Tea and Crumpet

Good Breeding by JL Merrow-3

After Oz had stomped off to the guest room, Giles spent a restless night. Was he really being classist? Ungrateful?

He thought of Angie, and the way she’d smiled at the sight of him. Had there been a suspicion of a tear in her over-made-up eye?

“Mummy,” Giles said next morning, hovering by the Aga as his mother did something complicated with the pressure cooker, “am I a snob?” He’d made sure Oz was safely occupied with the PS3 and out of earshot.

His mother turned, a picture of elegance as always. He’d spent many happy hours, as a child, trying on her wardrobe of frothy chiffon dresses and crisp linen jackets. And the shoes…High ones, and low ones. Shoes of every style and hue, some of them custom-dyed to match particular outfits. Delicate strappy sandals, and cheeky little peep-toed courts…Really, it was quite astonishing that it’d taken him until he was seventeen to realise he was gay. The fact that his mother had given him tickets for a Kylie Minogue concert for his birthday—and suggested he invite a rather nice young boy who worked at her hairdresser’s to go along with him—should probably have given him a clue, too.

“Darling, you’re our son and we love you unconditionally,” she said, laying a kiss on the top of his head.

Giles sighed into her Chanel-scented bosom. “That’s a yes, isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so, Giles. We’ve known for some time, but I think your father’s still hoping it’s just a phase and you’ll grow out of it.”

“You know, I always wondered why Daddy was so disappointed when it didn’t work out between me and Ray from the salon,” Giles said sadly. “I suppose this is why he doesn’t like Hugh?”

“Darling, your father doesn’t dislike Hugh,” Mummy said, not quite looking him in the eye. “He just feels he hasn’t been an awfully good influence on you, that’s all.”

Giles struggled to understand. “But Hugh’s from one of the very best families. How can he possibly be a bad influence?”

Mummy sighed. “Hugh is, well…a little old-fashioned in his attitudes. You know,” she said brightly, pulling on the Cath Kidston oven gloves Giles had given her for Christmas, “I’ve never understood why you and Oz aren’t a couple. After all, you get on marvellously.”

Giles gave a nervous laugh. “Me? And Oz? You know we’re just friends. I only met him last year, and Hugh and I were already together. So obviously, there’s never been any question that we might, well…” He trailed off, because clearly there was no need to emphasize just how much Giles hadn’t noticed how broad Oz’s shoulders were, or the way his eyes crinkled up when he smiled. And Giles certainly hadn’t ever sneaked a peek at his roommate doing sit-ups in his shorts first thing in the morning… “Anyway, he’s never shown even the slightest sign of being interested in me that way,” he finished, unable to keep a soupçon of disappointment out of his voice.

Mummy gave him a hug, and bent down to kiss him on the forehead. “I’m sure you know best, darling. Now, why don’t you run along and play with your friend while I sort out lunch?”

Giles trudged dutifully into the living room. Oz was playing Little Big Planet, and his sackboy avatar seemed to have acquired a new costume, very much along Zorba the Greek lines. “Et tu, Oz?” Giles muttered, flopping onto the sofa.

“Uh?” Oz said, fingers flying on the console. He didn’t look up from his game.

Giles crossed his legs, then uncrossed them. He picked up the Radio Times and stared, unseeing, at the cover before throwing it down again on the coffee table. The cushions seemed extraordinarily uncomfortable today. He leant forward. “I—” He stopped, and cleared his throat. “I thought I might go back and see her again,” he said diffidently. “My mother, I mean. You could come too, if you like,” he added.

Oz hit the pause button, and turned to face him. “Sure about that?”

“Yes. I want to show Angie I’m not embarrassed to have my friends meet her.” Somehow, Giles had managed to twist himself into an extremely awkward position, but his limbs felt far too tense to try and relax.

“All right, then.” Oz handed him the second console, and Giles took it, his breathing coming a little more easily. “Better leave it a few days, though, hadn’t we? After all, it’s been a lot for her to take in, too. But yeah, I’ll look forward to meeting your mum.”

Giles smiled. Suddenly he felt around ten stone lighter.