“It’s a deer,” he repeated.
Scott shook his head. “Deer do not bark. Dogs. Wolves. Dingoes. Coyotes… They all bark, not deer, though.”
Thomas started on the walk back to the house, and Scott fell into step beside him.
“What noises do deer make then?” Thomas asked.
Scott frowned, giving it far too much thought. “They neigh.”
“Like horses?”
“A deer is closer to a horse than a dog. It makes perfect sense.”
Thomas shook his head. “I can’t believe we shared a cell for three years…”
“I can’t believe you own this place, you’re rolling in cash, and you still did time for tax evasion.”
Thomas bristled. “It was the principle. The assumption that I knew my accountant was being dodgy when I didn’t have a clue. I didn’t want to pay it back when it wasn’t my fault, and I didn’t want to draw attention to myself by arguing against the charge, so it was easier to just accept the prison time.”
“How much did you owe?”
“£10,000.”
Scott tripped over his feet. “You served three years for £10,000 when you’re clearly a millionaire?”
Thomas shrugged. “I have my pride too, and that’s worth more than millions.” He turned his blue eye on Scott. “Pride is something you probably don’t possess in your line of work.”
“Hey, I’m proud of what I do.”
“Yeah?”
“I’d like to see you bounce on a Viagra dick for six hours straight.”
Thomas grimaced. “That’s an image I didn’t want.”
“You asked for it.” Scott sighed through his nose. “I get it, you hate that I’m an escort. You think it makes me a lesser person, dirty, disgusting. Whatever. I hoped that those three years inside had changed your opinion on that – on me.”
Thomas stopped. “I don’t think it makes you a lesser person. I don’t think you’re dirty or disgusting.”
“Then what is your issue with me?”
“I don’t have one.”
Scott rolled his eyes. “What is your issue with escorting?”
Thomas stared at him for a long time, then continued walking. “Do you want a place to sleep or not?”
“I was eyeing a bush over there,” Scott said, glancing over his shoulder.
“What bush?”
“The one with the small, oval leaves.”
Thomas nodded. “It’s best you don’t sleep in there.”
“Why not?”
“The deer love that one.”
