Chapter 12
Chapter twelve
Scott sighed.
He sighed louder and dropped his spoon into his bowl.
Thomas didn’t look away from the laptop in front of him. His breakfast of cornflakes and dried banana flakes remained untouched.
“Your banana is getting soggy,” Scott said. “Nobody likes a soggy banana.”
“Except in banana and chocolate chip crumble,” Jay called out.
Carly nodded along. “Good call, although I’d say the banana is soft, not soggy. Delicious, though.” She looked over to Scott. “Have you had it before?”
“Can’t say I have.”
“I’ve got the ingredients,” Jay said. “Everyone needs to experience a banana and chocolate crumble at least once in their lives.”
It was nine o’clock on a Sunday morning, and both Carly and Jay had greeted Scott with beaming smiles when they’d arrived. They began meal prep immediately but kept glancing over to him and Thomas having breakfast.
“Do you like it?” Scott asked.
Thomas hummed.
“Banana and chocolate chip crumble?” Scott said, waving for Thomas’s attention.
“Yeah.”
Scott was not satisfied with that level of response and kicked Thomas under the table.
“What the hell!” Thomas snapped.
“My foot slipped.”
Thomas leaned toward him. “So will mine in a minute, right up your arse.”
Scott hiked up his eyebrow. “Kinky…”
Carly burst out laughing.
Thomas rolled his eyes. “Please don’t encourage him.”
He went back to gawping at the laptop.
Scott sighed. “I might insist on a ‘no device’ rule at the table.”
“I think that’s a fantastic idea,” Carly said.
Thomas pointed a finger out at her. “Nobody asked you.”
“I happen to agree,” Jay added.
“Nobody asked you either.”
Scott pushed back in his chair. “I say we take a vote. Everyone who wants to ban the use of electronic devices at the table, raise your hand.”
Carly and Jay shot their hands into the air alongside Scott’s.
Thomas slid his gaze off the laptop and twisted in his chair to look at them. “This isn’t a damn democracy. You two work for me” – he turned to Scott – “and you’re my guest.”
“And don’t people say ‘the guest is always right’?”
“It’s the customer is always right,” Thomas hissed. “And I’d never be a customer of yours in a million years.”
“Ouch. Well, I wouldn’t have you as a customer, not with that attitude.”
“If you’re so concerned about my soggy banana, you eat it,” Thomas said, pushing the bowl in Scott’s direction.
“You need to eat,” Scott said, pushing it back.
Thomas slumped and slid the laptop away. He began eating, and Carly did a happy jig in the kitchen behind him.
“Is…is everything okay?” Scott asked, gesturing at the laptop.
“I thought you were banning devices at the table?” Thomas asked.
“I’m not on a device, I’m only asking about one, besides…” Scott lounged in his chair. “I’ve finished. I finished eating about twenty minutes ago.”
“I just needed to sort something, contact the admin.”
“Why?”
“It doesn’t matter now, it’s sorted,” Thomas said. “There’s an easy request…”
“I’m not inserting a cucumber.”
“It’s not from the guy with the food fetish.”
Scott swallowed. “What is it then?”
“￡1000 to jerk off in women’s underwear.”
Scott frowned. “As in, I jerk off into some knickers, or I’m wearing women’s underwear while I jerk off?”
Thomas frowned as he chewed up a soggy mouthful of banana and cornflakes, then swallowed. “I’m not sure, I’ll need to clarify.” He gave Scott an intense look. “This request is okay?”
Scott smiled. “It’s fine, Thomas.”
“Good.” Thomas swallowed another mouthful, then turned to Carly. “What size underwear are you?”
“What the fuck, Thomas?” Scott snapped.
“I’m not suggesting she take it off right now, but –”
Scott glared. “There is no way anything reasonable can follow that but.”
It was Jay’s turn to laugh, but he muffled it in the crook of his elbow.
“I’m just saying,” Thomas said, “Carly might have some stuff for you to wear, you know…from her younger days.”
“My younger days!” Carly roared, dropping the baking tray she was holding. It smashed to the floor, making both Thomas and Scott jolt in their chairs. “Jay!” Carly yelled. “Hold me back. I’m going to punch our boss in the face.”
Jay swooped in and grabbed her arms. “I’ve gotcha.”
“Younger days!”
Scott tutted and shook his head at Thomas. “Not cool.”
Thomas huffed. “If I caused offence –”
“Caused offence…” Carly struggled in Jay’s grip. “The only reason I won’t be spitting in your food is because Scott will be eating it too.”
Scott shrugged. “I don’t mind, go right ahead.”
“I’m sorry!” Thomas shouted.
Carly stopped struggling. Jay’s eyes widened. They both gaped at Thomas.
“I’m sorry,” Thomas repeated. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“Fuck me,” Carly whispered.
Thomas frowned. “I’d rather not.”
Carly stepped over to the table. “You just apologised.”
“Weirder things have happened.”
“No, they fucking haven’t,” Jay blurted.
Jay turned his wide eyes on Scott, and Carly soon joined him in staring.
“What is it?” Scott asked. “I don’t have a cornflake on my face, do I?”
“No, you don’t,” Thomas answered. “I’ll buy you some underwear online.” He glanced at Scott’s chest. “What size are you?”
“Fuck if I know.”
“You need to go to a shop,” Carly said. “Get his cup size measured.”
Scott looked down at himself. “I don’t have any cups.”
“I’m not leaving the mansion,” Thomas added. “We’ll make do with online shopping.”
Carly shrugged. “It could be fun going into the city, shopping together. You know, peopling.”
Thomas squinted. “Is peopling even a word?”
“What do you think, Scott?” Carly asked.
Scott shuddered at the thought of Warren stalking him, trying to get him alone. “I’m happy with online too.”
Carly slumped and returned to the stove with Jay.
Thomas finished the rest of his breakfast, then pulled the laptop in front of him. He shifted his jaw left to right, then stiffened as he looked at Scott.
“What is it?” Scott asked.
“People have been…commenting on your teaser videos.”
“O…kay?”
“Most of them are good, thirsty I’d say, but there’s a few…” Thomas exhaled slowly. “Not so nice ones. I don’t want you reading them. I’ll tell you if there’s something you need to know, and share with you any positive comments, but I don’t want you to go through them on your own.”
“I’ve probably heard it all.” Scott snorted. “Mostly from you.”
“Scott…”
“Okay. I won’t read any of the comments.”
Thomas slumped. “Good.”
“Are there that many bad ones?”
“No, but all it takes is one to start getting to you.” Thomas frowned. “One of the messages, I don’t get.”
“What do you mean?”
Thomas tilted the laptop away from Scott so he couldn’t see. “This one I’m looking at. It has a date and a time.” He shook his head. “August 17. Midnight.”
“Is that all it says?” Scott asked.
“Yeah, there’s two unhappy emojis around the words.”
Scott’s lips popped open. “What’s the username?”
“Biggestfan468.”
August 17… That date would be near enough a month after Scott had first made the profile. Warren was giving him the month he’d requested.
He was backing off, giving Scott time to make the money.
“Oh, I get it,” Thomas said. “It’s in response to your bio. A month.”
“A month,” Scott echoed. He smiled. A weight lifted from his shoulders. “You know what? It might be fun to go shopping after all.”
Thomas shot him a disgusted look. “You are joking, right?”
“Nope. Let’s do it.”
No one spared Scott any attention. Everyone looked at Thomas. A few people even crossed the street, and one woman shielded her baby’s eyes.
Thomas ignored them all like he was bulletproof.
“Don’t get offended on my account,” Thomas whispered close to Scott’s ear.
Scott stiffened, caught glaring at a guy who was pointing. “I’m only offended they’re not looking at me.”
Thomas laughed, and the guy who irked Scott fell down the steps to the underground station.
“Instant karma,” Scott muttered.
“It’s not karma when it’s natural for them to stare.” Thomas glanced at him. “I mean, look at me.”
Scott did. “You’re Thomas.”
“We’ve walked past hundreds of people today and not one other has looked like me.” He smiled, and a woman heading towards them screamed.
“You like that, don’t you?” Scott said. “That there’s literally no one else who looks remotely similar to you.”
“I do.” Thomas gestured around them. “I’ve seen at least two of your doppelg?ngers lurking about.”
“Ha. Funny.” Scott stroked back his hair. “I have no doppelg?nger, and if I did, he wouldn’t be lurking.”
“No, he’d be down some back alley with a cock in his mouth.”
Scott snorted. “He’d be down some back alley to avoid looking at you.”
Thomas laughed, nudging Scott with his elbow.
“This is the one,” Scott said, pointing at the lingerie shop. “This is the one Zara and Jade said to go to.”
“I can’t believe you texted your beauticians for underwear advice.”
“Hey, they’re more than beauticians. They’re friends.”
“They are paid to be nice to you, just as Carly and Jay are paid to be nice to me.”
Scott pushed the glass door open. “Forgive me, but didn’t Carly try to punch you earlier?”
“Yes, and she would’ve lost her job over it if she had. I like them. I like all my staff. But I’m not stupid enough to believe we’re friends.”
Scott shoved the door back, but Thomas caught it before it could make contact.
“Scott…” Thomas hissed.
“What? It wouldn’t have made any difference with your nose already flat.”
Thomas narrowed his eyes and shut the door behind him.
There were a few women milling about, running their hands along the rails of underwear, chatting away. Then one spotted Thomas, and the relaxed atmosphere changed. One by one, they left the shop, rushing past Thomas to get to freedom.
Scott glanced at Thomas, who just shrugged.
“Advantages,” Thomas said.
The red-head behind the counter also looked like she wanted to bolt.
“Can I…help you?” she called.
“Yes.” Scott stood in front of Thomas and went up on his tiptoes, attempting to block the sight of him. “I’d like a nice bra and some matching frilly knickers to go with it.”