Almost Perfect

IANTO KNOWS THE TRUE VALUE OF A NUGGET

Ianto stumbled through central Cardiff. The streets were eerily empty, bathed in the watered-down light of winter. Buses were still running, with exhausted drivers barely lifting their eyes from the road. Shops were open, but the music was muted. The streets were full of rubbish, coke cans and chip wrappers and bottles and even the odd person, slumped in a doorway.

‘I’m so tired,’ he thought. ‘I’m so tired I could just sleep.’

He carried on walking, though. Down along St Mary Street, which was still crowded with clubbers, milling around in an exhausted, desultory way. He checked his watch, puzzled. It was either early or late. He couldn’t work it out. It was almost like they’d left the clubs and not bothered to go home, just stayed on the street. Standing fairly still, staggering from side to side, a little. Almost like they were still dancing.

Every now and then a bottle would drop to the ground, and he’d hear it rolling a little.

He made his way through the crowd, finding the fish bar.

Bren caught his look, so old, so tired. ‘Oh, we don’t close while there’s business, luv,’ she said. ‘Patrick’s still out the back.’ Her look wasn’t approving. ‘Don’t distract him. He’s got nuggets, hasn’t he?’

‘But he’s OK?’ asked Ianto.

Bren didn’t even blink. ‘Of course. Why shouldn’t he be?’

Ianto swept through to the back of the shop, where Patrick stood, emptying an enormous sack of frozen chicken nuggets into a deep fat fryer. He turned and smiled at her.

‘It’s been a long night,’ he said.

‘A really long night,’ Ianto agreed.

‘And then you turn up,’ Patrick sighed. ‘Frankly, all I want is a nice bacon roll and a cup of tea and to go to bed.’

‘Me too.’

‘Really?’ Patrick raised an eyebrow, amused. ‘Beautiful women normally play harder to get.’

‘Oh,’ sighed Ianto. ‘I didn’t mean anything, really.’

‘Of course you didn’t,’ Patrick smirked, and wiped his hands down on his apron. ‘Anyway, guardian angel, I’m still alive. Which I guess means that we get to have that date.’

‘Oh,’ said Ianto. ‘That’s a good point.’

‘So. When I finish work tomorrow?’ he looked at Ianto, almost pleadingly.

‘Of course,’ said Ianto, a bit too quickly.

‘Meaning?’

‘Thank you for calling me beautiful,’ Ianto said. His phone rang.

It was Gwen. She was excited.

‘Right,’ said Ianto. ‘I’ll be there in ten minutes, promise.’

He hung up and turned back to Patrick. ‘Got to go. Sorry. You going to put your nuggets on, or what?’