With Or Without Him Part 13

The warm rush of relief after he'd pressed send confirmed he'd made the right choice. A moment later, the phone rang. Not a surprise, though he'd hoped he wouldn't have to speak to him.

"What are you f.u.c.king talking about?" Prescott yelled.

Tyler's heart pounded. "I don't want to come to your...parties anymore."

"You ungrateful little s.h.i.t. I-"

"Ungrateful?" Tyler turned to the wall and lowered his voice. "You think I should be grateful to be left hanging in a building I thought was about to burn down? You think I should be grateful a load of c.u.n.ts pay to treat me like I'm nothing?"

"You were paid enough not to care."

"Yeah, I was, but now I do care. I don't need the money that much."

"You're not walking away from me, Tyler. If you're not here tonight, I'm going to break every one of your fingers. See if you can play your precious instruments then."

Tyler ended the call and switched off his phone with shaking hands.

By the time he'd rejoined Haris, he had himself back under control. A selection of sandwiches sat in the middle of the table, a black coffee at the side of his plate.

"Thanks." Tyler had blown up one bridge, now he needed to mend this one. "Thanks for all the clothes and the shoes. Sorry if I seem ungrateful. It makes me uncomfortable, you flashing your black Amex card and me trailing like a puppy behind you."

"I think it's a little early in the arrangement to give you your own card."

Tyler laughed and then realized he wasn't joking. f.u.c.k. He helped himself to several sandwiches and began to eat.

"I'm sorry," Haris said. "You're right. I hadn't thought about how you'd feel beyond getting some new gear." He hesitated. "Have you made your decision? Can you put up with me for four months?"

He could see nothing in Haris's face, neither confidence, resignation, nor even hope. The clothes had been meant to sway him and now that had failed, Haris sat there with no idea which way Tyler would jump. Maybe it was the man's determination to show no emotion rather than the money that tipped the balance.

"Yes," Tyler said. "But no more farting."

Haris gaped. "I didn't f.u.c.king-ah." He laughed.

"These are delicious. They've even cut the crusts off. My...my mum used to do that. She said eating crusts would make my hair curly, but I liked it straight."

"I like it straight too. How do you want me to pay you?"

Tyler blinked at the run-on.

"Each week by check?" Haris asked. "Or shall I pay it directly into your bank account?"

Tyler took out his wallet and gave Haris his bank card. "My account number and sort code."

Haris tapped the details into his Blackberry and handed the card back. "I'll put the ten thousand in too for incidentals."

Tyler's heart thumped. "Minus what you've forked out today."

"If you wish."

If I wish? I get this new gear and the ten thou? But that little exchange had brought home what he'd agreed to. He'd be a well-fed, well-pampered pet. f.u.c.king great.

"We'll go via your place on the way back and pick up whatever you're going to need."

No, we won't. Tyler wanted that part of his life separate. He didn't want Haris to see the dump he lived in. It was his dump and he didn't want it criticized.

"I can do it myself another day. There's not much and nothing I desperately need. Your bathroom's equipped with everything."

Probably because I'm not the first. G.o.d, are the d.i.c.ks of the others in jars in the bas.e.m.e.nt?

"We better go. I don't want Wilson to get a ticket. I'd never hear the end of it."

He paid the check and picked up some of the bags. Tyler took the others.

"Where did Wilson come from?" Tyler asked as they made their way out of the store.

"I wish I knew."

"How long has he been with you?"

"Six years."

Every answer was clipped. Have I p.i.s.sed him off again? Just by asking questions? More likely he was still p.i.s.sed off from before. Tyler mentally sighed. Insecure, immature, sulky b.a.s.t.a.r.d...and then he smiled. That was him too.

"Do you have anything planned for this afternoon?" Tyler asked.

"I have some work to do. Why?"

"Like to do something with me?" Tyler asked.

Haris turned and smiled. His s.e.xy smile. The one that made his eyes shine. Tyler was beginning to realize how many smiles he had.

"Let Wilson take the shopping bags back," Tyler said.

A few moments later, Wilson drove away and Haris stood expectantly in front of him.

"We need to buy a few things," Tyler said.

"You want to go back in-?"

"No. I'm paying this time. I can't afford their prices."

"I'll-"

"No," Tyler snapped. Don't f.u.c.king ruin this. "Come with me."

They walked in silence until Tyler found a cheaper place. "H&M. This store is fine." He headed toward a display of gloves. "What's your favorite color?"

"Gray."

"Great." He picked up a twin pack of gray gloves. "Mine's blue but I can go with gray."

"Three ninety-nine?" Haris didn't hide his incredulity.

"Less than one of the coffees you just paid for."

He frowned. "Why do we need gloves? And I'd rather have leather."

"Wait and see. And tough, I'm not paying for leather."

"Why-" Haris started to speak and then closed his mouth.

Tyler grinned at him. "Ah you learn fast, gra.s.shopper." He picked up a blue beanie hat and stuck it on Haris's head, then pulled it off and reached for a black Peruvian hat covered in snowflakes.

"No," Haris said.

Tyler put it on his own head and turned to look at him. "It's furry inside and we're going to be cold later. You need a hat." He took it off, put it on Haris and laughed. "You look as though you'd rather hug a polar bear than wear it."

"How astute."

Tyler whipped it off his head, picked up another in blue and took everything to the till. If Haris offered to pay, he'd kick him. But the guy hung back. When Tyler turned round, Haris was holding a couple of sweaters.

"Have you seen the price of these? I can't believe it."

Tyler took them out of his hands and put them back on the display. "I doubt you need any more sweaters and I certainly don't. Come on."

"So where are we going?" Haris asked.

"Wait and see."

"We're walking?"

"Yes." The temperature was already dropping as the light faded, and Tyler pulled a pair of gloves from the bag and put them on.

A few minutes later, Haris let out a deep sigh.

"Changed your mind?" Tyler held up the bag.

"Yes, please."

He handed him the other pair. "What do you usually do on a Sat.u.r.day?"

"Work."

"Don't you go out with friends?"

"I have plenty of invites but I don't accept many. What about you?"

Tyler really didn't want to tell him what he'd been doing on Sat.u.r.day nights. "I avoid anything that costs money so my options are limited."

"You watch TV?"

"I don't have a TV. I play my acoustic guitar. I leave the electric one at college with my sax. That'd be a sure fire way to p.i.s.s off the neighbors."

"Do you read?"

"Yeah, I like reading, when I have time."

"What sort of thing?"

"Science fiction, techno thrillers, fantasy. But I guess I'm not going to be doing as much reading in bed as I'm used to." He grinned at Haris who smiled back.

Tyler gave a silent sigh of relief. They could make this work.

Haris suddenly stopped walking.

"What is it?" Tyler asked.

"Let's get you a phone." He nodded toward the store they'd stopped next to.

He bristled. Hadn't he made the point clearly enough? "I've got a phone."

"An iPhone?"

Oh f.u.c.k. Tyler wanted to say no but he couldn't. He'd seen others using them, drooled over what they could do and desperately wished he had one. His phone was a cheap-a.s.s piece of c.r.a.p, an ancient pay-as-you-go with no features whatsoever if he didn't count b.u.t.tons that tended to stick.

Fifteen minutes later, he walked out with something he never thought he'd be able to afford. Well, he couldn't but Haris could. How shallow am I? The clothes didn't work but the phone had. Now he could listen to music, take pictures, surf the Internet.

For four months. Tyler told himself to stop being such an a.s.s. He knew the deal. And he really liked the phone.

"You okay?" Haris asked.

"Yeah. Thanks for the phone."

"You're welcome."

They crossed the road into Hyde Park and lights suddenly lit up the trees.

"Wow. You must be important," Tyler said. "That's quite a welcome."

"Funny guy. So what are we doing?"

"You'll see."

Tyler hoped he'd play along or it was more money down the drain. He'd have to go and book a time which meant leaving Haris for ten minutes or so. A crowded Christmas market came into view and Haris groaned which earned him an elbow in the ribs.

"I have to check on something," Tyler said. "Want to buy us a couple of mulled wines and wait here?"

"Fine."