Chapter 5
Chapter five
Gordon and Virgil released their tight hold on one another when Thomas approached the tank, but it was still impossible for Scott to see where one snake ended and the other began.
Thomas explained how the zoo had wanted them both to take part in a breeding programme, but neither of them was interested whenever a female was introduced.
The two male snakes had stared longingly at each other from their separate enclosures, and at night, they shunned their heat lamps and would fall asleep pressed up against the glass, sharing as much body heat as they could.
Even Scott thought it romantic.
Thomas had read online that they were going to be separated and had contacted the zoo to buy them.
“You didn’t have them before you were inside?” Scott asked.
Thomas shook his head. “Not these two. When I brought them here, it was the first time they got to touch, and when they wrapped around each other, I was worried, but I needn’t have been. They find it hard to let go. They feel more comfortable together than apart.”
Gordon and Virgil were moving, and they looked like a huge tumbling pretzel travelling from one end of their enclosure floor to the other.
Thomas strolled over to the snake casually lying on a thick branch. “John’s been here four years. He got too big for his enclosure.”
John was the first snake Scott had seen when he’d stumbled into the room. He was mind-blowingly big, not just in length, but in girth. It wouldn’t require much effort for him to swallow Scott whole.
“He’s an anaconda, right?”
Thomas smiled at Scott. “He is. A green anaconda, the heaviest snake there is.”
“That movie is terrifying.”
Thomas moved on to the next tank, much smaller than John’s.
“Lucy is one of my vipers. She’s the deadliest snake here. I need a licence to keep her, and Penelope.” He gestured at the neighbouring tank. “She’s my baby viper.”
Scott strolled over to look at Penelope. Her slit eyes glared back.
“How come she doesn’t blink?”
Thomas frowned at him. “Snakes don’t have eyelids.”
“Oh…I knew that.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Fine, I didn’t… Is that why you glare at me most of the time, you’re trying to imitate them?”
“I glare because you annoy me.”
Scott nodded. “Good to know.”
He waved his hand for Thomas to continue the tour.
Scott saw every snake, except the highly venomous one called Lucy. Thomas kept taking Scott back to the tank, but neither of them could spot her.
“Hopefully she hasn’t escaped again,” Thomas muttered, before wandering off.
Scott widened his eyes. “Escaped?”
“I’m sure she’s in there somewhere.” Thomas waved him over to the door. Then pointed at the brass bell attached to the wall. Scott’s fingers twitched. He desperately wanted to pull the cord, ring that bell.
“This sound let’s them know it’s dinner time.”
Scott dropped his hand by his side. “Snakes have ears?”
“Yes, they look like human ears, but they’re mini.”
“Seriously?”
“No. I’m not being serious, but your lack of snake anatomy is startling.”
“The snakes I’m used to are different. Rarely bigger than seven inches, mostly hooded, one eye –”
Thomas grimaced. “Come on, it’s now the boring part of the tour.”
The top floor of the mansion had a generous living room, a study, a library, four en-suite bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Scott kept catching whiffs of cooking food, and his stomach gurgled loud enough Thomas heard and paused the tour.
“You’ve not eaten?”
Scott touched his stomach. “Ah. No.”
“Come on,” Thomas said, strolling with purpose. He pushed open two double doors leading onto a huge kitchen. There was a man and a woman in front of the stove, both dressed in chef whites, both hard at work.
They looked up at Thomas, smiled at him, then both jumped when they saw Scott hovering at his back. The man blushed, the woman giggled, and Scott congratulated himself on still looking hot enough to fluster strangers.
“It’s not because you’re visually appealing,” Thomas murmured as if he could read the arrogance off Scott’s face. “It’s because they’ve never seen someone up here before. Carly. Jay. This is Scott. He stayed the night because he flooded his apartment with sewage…”
Scott smiled, “Nice to – hey – don’t tell them that!”
“It’s what happened, isn’t it?”
“It…it was somebody else’s sewage.”
Thomas turned to face him. “Somebody else’s? That’s even worse.”
Scott’s cheeks burned. Both Carly and Jay were attempting to hold back grins.
“I know he’s a massive inconvenience,” Thomas began. “But Scott here hasn’t had anything to eat this morning…”
“How does scrambled eggs on toast sound?” Carly asked, adjusting her hair net.
She smiled warmly at Scott, and he was compelled to mirror her expression. Grey streaked through her auburn hair, and her eyes were a soothing amber brown.
“It sounds amazing,” Scott said.
Carly’s cheeks rounded as she grinned. “You sit down at the table, and I’ll sort you out.”
The table had enough spaces for ten people to sit comfortably. Scott picked the chair on the end.
“Carly and Jay prepare a week’s worth of food for me. Breakfast, lunch and dinners, all stored in the fridge for me to reheat,” Thomas explained.
“Why?” Scott asked, ducking his head in case it offended either chef.
“Why not?” Thomas replied.
Scott shrugged.
“I’m a rubbish cook, Carly and Jay are both exceptional. This is their passion, their joy, and they’re bloody good at it.”
“And Thomas pays us ridiculously well,” Jay added, beaming at his boss. He was younger than Carly by a few years, with only a hint of grey in his black side-burns.
“How do you know each other?” Carly asked.
“We’re frien –”
“Ex-cellmates,” Thomas interrupted.
“Oh…and how long will you be staying with Thomas?” Carly asked.
“Erm.” Scott bit his lip. “I’m not sure. It depends on how long he’ll let me.”
Thomas folded his arms. “Have they given you an estimated time of when the work will be completed?”
“No, but…I reckon it’ll take about a month.”
“A month!” Thomas shook his head. “Jesus, Scott! What the hell had you eaten?”
Scott narrowed his eyes. “I told you; it wasn’t me. It was somebody else.”
“Don’t let random people defecate in your facilities.”
“I didn’t –”
“Will you be staying the whole month?” Carly asked, slicing right through the start of their argument.
“I…I don’t know.” Scott swallowed and looked up at Thomas through his lashes. “It’s up to you.”
Thomas ground his teeth loud enough for Scott to hear. “You can stay, but you can’t invite anyone over. This is my home, not a brothel, and I’d like it to stay that way.”
“I’d never bring a client to your home, Thomas.”
“Client?” Jay asked.
“Scott is an escort.”
Scott stiffened, bracing himself for Carly and Jay’s reaction.
“How lovely…” Carly said, shooting Scott a smile.
“No, not lovely,” Thomas mumbled.
“How much do you charge an hour?” Jay asked, cocking his head to one side.
Thomas widened his eyes. “You sleep with one of my chefs and you’re gone, and he’s fired.”
Jay held up his hands in surrender.
“What if he sleeps with both of the chefs?” Carly asked before cackling like a drunk witch.
Scott found himself snorting along with her.
She shoved Thomas, who didn’t budge an inch.
Thomas’s brow crashed down over his eyes. “Actually, I’ll make an exception…”
“For which one of us?” Carly asked, pointing her thumb at Jay.
She started laughing again.
“Neither of you. Scott. Your sister can come over. She’s the only person you’re allowed to bring to my home.”
Scott kept his face beautifully blank. “She lives in Scotland, so the chances of her visiting are slim.”
“Still… Make sure she knows she’s welcome.”
“I will,” Scott replied tightly.
“Here you are,” Carly said, placing a plate of scrambled eggs in front of Scott.
“Thank you.”
Thomas was asking Jay about the contents of the frying pan and didn’t notice when Carly rubbed a hand on Scott’s back and whispered in his ear.
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
For a second, Scott thought she was coming on to him, but then she continued.
“I do worry about him, all alone in this mansion.” She lifted her head, checking Thomas wasn’t listening. “Sometimes, I come over, pretend I’ve forgotten something, just to coax him away from playing with his snake.”
“Don’t you mean snakes?”
“He spends all day petting it, stroking it, rolling it around in his hand.”
“Erm…”
“It’s not natural.”
“I’d say masturbation is very natural.”
She stared at him. He stared back. Then her lips twitched before spreading into a big smile. They both laughed. Scott immediately, unquestionably, liked her.
“What are you talking about?” Thomas asked.
Scott waved a flippant hand. “Masturbation.”
“Jesus, Scott!”
Scott shrugged in response.
“He told me it’s completely natural,” Carly said.
Thomas scrunched up his face. “I don’t want to know. Hurry up and eat your eggs, Scott. I don’t pay Carly to talk about masturbation.”
“Cellmates turned real mates,” Carly said, pressing both hands to her chest. “How lovely.”
“No,” Thomas said firmly. “Cellmates to ex-cellmates, with one needing a favour after blocking the pipes in his apartment with a horrific sh –”
“I can’t hear you,” Scott interrupted, taking a bite of toast.
“Were you cellmates the entire time?” Jay asked.
“We were.” Thomas sighed, as if the experience had been harrowing.
Jay looked between them, smiling. “Wow.”
“I know, I know.” Thomas nodded. “I’m amazed I didn’t kill him too.”
“And during that time, did you…” Jay flexed his eyebrows. “You know…”
“No,” Scott and Thomas replied in unison.
“But I think Scott was servicing half the wing…”
Scott held up two fingers. “Two inmates. The whole time I was there, and I only did it to get enough money to buy a pencil set. A proper one, smuggled in from the outside so I could draw something good for you.”
Thomas opened his mouth as if to retort, then closed it again. He stared at Scott. It wasn’t the glare. It was as if Thomas was trying hard to work him out.
“You like to draw?” Carly asked.