on top of me as I spread my legs to accommodate him. “Good, because the only definite in my life is how much I love you.”
“Lovey, I hope that never changes.”
House Hunting
This story is set a few months after the end of the book, when Gideon and Eli had got together. I wanted to write this short, even though initially it’s a bit angsty, because I think this is a genuine problem that the two of them would have faced once the news got out that Gideon was gay.
It would have been hard for Eli to get used to being in the public eye and having to deal with the vast disparity between him and Gideon in terms of money.
I liked the idea of the two of them being new at this relationship business and how this small rough patch sets them on the path to understanding each other better. People don’t start off in relationships with a blueprint for success. That’s something they have to forge together.
Eli
I walk up the path towards the cottage, already looking forward to a hot shower and something quick to eat before falling into bed.
A few weeks ago, I took a job in a local hospital because I needed the money but also because I didn’t want to take anything too far away from Gid. But I’ve come to realise the job might be a huge mistake because I’m now apparently public property. Someone for people to stare at and gossip about and take furtive photos on their mobiles while pretending to be taking a selfie.
I’d have probably been better off getting another private patient job where at least I wouldn’t be working where so many people come and go. However, my boss at the agency had charmingly suggested that I take a break, as apparently, the last thing their famous patients needed was a nurse who had paparazzi seemingly surgically attached to his arse.
The wind howls around me, rustling the branches and leaves eerily. Ahead, I catch a glimpse of the main house through the trees, lit up in the gloam. Chi an Mor is a beautiful place, and it’s been a sanctuary for Gid and me, but I can’t deny I’ll be glad to get our own home.
I’d had to force my way through the usual crowd of photographers at the main gates of Chi an Mor, so sanctuary is the right word at the moment. They never leave us alone, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. It wasn’t until I’d had photos of me splashed all over the papers that I realised how lucky I’d been to lead a private life. I suppose Gid and I were shielded from it when everyone thought he was straight, but the cat’s out of the bag now, and the focus is on us.
And it really is. Not a day goes by without some photo or commentary about us appearing in the media. It’s made my work very difficult, to the extent that Gid had suggested last week that I stop work for a bit and lean on him. That had been met with unprecedented hostility from me, and I sigh at the memory of his hurt face as I’d railed at him.
But even though I wish I hadn’t lost my temper, the sentiment is still the same. I’m not going to rely on him financially. We have to be equal if we hope to survive this baptism of fire and allow our relationship to grow. I have to be able to contribute to us, or one day he’s going to look on me as just another of his disposable and useless possessions. Like the clothes he used to leave behind in hotel rooms so he could buy nice new ones.
Even so, it wasn’t a good time to pick an argument as he was going to Ireland to start shooting his new TV show. We’d said goodbye stiffly, only warmed by the sudden tight hug he grabbed me in.
“We’ll be okay, won’t we?” he said anxiously. “You’ll still be here when I get back?”
I’d immediately assured him that I would be, but his words had hurt my heart and they’ve stayed in my head all week as I’ve tried to do my job while people whisper behind their hands about me and follow me with avid eyes that make my skin itch.
I rub the back of my neck, feeling the tense muscles there, and root in my pocket for the key, only to