spectator, can you?’
Ethan reached into his bag and pulled out the forms Sam had given him a couple of days earlier. He hadn’t been able to catch up with his mum since the run-in with his dad.
‘Sam gave me these,’ he said, showing Kat the crumpled forms. ‘Just haven’t had a chance to talk to my mum and get them signed.’
‘You’re not putting it off, are you?’
Ethan shook his head, slipping the forms back into his pocket. ‘No way,’ he said. ‘Not when it’s free. I couldn’t afford to do it otherwise.’
‘So Sam’s doing the jump with you, is he?’
Ethan nodded. ‘It’s not like I had any choice in it. He just gave me the forms, told me I was doing a tandem with him, and walked off.’
Kat laughed out loud. ‘You must’ve made an impression,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t do that for just anyone. Anyway, you’ll love it, trust me. It’s just one of those things you have to do before you die, simple as that.’
Before I die? thought Ethan. Well, that puts it in perspective.
‘And if Nancy can do it, so can you.’
‘Nancy?’ said Ethan, stopping dead halfway through the doorway to the café. ‘Nancy did a jump?’
‘Too right! You should’ve seen her face afterwards!’
‘But, Nancy . . .’ said Ethan. ‘It just doesn’t seem . . .’
Kat turned to him and leaned in conspiratorially. ‘She reckons that that one jump has got her more action than she’s ever had in her whole life! Apparently it’s the perfect way to impress men!’
Ethan laughed and headed over to the counter, then turned at the sound of the café door bursting open behind him. A guy stood in the doorway, his hands raised in the air like he was some kind of returning dignitary. He was wearing the same outfit as Kat and Johnny; another team member, Ethan guessed.
‘It’s OK, everyone, I’m here,’ the guy said, a smug smile slapped across his face. ‘You can all relax.’
Ethan couldn’t help but notice that no one in the café seemed in any way interested in whoever this idiot was.
‘That’s Jake,’ said Kat as the figure turned, winked and strutted over. When he reached Kat, he rested his arm on her shoulder like he was doing her a favour. They were clearly an item – though Ethan noticed that she seemed to shrink a little, like a candle fighting to stay alight. Not that Jake noticed. All he seemed to care about was whether everyone else was watching him.
‘Hey, babe,’ said Jake loudly to Kat. ‘Missed me? Course you have!’
Kat nodded and sort of smiled as Jake leaned over to kiss her cheek. ‘This is Ethan,’ she said, gesturing towards him.
The look Jake gave him wasn’t exactly friendly.
‘Oh, the new boy,’ he said dismissively, addressing Kat as though Ethan didn’t exist. ‘Busy tonight?’ he asked, moving in to nibble her ear.
She shook her head, pulled away from him a little, and shrugged.
‘You are now,’ said Jake. ‘We’re out tonight. Just you and me. I’ve got a table booked. I’ll pick you up in the Porsche. It’s gonna be amazing, trust me!’ He leaned in for another kiss.
‘You own a Porsche?’ said Ethan, not quite believing what he’d heard. Jake looked no older than Johnny. How the hell could he own a Porsche?
Jake glanced at him, nodded, then turned back to Kat, pulling her close.
‘Ethan’s going to do a jump too – aren’t you, Ethan?’ said Kat, smiling. ‘Sam’s got him working all over the centre.’ She gave a laugh, but it didn’t sound quite as happy and full of life as the last time Ethan had heard it.
Jake released Kat, and this time he looked Ethan up and down like he was really checking him out. Then he shook his head. ‘Great,’ he said. ‘That’s all we need; another rookie in the sky.’
‘I didn’t know people were born skydiving,’ Ethan retorted, before his brain kicked in to tell him to keep his mouth shut.
‘You what?’ said Jake.
He shrugged. ‘We’ve all got to start somewhere, haven’t we? I mean, I know it’s hard to believe, but I guess even you had to do a first jump once upon a time.’
Ethan saw Jake’s eyes narrow as he came closer, until there were just inches between them. ‘You haven’t even jumped yet. What would you know about anything?’ he said icily.
Ethan suddenly felt very sure that he and Jake hadn’t just got off on the wrong foot, but were about to use those feet to kick