'You're right. Forget I mentioned it. Let me get the next round.' He bought drinks for Tom and me but none for himself, and shortly after excused himself saying he had an early start in the morning. When he had gone Tom said, 'I'm sorry about all that. I though he was never going to shut up.'
'Doesn't matter. He was a bit pushy about that exhibition. Is he always like that?'
'He must have taken to you. He doesn't normally show a lot of interest in people, but when he likes someone he likes them, you know what I mean? There's no harm in him.'
'What about your holiday?'
'It slipped his mind, that's all. He'll see me all right. He's been good to me, has Andrew.'
'Well, you know all about me,' I said, looking at him expectantly.
He cast his eyes down and shook his head. 'There ain't a lot to tell. The gardening is just an occasional thing, when people are away. I am a qualified electrician, but I do building maintenance mostly, bits of plumbing, house wiring, repairs, decorating. Nothing special. Prefer that kind of thing to gardening. Don't really have, what's it called... green fingers.'
'Nor me.'
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Simply looking at him excited me. Did he have any idea how attractive I found him?
'Is Andrew's shop near here?'
'Yes, not far. I live in a flat above it. You go left from here, straight on, left further down, five or ten minutes walk, that's all. He used to live there himself years ago, when he started out, not the same flat, he's had all sorts of work done on the place since then. He's got himself a nice place in Biddulph Mansions now.'
'You sharing with anyone?'
'No, I ain't sharing. I've got family not far away, but I don't see much of them.'
'Do they know you drink in here?'
'Let's say they ain't expecting me to get married. You know how it is.'
'Families are difficult. My sister sort of accepts that I'm gay, but we don't see much of each other.' The pub was filling up and we had to raise our voices above the hubbub. When our glasses were almost empty he offered to buy another round.
'Thanks but I don't really feel like another. Don't let me stop you.'
'No, already had enough for tonight. It's not far to the flat if you felt like a stroll.'
A stroll! If his hopes were similar to mine the invitation was brilliantly understated. Controlling my voice so as not to sound too keen I said, 'A stroll would be nice.'