to Miles. ‘So, will you pitch the idea to Jessie?’
‘Yeah. I’ll invite her over here later. It’s not like I can go out anywhere.’
‘Yeah, right.’ Reubyn sucks in his cheeks. He goes quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed, then takes a deep breath. ‘Look’ – then after a long pause – ‘do you think it’s time to be honest with the girls about what’s going on?’
Miles stops still and narrows his eyes. ‘Seriously? I doubt they’ll be thrilled about coming with us if we suddenly mention a murder trial and a stalker.’
Reubyn lets go of a nervous laugh. ‘Look, I want them to come, too. I’m just saying we probably ought to be open about it, so they know what they’re getting involved in.’
Miles stares vacantly at the sunglasses case in his hands. He turns it over several times, then tosses it into the suitcase. ‘I hear what you’re saying, but it’s not like we’d be putting them in any danger or anything. The whole point is we are moving away from trouble.’
Reubyn twists the corner of his mouth.
‘I’ll tell them,’ Miles says. ‘Let’s just leave it a few days, until everything has settled down a bit. I just want things to be normal for a little while longer. Fair?’
‘Okay,’ Reubyn says. ‘Fair. Let’s be honest, it’s a miracle they haven’t found out already – why ruin it?’ He claps his hands together. ‘Right, I better get on. We need to stock up, fill the bus with supplies. Any requests?’
‘Hang on a minute,’ Miles says. ‘You haven’t even told me where we’re going.’
‘We can go anywhere – that’s the whole point.’
‘But where first? You must have some idea?’
‘Well, there’s not a lot of point in heading south because there’s not much between here and Antarctica.’
‘So, we go north?’ Miles takes his phone out of his pocket, presumably to open a map.
‘Basically, yeah. Ultimately, it’s up to you where we go – it’s your trip.’
‘Is it all right if we go somewhere quiet? Somewhere a bit out of the way?’
Reubyn smiles. ‘Absolutely. I think I know the perfect place.’