“There you are…”
Scott straightened at Anthony’s voice. He brushed his hair back into position and fixed a warm smile on his face as he got to his feet.
Anthony’s top lip and brow were both sweaty, but he smiled at Scott, keeping both hands hidden behind his back.
“I was looking for you,” Scott said. “Guess we must’ve been looking for each other.”
Anthony laughed uncomfortably. “Yes, both moving in the same direction, not quite catching a glimpse.”
“Oh please,” Thomas muttered. “This is painful.”
He got back to his feet and sighed down into the fountain at the broken champagne flute.
“Actually,” Anthony said, ducking his head, “I went to use the restroom, and on the way back, a lot came up that I just had to buy… I had to buy it for you.”
“It’s not a head, is it?” Scott asked.
Thomas’s laugh hissed out of him in pulses, and Scott tried to keep his professional mask intact, to not grin with pride at getting such a sound out of his ex-cellmate.
“No, not a head… But this…”
Anthony presented Scott with the black box he’d been hiding at his back. He opened the lid, revealing a blue velvet interior and a thick gold necklace. It had a yellow gemstone the size of a marble.
“Wow…” Scott blinked. “Anthony, I…”
“Can I put it on you?”
“Sure,” Scott said. He sat down on the bench again with his back straight, holding his hair up with one hand. It wasn’t strictly necessary – his hair was chin-length – but the sight of his throat put a hitch in Antony’s breathing.
Thomas reverted to glaring.
“Isn’t there somewhere you’ve got to be?” Scott growled through his teeth.
“I’m happy here,” Thomas said, crossing his arms.
Anthony’s fingers trembled as he put the necklace around Scott’s neck.
Scott released his hair, then turned to Anthony. “How does it look?”
Anthony tripped over his tongue, trying to come up with a reply, before finally nodding his approval.
“It doesn’t suit you,” Thomas said.
Scott ignored him. “You know I can’t accept it, right? I can wear it for today, but then –”
Anthony widened his eyes. “But it’s a gift.”
“Gold doesn’t suit your skin tone,” Thomas added, purely because he was an arsehole, Scott imagined.
“Yes, thank you, Thomas,” Scott said, waving him away, but Thomas stayed beside the fountain.
Scott touched the stone. It was heavy against the hollow of his throat. The whole necklace felt like it was pushing down on his shoulders. It was as thick as rope and cold against his skin. “I hope it wasn’t too expensive…”
Anthony couldn’t meet his eyes.
“And the yellow stone…” Thomas said. “It’s the same shade as the first piss of the day.”
Scott slapped his hand to his mouth, pretending to cover his gasp at such an obviously expensive gift, but in reality, he smothered his laugh. Thomas, although behaving like a prick, was an accurate one, nonetheless.
