Leerie Lightway Dinner (Chapter 4 draft)

This is a complete rewrite of the previous story "Nigel and Cole part 2"
There were lots of things that needed changing and reworking, and I'm relieved to finally scrap the older version for this one

The Leerie Lightway was a private, dimly lit restaurant tucked away in the corner of a shop alley in Leicester square. A wooden sign hung from the entrance with a lamplight painted on the front. During the 1880’s, the spot was a run down alley corner for lamp lighters to eat before lighting the London lamps at night, then eat again after putting them out in the morning. Now, nearly ninety years later, it was capitalized into a London restaurant for high end tourists to dine in. 

Cole had taken the initiative to rent the restaurant for the evening under Jareth’s name and acquired a dining table in the “big ben” room. Despite the room having space for fifteen guests, only five would be in attendance.

For this evening, Nigel would be picking up Cole at his estate before the event. Cole insisted that he drive himself, and Nigel insisted it would be more convenient that he pick up the twins on his way to the restaurant. 

At fifteen to five Cole stood at the front steps of his estate adjusting the cuffs of his suit. He toyed with his tie, smoothed his coat, and used his knuckle to brush down the bristles of his mustache. It was then that two yellow headlights rounded the entrance and rolled into the front courtyard. Nigels sleek low car came to a stop just in front of the curb, and Cole could hear the muffled radio through the closed doors. He scoffed to himself. The music became clearer as the driver’s door opened and Nigel’s head appeared.

“Evenin,” he said.

“Yes, good evening,” Cole replied.

Cole made his way to the door and reached for it with a white gloved hand.

“Ah-” Nigel said. 

Cole’s brows furrowed at him and Nigel went around the front of the car to open the door for him. 

“I’m perfectly capable of opening my own door,” Cole said.

“I know it,” Nigel replied.

Cole cleared his throat and shifted to sit down. The door closed, and Cole watched Nigel round the front of the car again to the driver’s side. If Nigel had not gotten up to do that, they would already be on their way. Cole glanced at his watch, but he did not read the time. 

Ten minutes later, the car rolled past the golden gates that led into Jareth’s front courtyard. The car rounded the fountain in the middle and slowed to a stop at the bottom of the stairsteps to the front doors. On either side of the steps were tall lamp lights that lined the railing. Thick bushes and trees filled the courtyard and crowded the front of the estate, some blocking half of the front windows. Twisting vines slithered up each side of the home. Despite Cole’s wishes, Jareth kept the greenery cluttered this way. During spring time the blooming flowers and cherry trees were enchanting, but in late February at night they were black and ghostly.

Cole leaned over to look out of his window. The lit stairsteps were empty.  Jareth was not awaiting.

“Brilliant,” Cole said.

“Ah give him a moment, could be tying his laces,” Nigel said.

Cole pictured Jareth up in his cluttered room, wrapped in thick comforters and blankets. He imagined him snoozing while the grandfather clock across his room ticked the minutes away, unaware that he was late.

He opened the car door and stepped out onto the brick sidewalk which had become slick from drops of snow.

“Come now, Cole,” Nigel said and leaned over to look up at him. “Wouldn’t you rather stay warm than be out freezing with the birds?”

“I’d rather not be late to my own dinner,” Cole said and shut the door.

The air was bitter and stung  Cole’s face. His nose and ears began to turn pink as he made his way up the stairs. His sleek dress shoes clacked on each wet black step and snow specks began dotting his suit. When he reached the front doors he pressed them open. 

Jareth’s grand entrance was extravagant. In the middle of the room was a wide, dark wooden staircase with lions carved at the end of each post. Red velvet ran up the middle of the stairs.  On the rest where the staircase turned sat an 1800s  mechanical organ Jareth had acquired some years ago. It was in working condition with all the bells and whistles intact, and it had been fashioned to play when a nickel was fed into the coin slot. A Victorian chandelier hung heavy from the ceiling, and the walls were crowded with frames of different sizing, color, and material. 

Cole jogged up the steps to the rest and ignored the organ, then went up to the second floor.Coming down the hallway was Jareth in a pink striped corduroy suit and dress pants. Under the suit he wore a cream-white frilly lace undershirt thing. He jingled from the pearl jewelry strung around his neck, wrists, and ears. Cole thought that he truly looked horrid.

“There you are,” he said. “Come on now, Nigel’s waiting in the car.”

“Oh, wait,” Jareth muttered, and turned around.

Cole watched Jareth walk back down the hallway. He raised his arms and shook his head, then let his arms drop.

“Honestly,” Cole said.

When Jareth returned, he had added a fur coat to his attire. It slung over his shoulders and was held by a thin gold chain across his chest.

Both men went back down the grand staircase, down the front courtyard, and to the car with fog steaming from the exhaust. Cole opened the back door for Jareth, closed it, then got into the passenger's seat. 

“There,” he said. 

When they arrived Nigel slowed the car next to the curb and parked. The side of the street that the Leerie Lightway resided on was empty on account of Cole purchasing  all tables for the evening. The yellow headlights shut off, and all three men stepped out into the chilling London night. 

“Did you rent out the evening for us, dear Cole?” Nigel asked. The air swirled with fog as he spoke. 

“Yes,” Cole said, and turned to look down the street. “Are Vinnie and Richard really not here yet?”

“It’s cold,” Jareth said.

“That it is,” Nigel replied, then reached out to flick Cole in the back of the head.

Cole put his hand on the spot and turned to glare up at him.

“They’ll be here when they are, it's nasty bitter out. Come on in or we’ll catch something.”

“It’s a light snow,” Cole replied, but Jareth went to the front door to open it. Cole watched him. “Jareth,” he said.

Jareth ignored him and stepped inside. Still, even this evening as Cole paid for a meal, Jareth sulked.

Nigel too went to the door and placed his palm on it to hold it for Cole. He smiled at him, which brought out a few wrinkles, and waited.. Without saying anything, Cole moved past Nigel into the restaurant. 

“That’s alright, you don’t have to thank me” Nigel said.

“I could open a door on my own. If I liked.”

“Ah don’t be cheeky.”

“I’m not, be quiet,” Cole said.

The empty restaurant had a dark blue interior with dim lamp lights on the wall by each table. They were lit with real flame, which cast a sphere of warm orange.  Rather than the checkered flooring and small stools that were tending at other restaurants, the Leerie Lightway had velvet carpet and cushioned benches painted to resemble wooden park benches. 

“For the Gublenn party?” Asked a server wearing a newsboy cap and an old fashioned suit from the 20s. 

“Oh- yes,” Cole replied. “We’ve got more coming,”

“The table for five?”

“Yes, that’s right. We’ve just got two late stragglers.”

“We’ll show them to the room when they arrive, if you’ll follow me I’ll have you seated.”

The three men were taken to the very back of the restaurant to the “Big Ben” room. The walls were painted to resemble the palace of Westminchester at night with the windows lit in warm orange. Where Big Ben was meant to be painted stood a grandfather clock identical to the famous landmark. Unlike the rest of the restaurant, this room was well lit.

Cole pulled Jareth’s chair out from the table for him, then placed his hand on Jareth’s shoulder. His glove sunk into the fur of his faux mink coat. 

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Jareth looked up at him.

“Are you ordering anything at all?”

“I don’t know, really,” Jareth replied, then looked at the table again.

“So, no?”

“I don’t know.”

“Right,” Cole said, and sat down. “Well, you’d better have something.”

Jareth reached up and scratched his jaw. He did not reply.

Cole stared at him for a while. Then, he splayed his napkin over one thigh and split open the menu on the table for them to examine.

Nigel slipped off his coat and folded it over the back of his chair before sitting down. He then began to light a cigarette. After getting it started, he placed a hand on the back of Cole’s chair and leaned in.

“What do ya recommend?”

Cole could smell the cigarette on Nigel’s breath, and an obnoxious Tabac cologne Cole would never choose for himself.

“You’ve got a menu,” said Cole, and he turned his menu away from Nigel.

“Oh- what’s that about now? Let me see” he said, grinning. He hooked a finger on Cole’s menu, Cole turned it away again, and Nigel thought it to be a very fun game. Cole was not as amused.

“Really, Nigel,” he said.

 “What are you ordering?” he asked, smiling wide, and tugged at the menu again. “Hey Vinnie,” Nigel then said, and leaned away.

Vinnie entered the room after being led by their server. He smiled back at Nigel and removed his coat before sitting beside Jareth. 

“Where’s Richard?” Cole asked.

“I don’t know,” said Vinnie.

The waiter returned and one by one the men ordered their drinks and appetizers. When it was time for Cole he said;

“And- excuse me- we have another member joining, only he’s late. We haven’t any idea what he would want for a drink.”

“That’s alright,” said the waiter.

After their drinks arrived, Vinnie and Nigel made brief chit-chat. Then, Nigel turned to open the conversation to Cole.

“Have you heard anything from the wife?” Nigel asked.

Cole eyed him, then the rest of the party. He began twisting his ring under the table.

“Not yet, no.”

“Ah, well surely soon enough,” Nigel said.

Vinnie looked up from his menu.

“Is she still gone?” He asked.

“No- it's nothing to be concerned about. I have no doubt in my mind she’ll be home some time next month. It’s no matter to any of you anyhow.”

“Are we talking about Laurie?” asked Richard, who emerged at last. He wore round sunglasses despite it being night. His wife, Dalia, was there too wearing a dark blue bodysuit with flared legs and a coat. It matched Richard’s purple suit. Both of them were stunningly beautiful.

Richard had worked for Jareth nearly as long as Nigel. He was Jareth’s guitarist, and unlike Vinnie and Nigel, he was not proficient in any other instrument. Cole had proposed his removal several times.

Cole’s brows furrowed and his mustache bristled.

“I’ve only booked the table for five guests!” he said.

“You’ve booked the entire restaurant,” Richard replied, then he whistled at the waiter who had just arrived with drinks. “Could we get an extra chair?”

“If you had told me beforehand I could have booked for six.”

“It doesn’t matter, mate,” said Richard. He pulled the empty chair out for Dalia, and once she sat down she started a side conversation with Vinnie, as she so often did. “Are you and Laurie cutting the knot?” Richard asked.

“Uh- certainly not. That’s an entirely private matter.”

“No t’aint. Not with her coming to the studio to yell at you every week- she’s a burden on us too mate.”

Cole’s jaw opened but he said nothing.

“It’s a good business move is what it is, divorcing her,” said Richard. Then, he took the chair the waiter brought over and sat down.
 “There is no divorce,” Cole said.

“Oh, did she tell you that?” Richard took off his sunglasses and placed them on the table. Then, he leaned back in his chair to address the entire party. “It’s not a big deal, we can talk about it. We talk about it whether you’re around or not, mate.”

Cole’s brows furrowed deeper over his eyes and his face became warmer. A hush had fallen over the table, and everyone was looking at their menus, except for the waiter who was quietly placing their drinks. He did not look at anyone.

“We haven’t ordered yet,” Vinnie said at last.

“Oh brilliant,” Richard replied. 

Cole looked at Nigel, and Nigel looked back at him. Then, Nigel’s mustache smiled and the crows feet by his eyes deepened. He raised his hand and waved it in the air, insinuating for Cole to let it go.

Cole looked at Jareth instead. Jareth was slumped back in his chair with his water cup in hand. He swirled it and watched the water spiral in the middle with a dull expression. Cole reached over to take the cup from his hand and place it firmly back on the table. Then, he pointed at the menu laying flat in front of Jareth.

“Right, that's enough,” Cole said, “choose something.”

Without sitting up, Jareth reached out and split the menu open to prop it on the table and read. Cole watched him.

Jareth’s sulking had not stopped, and Cole began questioning if it had anything to do with the press tour at all. Perhaps Jareth was disturbed about Laurie’s great performance. Perhaps he felt as though his own parents were disputing again, and perhaps he blamed Cole. 

Dinner ran as smoothly as possible despite the unwanted tardiness and disregard for plans. Nigel charmed the party with a story about playing organ for a church, then amused them with an anecdote about priests. Richard interrupted Vinnie twice, and at one point everyone said nothing to a joke Cole attempted.

 Jareth ate three of four fried cod sticks and ignored the cheese fondue it was partnered with. Cole himself had two devilled eggs, tomato soup with french bread, and shrimp scampi that he didn’t care for but finished. When his plate was cleared he pressed his napkin against his lips and called for the check. It came out to three hundred and sixty four pounds for the meal and the private dining, which Cole paid personally.

Then, all five men- and Dalia- were back into the black night. As Richard laughed at something Nigel said, puffs of warm fog went up into the air. It still snowed.

“Right, there you have it,” Cole said, “A dinner.”

“Thank you, Cole,” said Vinnie

“Yes, thank you,” Richard joined with his arm around Dalia’s waist in their matching get-ups.

Cole took a breath in through his nose and puffed his chest.

“Well,” he said, “it’s certainly no Quail’s Eye but it will have to do, won’t it.”

Quail’s Eye was a restaurant near Archway that served queer birds such as quail, ostrich, mallard, and peacocks.

“Oh Quail’s Eye is a horrid place,” Dalia said. “Wrong of them to be serving such rare animals as food.”

Cole’s chest contracted, and he did not reply.

Across the street a couple walked their dog, and the woman’s head followed Jareth’s face while she walked. Then, she looked up at the man beside her and said something. Then, they were both looking at Jareth. Cole cleared his throat and said goodnight. All six dinner members began to disperse into their cars. Except for Vinnie, who began walking down the sleek brick sidewalk. Cole watched him from the passenger's seat as he slipped his gloves on.

“Hasn’t he got a car for God’s sake?” he said.

“Could live round here,” Nigel replied, and turned around to look at the road before pulling out onto the street. Then, he flicked Cole’s knee. “Good dinner Cole, lots of money I’m sure.”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” he muttered.

Cole looked up into the rear view mirror to see Jareth in the back with his forehead against the window. His eyes were closed. He must have been exhausted from brooding the entire day.

Both brother’s were driven to Jareth’s estate, and Cole saw to it that Jareth made it back to his room all in one piece. Jareth slipped off his overcoat, and then reached up to twist at his earrings as they neared the two large doors into his bedroom. They were made of sleek wood with moon shaped stained glass windows facing one another. Cole stopped and slipped his hands into his pockets.

“Right,” he said. “Well, goodnight then. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Alright,” Jareth said, and slipped his earrings into a pocket. Cole stood there, and so did Jareth.

“Actually,” Cole said, “Your Birthday is round the corner isn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t like a party.” Jareth said.

“Yes, well I haven’t had the time to plan one anyhow,” said Cole.  “Perhaps an event instead. A televised thing. Or  a photoshoot of some kind to sell prints.

Jareth said nothing, and Cole stared at his face. Then, he sighed long through his nose and looked down at his wrist to check the time.

“Well, goodnight.” Cole said. “You think about something for your Birthday.”

“Yes, yes ehm… goodnight.”

And Cole began his descent back to the main entrance. He went down the velvet floored hall- terrible for work shoes due to the lack of grip- and past the hundreds of framed art pieces hung along the wall. 

Cole went down the stair steps, through the front doors, and back into the cold night. When he arrived at the car, the door popped open for him, and Nigel’s aged hand retracted back to his own seat.

“I’d like to open my own door,” Cole said as he sat down.

“I’d like to open it for you,” Nigel replied.

Nigel pulled the car into drive and began to roll the car around the fountain , then back towards the open gate.

“Richard likes tuggin your tail,” said Nigel after some time. 

“Yes. He certainly does.”

Cole crossed one leg over the other and watched the light poles slide by through the window. Nigel said nothing more. Cole turned his head to look at him. 

“It was horrid to bring a plus one without any notice whatsoever. And the- the blundering about private matters. Horrid, really. He's dense, really…”

“Don't have the heart to fire him?” 

“I haven't got the authority.”

Twice Cole proposed letting Richard go. Jareth insisted he stay, and Cole could not go against his clients wishes in good faith. 

“Have you thought to fire me?” Nigel asked, and his smile was hearable in his voice. 

“Certainly not, you're fairly… respectful about your job.”

“Oh I see,” said Nigel. 

Then, for a while, no one said anything. The tires hummed against the asphalt, the heater buzzed, and lights raced across Cole's legs as each light pole passed. 

“Have you missed Laurie?” Nigel asked. 

Cole began to twist at his wedding ring through his glove, three times one way and three times the other.

“It doesn’t really matter, does it,” said Cole.

“I'm only being friendly,” Nigel said. 

“I miss my children,”

“But you haven't been lonely at all?”

Cole looked at Nigel's face, and Nigel turned his head to glance back. His mustache smiled briefly, then stopped. 

“No,” said Cole. 

Nigel nodded. Then, he pulled into the entrance of Cole's estate, which unlike Jareth's, was not gated. The car came to a stop. Nigel put the car into park, then turned to face Cole. It was then that Cole had a thought about Nigel.

“You haven’t got any children?” he asked.

“No, not any.”

“Why’s that?”

“I never got round to it, I suppose.”

“Ah,” Cole said. He stared at Nigel for a long while, and Nigel stared back at him. His eyes looked almost maroon rather than brown in the dim car lighting.

Then, Nigel did something extremely unprofessional and placed a hand on Cole’s knee.

“Can you make it to the door on your own?” he asked.

A weight dropped in Cole’s chest. His eyes went slightly wider against his furrowed brows and he did not look down at Nigel’s hand. Nigel was staring back at him but he was not grinning. A thumping began to pulse in Cole’s ears.

He then pulled his knee away, and Nigel’s hand slipped off of him.

“I’m perfectly capable of finding my own door, thank you,” he said.

Then, Cole opened the car door, stepped out, and walked down the path to his front door. He went up three steps, fetched his keys, and he heard the car door behind him open again.

“Cole,” Nigel called.

He did not look back.

“Don’t be frightened, I was only teasing.”

Cole slid his key into the lock and turned it swiftly. He then pressed his front door open and slipped inside. He closed it, locked it thrice, then dropped his arms and stood staring at the gold handle. Just outside- muffled- the car door closed again and the engine hummed out of his driveway.

Cole pictured the white rectangle and black print of a newspaper in the center of a desk. In bold lettering a title read;

Gublenn Manager, family man or queer?

He slung his coat over the coat hanger with shaking hands and went up the stairs to prepare for bed.