Aviation

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Alex took the tube to Mile End. He was wearing a baseball cap and his sunglasses, and no one recognised him. He laughed to himself when a couple of girls came and stood near him, both wearing Arctic Monkeys t-shirts, and yet they paid him no attention at all. He really wished you could smoke on the tube. His hands were shaking, and he needed something to occupy them. Miles was one of his oldest friends, they had literally shared everything...secrets, laughs, bodily fluids...and yet he felt so scared about meeting him. In some ways it felt like Miles was as much a stranger as that girl Cindy from last night. But Alex hadn't cared about her. Miles was the greatest love of his life so far, and to be rejected by him would cause the hardest pain.

Ozcan's was a little Turkish restaurant not far from the tube station. Alex always loved how Miles preferred to slum it. He liked to remain a man of the people, and Alex envied him that. Alex was so famous, however much he would have liked to hang out at the local McDonalds back in LA, he would get so mobbed by kids wanting autographs, he wouldn't be able to eat in peace. His life was about being taken to places where discretion was guaranteed.

"I'd know that arse anywhere." Alex turned around. Miles was heading towards him. He looked different today, in a leather bomber jacket and tight blue jeans. But there was definitely more of a swagger in his walk. A genuine one. Not the one he used to put on so people thought he was confident. This was real. Miles had grown up.

"You alright kidder?" he said, tapping Alex on the arm. For a moment Alex couldn't speak. The words didn't form in his brain, so he just nodded and followed Miles into the scruffy restaurant. As usual, Miles knew everyone, asking Ali, the owner for two cups of his strongest coffee. He then rubbed his non-existent belly.

"And some toast, Ali." He laughed. "It was a big one last night, I'm starvin'. Lots of jam and butter. And do 'im a couple of rounds with Marmite on, it's his favourite."

Alex smiled, and his heart did a little flip. Miles hadn't forgotten everything about him....

They found a table round a corner at the back of the restaurant. It was discreet, and Alex was grateful for that. He chose to sit near the wall, then he could look out into the restaurant and see who was coming in.

"You can take the disguise off, Lah," Miles said. "Nobody's gonna recognise you in here."

Alex took his off the glasses, then the baseball cap. He hoped Miles appreciated that he had left his hair natural again. He'd always loved his hair. When he noticed Miles look at it, and a small smile twitched across his lips, he felt a little tug of victory.

"I saw you in the paper," Miles said, fiddling with one of the battered coasters on the table. "Cindy....?"

"Don't," Alex groaned. "It was the record company's idea. They still haven't forgiven me for the Brits."

Miles chuckled and looked at Alex, a warm twinkle in his lovely brown eyes.

"If it's any consolation, I thought it was funny. But then I'm one of the only people who gets you."

Alex's cheeks burned red just at the thought of his acceptance speech and the complete fool the world now had him down as.

"Then there was something else." He felt weird telling Miles this. But he guessed he didn't care any more. "There was a boy...at a party."

"Oh yeah?"

"It was nothing. A hand job in the bogs. But he started wanting money, so he had to be paid off. I feel I owe them, so I'll do what they ask."

"Including getting a beard."

"I suppose so. Anyway, you can't criticise, you've had fake girlfriends."