A Long Way Back (Unfinished Business #2) - Barbara Elsborg Page 0,40
sounds fun. What else would you like to do?”
“See the Natural History Museum. Go on the river, the London Eye, visit the top of the Shard, explore the Tower of London, go to Portobello Market, Borough Market.” Be a tourist with Ink, just for a while. “A sort of holiday.”
Tay swallowed hard. When had he last had a holiday? There hadn’t seemed any point thinking about it while he was in wheelchair, but maybe it was a good time to do something different.
“We could take Dog,” Ink said.
“He’s not going to be allowed into museums or on the London Eye.”
“He could be your service animal.”
“But he isn’t a service dog, is he?”
Ink shrugged. “He could be. They don’t need to be registered.”
“What service would he provide?”
“Emotional? One look at those ears makes you want to smile. Maybe an assistance dog? He could fetch your slippers if you had any. Buy some and we can train him.”
Tay laughed.
The electronic board announced that the leisure centre was the next stop and Ink rang the bell. He moved behind Tay’s chair and once the ramp was down, he wheeled him onto the pavement.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Ink asked.
“No.”
“A lot cheaper than a cab.”
The doors of the leisure centre swished open.
“I’ll pay,” Tay said.
“Thanks.”
Ink wheeled him into the building and over to the counter.
“Is there somewhere safe we can leave the wheelchair?” Ink asked.
“We can keep it in the office. Is he okay on crutches?”
Tay bristled. “Yes, he is.”
“Brake’s on,” Ink said.
Tay pushed to his feet and Ink handed him his crutches. He paid with his card and the chair was wheeled away. As they made their way to the changing rooms, Tay hoped the access was going to be straightforward or he’d struggle.
“Looking forward to seeing my tattoo?” Ink asked suddenly.
“I’d not given it a thought.”
“Like a dagger to my heart.”
Tay laughed, distracted from what lay ahead as Ink had no doubt intended.
They found changing cubicles next to each other and Ink handed Tay his swimming trunks.
“We should be able to get everything in one locker,” Ink said. “If you need a hand with your underwear, just shout. Make it loud so I hear. Say something like I need a hand getting out of my boxers. Something big’s got stuck.”
Tay chuckled. There was a bench to sit on inside the cubicle which made life easier, but it still took him a while to get ready. When he opened the door, Ink was leaning back against the lockers and Tay frowned. There was no sign of a tattoo on a hairless chest. Not quite hairless. There was a dark treasure trail leading to short pink trunks. Tay snapped his gaze up. No ink on his arms or legs either.
“You didn’t shout.” Ink pouted.
Oh God. Ink stood there in those trunks looking… Stop looking at him.
“Let me get your stuff.” Ink slid past him into the cubicle. Tay only saw his back when he passed him again and slotted everything into a locker. The tattoo was of a crow with its wings outspread. It looked like a watercolour painting with splatters of colour. The bird seemed to be losing its feathers, the detail dissolving further down Ink’s back. There were words written there too, but not in a language Tay recognised.
“Wow,” Tay whispered. “Couldn’t you afford to get it finished?”
For a moment, Ink looked as though he thought Tay was serious, then he gave a loud laugh.
“It’s fantastic,” Tay said. “Why a crow? And what do the words mean?”
“A secret. Come on, let’s see what the place looks like and where we can put your crutches. I don’t know how slippery it will be, so watch out.”
Tay was relieved the place wasn’t busy. Even better, the pool was a walk-in with a non-slip dimpled floor.
“Wait for me,” Ink said and headed to the lifeguard’s chair.
He came back smiling. “We can leave the crutches under his lookout, okay?”
Tay handed them over. He thought about making for the water but decided to wait.
Ink came back to his side. “Want to hook your arm into mine? That’s you touching me, right? Not me touching you, so it doesn’t count.”
“Let me try and get in on my own.”
“Okay.”
Tay headed unsteadily towards the water taking small steps. When he realised how warm it was, he sighed and kept going. Ink waded in next to him. When they were in up to their lower chests and it was finally deep enough to swim, Tay hesitated.