Cato pointed out the various constellations, Tay only half-listened. How was he going to persuade Ink that whatever happened, he’d always be by his side?
“Any questions before we wait for the meteor shower?”
“How can you tell the difference between a planet and a star?” Jonty called.
“Stars twinkle, planets don’t,” Cato said. “Any other questions?”
“What happens if you travel faster than the speed of light?” Jonty asked.
“It’s impossible.”
“What about wormholes?” Jonty said.
“Science fiction. And the spaceship doesn’t actually go faster than the speed of light, rather they fold space-time around them or shrink it, so that while the spaceship’s in that bubble, they can travel a long way without breaking the speed of light. But negative mass is a theoretical concept. Any more questions? Not you, Jonty.”
Tay smiled into Ink’s hair.
“Look up,” Ink whispered. “Shooting star.”
“Keep your eyes peeled now to the north,” Cato said. “All the meteors appear to us to be radiating from a single point in the sky but they’re actually travelling on parallel paths at the same velocity. And what you’re seeing—”
“There’s one,” someone shouted.
“What you’re seeing is not the rock, but the air glowing behind it as it streaks through the atmosphere.”
“A farting rock,” Jonty said, “Have you ever set fire—?”
Tay glanced over to see Devan had silenced him with a kiss.
“Another!” Cato called.
“Make a wish,” Tay said.
I wish you were with me forever and ever.
“I wish I was back at the house in bed with you,” Ink said.
“Wish something else fast because that wish is definitely going to come true.”
Chapter Nineteen
WHEN TAY DROVE HIM TO the hotel on Monday, Ink lingered in the car, wondering if he could persuade Tay to take him back to the house. But he took a deep breath, kissed Tay goodbye, and watched him drive off. Ink turned to see Jonty running towards him with a smile on his face, and Ink stiffened his spine.
“Morning. Devan says I can show you round. We have a uniform so that’s what we’ll do first. You can tell Tay I made you strip for me. But don’t say that to Devan. He’s a grump in the mornings.”
Ink smiled. “Right.”
He followed Jonty in through an entrance at the rear and down a corridor into a staffroom. Inside there were lockers, chairs and tables.
“Here.” Jonty handed him trousers and a shirt. “I guessed you were about the same size as me. Maybe a bit thinner. Wasn’t sure about shoes. You didn’t really ought to wear boots. What size are you? I’ll order some like mine.”
“Nine and a half.”
Ink took off his black jeans and put on the trousers. When he removed the shirt Tay had lent him and turned to grab the grey one, Jonty gasped.
“Wow, that’s an amazing tattoo. Is it a crow? I love it. But… You’ve got stitches. In two places. What the hell happened? Did Tay stab you?”
“Yes, it’s a crow. No, Tay didn’t stab me.” Ink fastened the buttons on the shirt and swallowed hard when Jonty offered him a blue tie with The Dunes crest.
“I don’t think I can make a good job of tying it,” Ink muttered.
“Want me to do it?”
“Please.”
“There are around thirty ways to tie a tie and I only know one.” Jonty stood behind him and talked him through it. “Over. Up. Through. Round. Inside out. Shake it all about. Up. Down. Er… yep, that’s it. How did you manage at school?”
“The tie was on elastic.”
Jonty laughed.
Ink enjoyed himself more than he’d thought he would. Even when Jonty took him to the office to give a lady his National Insurance number and bank account details, he still felt hopeful. Was this it? The chance he’d always thought he’d never get? Did he want to work in a hotel? Not particularly, but there were worse jobs.
He and Jonty were looking around the spa when Devan approached. Devan’s face changed from stern to happy when he saw Jonty.
“How’s it going?” Devan asked.
“Good, thank you,” Ink said.
Jonty coughed and elbowed him.
“Jonty’s been great,” Ink said. “Helpful and… I think he’d have no problem guiding someone up Everest.”
Jonty beamed.
“Don’t tell him that, for God’s sake. He gets lost moving from the bedroom to the kitchen.”
“I get distracted.”
Devan rolled his eyes.
“See! You rolling your eyes distracted me. What’s my name again?”
“Jonty!”
Devan sighed and turned to Ink. “Just take today to get used to the place and we’ll have a chat tomorrow and see what we can get you to do.”
“Thank you.”
“You know how the Inuit are supposed to have fifty