FlipFlops & Parker

Chapter 12 Why Do Fools Fall In Love

Taylor stood up drained the rest of his Coke "come on agent Romanoff you're back in the field, let's follow him."

"What in these heels? You've got to be kidding me?"

"We'll take the car. We just need to be ready when he comes out."

Sat in the car waiting in the dark. Taylor complained "Black Widow can run in heels"

Parker pulled out onto the main road and rode off. Taylor waited a minute, let another car pass him and then pulled out behind it driving fairly slowly.

"Don't lose him" I squeaked

"It's more difficult than it looks."

Parker rode back past the funfair and cut across the island to the other side. It looked like he was slowing up for the Mint club and Casino before he turned off left down a lane that ran alongside the golf course.

"Where's he off to? The only thing left down here is the Quay and my dad's club?"

"What you mean the sailing club?"

Taylor grunted. He cut the headlamps and drove slowly down the shingle path towards a shingle carpark.

"There's nothing where he veered off to, just the car park and a couple of garage lock-ups."

"Nothing else?"

"I'm sure, we used to store the two man dinghy here in one of the garages."

Taylor pulled slowly into the car park. It was empty. Parker couldn't have come back out past us as it is was only a single road in and out with a turning point in the middle. The only other access was the slipway down into the water at the far end.

Taylor drummed his fingers on the steering wheel "No sign of his bike. I wonder?" Taylor got out of the car and made his way over to the garages. I followed him. It was dark and there was no lighting. He stopped outside of the doors and motioned for me to be quiet.

Trying the garage handle it was unlocked and creaked slowly open. The door came up slowly to reveal the wheels of Parker's bike, before showing the man himself sat in the back of an old car staring straight at us.

"What the fuck!" Taylor exploded.

Parker looked shocked, he scrambled out of the back seat. This was no easy feat as the garage was just wide enough to fit the car, let alone the boxes I could now see stacked up on the bonnet and down both sides, leaving very little room room to manouvre.

He held his hands up "Listen, I can explain, it's only temporary. And I know I owe you some kind of rent... "

"You owe me rent?Seriously Parker? You think I give a flying fuck about that? Why in the hell are you sleeping in your car?"

Parker noticed me standing in the background. He groaned and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I mean it Parker, what happened? Why didn't you tell me?" Taylor looked wild.

"Is no big deal. The council took back the house and you know I'm trying to save money. I decided to sleep in the car for a few nights."

"A few nights? This doesn't look like a few nights?" He gestured around the boxes.

"Well no, but rather than get a lease I couldn't get out of quick, it seemed like a sensible solution."

"What do you mean the council took back the house?"

"Well it was in my Dad's name and after he died it got signed over to my mum and well after she..Apparently it can't be signed over more than once."

"How long have you been here Parker?" Taylor was really pissed. He was hurt and now he was angry.

"I can pay back rent."

"How long." He practically barked "do not tell me you were here for Christmas."

"I won't tell you I was here for Christmas."

"You could've stayed with me. My mother bloody loves you, she would have gone gaga to have you at ours."

"That's why I couldn't tell you. I didn't want your parents to know. They've done enough. I didn't want the fuss. I still don't want the fuss." Parker seemed to have got over the shock of his discovery and was now standing up to Taylor.

"You can't stay here" Taylor jutted out his chin. "You can still store your shit of course, but you can't live here." Wrong choice of words. Parker's gaze was now stone cold.

"I need tonight. I know it's your property and I'm sorry I should've let you know, but I need time to pull my stuff out."

"You're not sorry you never told me. You're sorry you got caught. You didn't tell me because you know I wouldn't let my friend sleep in his bloody car for months. You know I don't give a shit about you using this bloody lock-up. It's what it's for, to lock shit up, not to live in. This isn't living Parker. You're coming home with me."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you bloody are."

The testosterone was really rolling off of them in waves. They were now squaring off and any moment now it was going to get physical.

I jumped in between them "you can stay the night with me Parker" Both of them stepped back. "Seriously, I have a spare bedroom in my trailer, I mean caravan. I live on my own and no one would even know you're there."

"I can't ask you to do that" Parker began.

"Yes you can" Taylor butted in "because you're not sleeping out on the street. Its the height of the season and not even a bloody B&B would have a space and if you don't stay with her, you're coming back with me and right now I'm really pissed with you, mate" Taylor made the word 'mate' sound like curse word. His accent was sharper than cut glass and he sounded condescending and snide.

Parker blew out a long breath. "I don't have much choice then do I?"

My stomach fell into my shoes. What was I doing? This was going to be torture. Spending time with Parker in close proximity, when he'd made it clear that we weren't a good idea and he was only spending time with me because he literally had no other option.

Taylor turned to me "Thanks for this Jay. Tell him to meet us in the car. I'll drop you both back and with that he stormed off.

Hope you are getting into the story. I appreciate every read and vote. Votes also let me know which chapters are working and which need more work.