The Gay Delusion

13: The Gluten Delusion

13: The Gluten Delusion

'I've gone into a food coma,' I declared, still sat in the same place half an hour later. Placing my hand flat on my navel, I slumped back in my seat and exhaled slowly through my mouth. 'Do you think it's possible to die from an overdose of carbs, guys? Because I've seriously gorged - in fact, I'm pretty sure that I've just eaten my body mass in pasta.'

Griffin scrunched up his nose and looked like he wanted to laugh, raking his hand through his hair as he sat up straighter in his seat, as if to compensate for the potato posture that my body was currently collapsed in. My thoughts couldn't prevent themselves from registering the fact that my tongue had been on that very hand thirty minutes earlier.

Kinky stuff. (It must have genuinely been relatively kinky, because underneath the table, I was clenching my legs, crossing and uncrossing my ankles, and fidgeting at the mere thought of his hands.)

'I don't think so,' Griffin replied, amused. 'I think it's more overindulgence than an overdose. Just to be sure, though, shall we get our arses moving somewhere? Walk it off?'

'Right now?' I asked, eyes following him as he stood up out of his seat and stretched briefly. His shirt rose a little as he did so, exposing the snail trail of hair that led down to the waistband of his trousers, making me bite my lip and have to avert my gaze. None of this was helping me when it came to quelling the desire to jump him there and then.

'Now or never,' Griffin responded, picking up his glass of water and downing what remained in it, before placing it back down on the table and addressing Emilie and Ronan. 'What do you think, guys? Are you two up for a night stroll?'

Emilie looked hesitant before she eventually responded, 'I might actually just grab an early night. Today has left me completely shattered, and I'm about to fall asleep.'

Nodding understandingly, Griffin looked over at Ronan.

'Sorry you two, I'll have to give it a miss - I was planning on giving Fliss a call and telling her about everything she's missing,' Ronan replied, smiling a little ruefully. 'If I don't, I think she'll murder me. I'm really not that full, either, so I don't think I need to walk anything off.'

'Well, it looks like it's just you and me, then, GG.'

Before I knew it, long, masculine fingers were locked around my wrist and I was being guided outside - through the restaurant and bar, the lobby, and then finally out in front of the entrance to the hotel we were staying in. Feelings of something almost like déjà-vu were sweeping through me - recollections of us outside the Landmark Hotel, memories of how I led him out of Exult - except it was Griffin doing the leading outside this time, in a different turn of events.

'Where is there to move our arses at this time? It's nearly eight o'clock,' I questioned Griffin once we were stood outside, glancing up at the darkened blue sky overhead. The streets, in contrast to the night above us, were beautifully lit up. They were bathed in yellow light that emanated from those strung across some of the buildings, as well as several lampposts, reflecting off the surface of the river that ran through and causing shadows to dance across our skin.

'That's total bollocks - there's so much to do.' A knowing, secretive smile pulled up the corners of his lips. 'Besides, just walking around is a thing, you know. As far as I'm aware, you've got legs that move, don't you?'

'As far as you're aware might not be very far at all,' I said earnestly, watching as his eyebrows rose questioningly. 'And this would probably be a good time to tell you that I've recently developed arthritis in my knees and ankles, exactly like our dear friend Corinne,' I announced dramatically, expecting him to immediately realise that I was joking.