Mummy's boy

part 18

Anne quickly snatched her hand away from beneath Ant's.

"Bit forward isn't it?" She snapped.

"Oh...I...I...er" Ant stuttered "I didn't mean anything by it,I was just joking with you"

"One conversation between us doesn't make you a member of my family" Anne stated coldly.

"Umm...no of course it doesn't" Ant replied "I'm sorry,that's not what I meant"

"What did you mean then?" Anne asked.

Ant squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

"It doesn't matter now anyway" he sighed "I just thought we were getting somewhere,but it seems you're always going to hate me just because I fell in love with your son"

"I don't hate you Anthony" Anne replied "I don't care about you enough to hate you"

That cutting comment hurt Ant deeply and he felt the tears begin to well up in his eyes.

"Please excuse me" he muttered,getting up from the table and making his way to the toilets,where he locked himself into a cubicle,sat on the closed toilet lid and cried silent tears of despair.

Once he'd pulled himself together,he decided to give Dec a quick call.

"Ant?" Dec answered,surprised to hear from his boyfriend "where are you?how's it going?"

"I'm in the loo" Ant sniffed "it's not going so great unfortunately"

"Ant,are you crying?" Dec asked,concerned at hearing the tremor in Ant's voice.

"Er...no" Ant lied "but I think it's time to call it a night"

"Whatever happened..." Dec said "I can only apologise on her behalf"

"Don't worry Dec" Ant smiled "I'll tell you all about it when I see you"

"I'm staying at yours tonight" Dec announced.

"Dec" Ant sighed "you know that won't work,I don't have time to take you to work in the morning"

"Then I'll get a taxi" Dec insisted "or walk if I have to,but you're obviously upset,so there's no way in the world I'm leaving you alone"

"Ok" Ant replied "thank you"

He was actually very grateful that Dec would be there too,he was upset and didn't want to be alone and Dec was the only person he wanted to be with right now.

"Dad is on the phone to Mam" Dec informed him "we're leaving to come and get you"

"Ok" Ant nodded sadly "I'll see you soon"

"Ant?" Dec whispered.

"Yeah?" Ant replied sadly.

"I love you" Dec smiled "always and forever"

"Me too" Ant replied "always and forever"

"Let's go Dad" Dec demanded,after finishing the call "Ant sounds really upset"

"Yeah" Fonsey frowned "and your mother sounds really grumpy,so I'm guessing it didn't go too well?"

"Apparently not" Dec sighed "so bloody sick of this"

"I know lad" Fonsey replied sympathetically,as they approached the car "I'm sorry"

When they arrived at the pub,Anne was waiting outside with the collar of her coat pulled up around her chin to shield her from the biting wind.

"Where's Ant?" Dec asked bluntly.

"Inside" Anne nodded towards the pub entrance.

"What the hell did you say to him?" Dec asked "he sounded very upset on the phone"