Chapter 11

One Friday afternoon, Ryan had agreed to meet his mum and Dave and the marvellous Graham. Graham had said it was mainly to style and shop for Dave, since he was the main client, but that he knew Julia would come along since she said Dave was shy and Graham wondered if Ryan wanted to join them, get a head start on the wedding clothes outfits. Not to buy them, just to knock about some ideas.

It sounded, Ryan decided, as boring as anything he'd ever been bored by in the history of boring things he'd been forced to do in his life.

Sam, at first wanting to keep out of it, since both he and Ryan had failed in stopping Graham from his mission, told Ryan, ‘It's a couple of hours. Do it for your mum, even if you can't yet give a shit about Dave.'

Ryan wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to truly give much of a shit about Dave. But he easily gave plenty of shits about his mum, and wanted her to be happy, so, mustering all the shits he could manage today, along he came to meet them.

They were meeting in a high-end department store, in the menswear department.

Ryan recognised a few of his favourite brands, and was letting his fingers feel the fabric of a particularly nice white hoodie from one of his most preferred designer labels, when he heard Graham's voice in the distance.

‘I don't know where you got this,' Graham was saying, ‘but the only place I can think of is 1996, but if you wanted to update your style, you might consider a hoodie such as this.'

Ryan followed the voice.

Graham held a baby blue hoodie against Dave's chest.

‘I don't know. It's a bit…bright,' Dave said with uncertainty.

Graham looked from Dave to Julia, raised an eyebrow. ‘That's because it's not twenty-five years old.'

‘He's right, you know,' Julia said. ‘Try the jeans on too.'

‘I don't see what's wrong with these,' Dave said, pinching the fabric of his baggy, faded, zipped leg, brown outdoor man trousers.

‘There's not much that's right about them, unless you're on a foraging and camping wild man weekend in the woods,' Graham said gently, taking Dave by the shoulders and leading him into the men's changing room.

‘Sorry if he's hard work,' Julia said to Graham once Dave gone, then noticing Ryan, she hugged him. ‘How long have you been here?'

‘Long enough to see someone's got their work cut out.' He nodded at Graham.

Graham dismissed it with a wave. ‘He'll be fine. It's the wedding gear I'm most worried about. Anyone can get used to a new pair of jeans and a few T-shirts and hoodies. Getting him in a suit, that's going to be a whole different story.'

‘What's the plan for styling for the wedding?' Ryan asked, wanting to join in, but a little wary Graham was going to prescribe him to be clean shaven with blue hair extensions.

‘Later. All in good time,' Graham said. ‘Julia thinks he won't want his hair cut.'

‘Took him years to grow it,' Julia said. ‘And the beard. Apparently,' in a whisper, ‘his ex, didn't like beards or long hair, so when they split up, he sort of went a bit caveman.'

‘What do you think, Mum?' Ryan asked.

‘I like a beard on a man. Your father had one of late. Makes a man look distinguished. Hair down to the ears, I'm less keen on men. But apparently it does suit the shape of Dave's head.' She looked at Graham.

Graham nodded. ‘My hairdresser friend, Ali, gave Dave a consultation. I'm not in favour, but…' He made a face.

Dave reappeared from the changing room wearing the blue hoodie and dark blue jeans. He stood awkwardly. ‘They feel stiff. Is the top too tight?'

It was far from tight, it was just not like a voluminous tent, as his other clothes always seemed to be.

Ryan sat next to his mum outside the changing room, while Graham disappeared to retrieve more clothes for Dave to try on.

‘Aren't you trying anything?' Julia asked Ryan.

He'd curbed his designer clothes addiction since leaving uni. The real world seemed to be a lot more expensive than he'd realised. Especially now his parents' allowance had stopped. He agreed with his dad that receiving an allowance that was meant to see him through university, now he had graduated and was working, felt like a bit of a piss take, so had agreed to it being stopped. He was a grown man, making his way in the world, and that didn't include living off Daddy's allowance.

Dave appeared from the changing room in navy blue chinos and a pink shirt. He looked very uncomfortable.

‘What's wrong?' Graham said, rolling the sleeves back, tidying the collar up. ‘Tuck it in. I'm not rooting around in your trousers, you're practically a married man.' He laughed.

Julia chuckled.

Dave did not, as he tucked his shirt into the chinos.

‘What's not to like?' Graham asked.

‘Pink. It's very pink. Too pink. I'm not a pink sort of man.' He shook his head, turned round and returned to the changing room.

‘No pink,' Graham said standing and returning to retrieve more clothes, ‘noted for next time.'

Julia said quietly to Ryan, ‘He's good, isn't he?'

‘One of the best in London, apparently,' Ryan replied with a smile. How could he have denied his mum this, when it would make their wedding day perfect, and eventually, once Graham found clothes that Dave liked, would transform him into someone worthy of holding the arm of a famous British actress of twenty years plus.

Dave had reappeared, and Graham took him further into the shop.

‘I like the way he takes no shit.' Julia said. ‘Takes charge, but does it kindly. I thought Dave wasn't going to agree to this. But when we spoke to Graham on the phone Dave was instantly relaxed. I mean, of course that was before trying on a pink shirt!' She laughed.

Ryan did too. Watching Graham – pick clothes, construct outfits, explain to Dave how to dress, how to make the most of his body shape, explaining how at forty-plus, his body wasn't as it had been in his twenties, and he should dress to reflect that – impressed Ryan. He'd not considered it would be an actual job. But he understood it now. He knew his mum had stylists for big events, but they tended to be paid by the TV studios, or came with a dress if she wore it. But the way Graham was selecting items from all the brands in the department, high street, diffusion, and designer, with the aim of finding the best look for Dave, at a price he could afford, took skill. Definitely lots of skill. That Graham had bucketloads of.

‘I might see if my interior decorator, Fabrizio wants his number,' Julia said after a comfortable silence.

‘Why?' Ryan asked very defensively, without thinking why.

‘Can you believe, he's single? I said, any man would be lucky to have Graham. Look at him.' She indicated with her gaze, as Graham stood by a rack of clothes, picking out shirts.

Graham wore black jeans, black boots, a white shirt open, over the top of a blue T-shirt, both fitted to accentuate his build. His legs were long and muscular, thick thighs. His back wide at the top, narrowing to his slim waist. The shirt sleeves were rolled back, revealing forearms slightly tanned in contrast with the white cotton. The way he stood, was confident, in charge, and he strode back to the changing room, carrying an armful of shirts as if they weighed nothing.

They wouldn't weigh much, in comparison to the weights he must lift to get arms like that, Ryan reflected.

‘…Graham told me he's not interested, but I said, never say never,' Julia was saying.

Ryan had missed what she'd said, as he'd been fixated on admiring Graham's movement, posture, physique.

‘What do you think?' Julia asked. ‘Little call to Fabrizio, see if they can have a coffee.'

For some reason, Ryan found himself feeling a touch defensive and slightly possessive over Graham. ‘I don't think so.' He shook his head resolutely.

‘Oh.' Julia looked surprised. ‘I think they'd go well together. Both like a pair of horses, strutting around and looking beautiful and handsome together.'

Ryan had never met this Fabrizio, but felt sure Graham wouldn't be interested. ‘You can't expect them to get on, just because they're both gay. It's actually quite offensive.'

‘Oh.' She was mortified. ‘I didn't mean…'

‘No harm done. It's not like you've actually suggested it to him, have you?' Ryan asked.

Julia shook her head. ‘Why are you so knowledgeable about gay people all of a sudden?'

He realised he had been skating on thin ice as he usually didn't comment on people's sexuality, since he preferred not to talk about his either, sticking to his line that he was just Ryan, not gay, straight, or bi, but just Ryan. ‘I know you mean well. It's just that you don't know what sort of men Graham finds attractive, do you?'

‘No. Well, gay ones.' Her eyes widened.

‘Did you actually just say that?'

‘I mean, ones who find him attractive. I'm not implying all gay men are the same. Or that all of them find all men attractive. I know what I meant. Look, I've worked in TV for decades, I've worked with, been friends with, plenty of gay men. All I was trying to say was it seems a shame that someone as handsome and confident and charming and creative and easy-going, and efficient as Graham should be single. That's all.'

‘Well,' Ryan said, nodding, ‘it's good we've had this talk, rather than you thrusting Fabrizio onto Graham.' He smirked.

‘I wasn't about to thrust anyone onto anyone,' Julia said, red-faced.

‘Thrust?' Graham said, standing next to Dave. ‘What on earth are you two talking about?'

Julia looked him up and down, blushing profusely.

‘Mum was just saying how her interior decorator has recently split up with his boyfriend and I said he'd probably want to lick his wounds for a while before she set him up with anyone.' Ryan coughed. ‘Thrust anyone onto him.'

Graham nodded. ‘Right. And honestly please, God, heavens above, and all that's good and holy, can you save me from people who think their best friend's gay brother is perfect for me, just on the basis we're both gay and single.' He shook his head. ‘If I had a pound for every time someone's tried to do that to me…' He gestured at Dave. ‘What do we think?'

Dave wore a T-shirt that was baggy around the waste, tighter across the chest, and had sleeves that ended halfway up his pretty decent biceps. The jeans were fitted, but not spray on tight. His legs looked surprisingly toned, muscular even.

‘Have you been working out?' Ryan asked, genuinely surprised.

Dave shook his head. ‘It's the clothes.'

‘Is it?' Ryan asked, peering but trying not to be rude.

Dave nodded. ‘Same body underneath.'

Ryan was impressed.

‘Next, grooming,' Graham said, assembling the clothes for Dave into two piles. ‘These are yes, and these are no.' He indicated the two piles.

Dave nodded. ‘It's a lot.' He looked at the yes pile.

‘When did you last go clothes shopping?' Graham asked.

‘About 2002, I think,' Julia said.

Dave shrugged.

‘Grooming,' Graham said. ‘I can call Ali? She should be able to fit you in today. Or would you prefer to leave it for another day?'

Julia looked at Dave, then Graham. ‘Can we schedule it nearer the wedding, then he'll look fresh and tidy?'

‘Of course. Although I think it's worth having a few days' grace in case Dave isn't comfortable with anything about his new style.'

Dave said, ‘I am standing here. You can talk to me, not across me. What are you thinking for my hair?'

‘Would you like to keep the beard?' Graham asked.

Dave nodded.

‘I suggest a more trimmed and sculpted beard, so that's not much of a change. It's your hair I'm afraid that's going to need the biggest change.' Graham paused. ‘If you're happy with it?'

‘What do you want it to look like?' Dave asked.

Graham brought up a picture on his phone. He showed it to Julia, Ryan and then Dave. The man had very short back and sides, with a little length on top, styled into a neat, short side parting, longer at the front than the back.

‘One of my boys has his hair like that,' Dave said. ‘You don't think it's too young for me? A bit try-hard – poor old man, look he's trying to look young?'

Graham shook his head. ‘I don't. As I always say to my clients who are over forty, forty, fifty and sixty plus are not what they were twenty or thirty years ago. My grandma at forty looked about seventy, how she dressed and had her hair. Fashion isn't just the privilege of the young, you know.'

Dave nodded, then left for the changing room.

Graham scheduled the next session, then found out if Ali's salon could fit Dave in, she could, and confirmed it all in a text to Julia and Dave.

Dave walked out in the clothes he'd arrived in, looking about twenty years older and much less well kempt. He checked his phone. ‘From you?' He looked at Graham.

Julia explained, then checked her watch. ‘We must go.' She hugged Graham, kissed his cheeks. ‘Thank you so much. I can't wait for the wedding session. As I said, I'm not doing a big white meringue of a dress. Second marriage.' She made a face. ‘Subtle. Understated. That's what I'm going for.'

Graham nodded, then shook Dave's hand.

Julia kissed Ryan goodbye and as he watched them leave, holding hands, disappearing into the department store, he felt calmer, less worried about what might go wrong with their marriage. He allowed himself to admit that the big objection he had to Graham working with them wasn't anything to do with his second thoughts about Dave marrying his mum, and everything to do with Ryan not wanting to see someone as handsome as Graham who made him question so much and who, given the right circumstances might tempt him…

Graham clasped his hands together and turned to Ryan. ‘Happy?'

Ryan nodded. He was. Very. It was obvious how much joy this brought to his mum, and by extension Dave. How she loved him but wanted to help him return to the dapper, handsome man she'd known as he drove her to work. That still felt a little uncomfortable, a niggling doubt that something may have happened then, when they'd both been married, but he must ignore that and trust his mum that nothing inappropriate had happened then.

He frowned in thought.