It was a wonderful day for Scott and Avi. They had breakfast together with Mitch, Kirstie and Ben before they left to stroll through the streets of the city. Even though they had been to the city a few times, they still found new, beautiful places to see.
And they talked. A lot. About things, they knew about one another and new things.
"I'm so glad that you value family as much as I do," Avi said. "I get that for some people family is a difficult topic, but I just love mine."
Scott smiled. "Of course you do. Talking about family: I still wanted to get something for them. At least for Mum and Dad. For the rest, I think I'll just get a few bottles of the ouzo we loved and we'll have a nice day sharing them."
"I've been thinking about getting my mum something, as well. Dad will definitely get some ouzo to enjoy, but Mum doesn't like hard alcohol" Avi explained. "But I don't know what..."
"If I learned one thing while being on vacation and tour it is that you just cannot actively search for something. It just doesn't work out. But if we keep our eyes open, we'll find something" Scott said.
"Do you think so?" Avi asked.
Scott nodded. "Definitely."
They wandered through the tiny streets when suddenly, Scott stopped in front of the store. "That button up right there is so beautiful."
Avi furrowed his brows. "Which one?"
"The greyish blue one with the pattern" Scott returned and pointed at the shirt in question. "But the wine red one with the tiny polka dots is nice as well."
Avi nodded. "They look cute," he said. "Wanna try them on?"
"Me? No." Scott shook his head and grinned. "I think they'll look cute on you."
Avi blushed slightly. "But they look rather slim fit."
"So what," Scott said. "No offence, but you are slim. And remember the shirts you bought with Mitch? They are definitely slim fit."
"Probably. And maybe I should try them on. I mean I love the checkered lumberjack shirts I usually wear, but I also liked what Mitch got for me" Avi said. "Especially because you told me how good I look..."
Scott chuckled. "I guess the term I used was hot," he said and grinned when Avi blushed. "And I really like seeing you in your lumberjack shirts a lot. You always look comfy and cosy. But those will be something else. So... yes to trying on the shirts?"
"Yes."
In the end, Avi bought three shirts. The two Scott had chosen for him and a third one which was green and had a small pattern, too.
While Avi was paying, Scott looked around and suddenly gasped. "Avi, look."
"Hmm?" The bearded man looked around and smiled when Scott held up a silk scarf. "They are beautiful. Especially this one." He held up a colourful scarf and nodded. "My Mum would love this. She wears a lot of plain shirts and loves a nice scarf."
Scott couldn't help but laugh. "Well I actually thought about my Mum here, but I can see yours wearing this as well. Do you think they would mind if they got the same scarf?"
"I don't think so," Avi said. "Also your parents live in Texas and mine in California. They don't see each other that often. And even if they do, it's a funny story to tell."
Scott nodded. "True," he said and then picked out a scarf for his mother as well. They paid and left the store happily. Once outside, Scott took Avi's hand and held it as they walked through the alleys of the city. They had a late lunch in a little café and then walked back to their hotel.
"I was planning on getting my guitar out. Play a few tunes, jam a little bit. Whoever wants to join in is definitely welcome" Avi said. "Just for fun, though, no arranging.
"Mmhm, sounds like a wonderful plan" Scott replied. "Although if Kirstie and Mitch join, I can't promise a thing."
Avi chuckled. "True. Anyway, shall we take a dip in the pool beforehand? After all this walking and looking at things, I need a refresher."
"Sure," Scott said as he got out his keycard and opened the door to their house. "I just need to head to the bathroom real quick, have a drink and-"
"Yeah?" Avi asked and furrowed his brows when he saw the bouquet of red roses standing on the coffee table. "Did Mitch get flowers from a guy?"
Scott shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. He doesn't seem to be here? Mitch? Mitch!" But there was no answer. The door to his room was ajar and the door to their terrace was closed. Mitch definitely wasn't there.
"There's a card," Avi said, picking it up. "I... It's for you."
Scott swallowed hard. "For me?" He took the card from Avi and opened it with shaky fingers.
"Dearest Scott. I just wanted to let you know that I am still here and waiting for you. I miss you, Scott and I hope that we'll be able to talk once you're back. I love you, Scott. Nick."
The blonde took a deep breath. "Why can't he just leave me alone?" He looked up at Avi. "I didn't want this."
"I know" Avi replied. He wanted to help Scott but didn't know how. "You told him more than once."
Scott nodded slowly. Then, all of a sudden, he sprung to action, grabbed the bouquet and threw it into the bin followed by the note. He turned to Avi. "I... I need a moment. I'm sorry" he said and then ran up the stairs, slamming the door behind him.
The blonde threw himself onto his bed and cried into his pillow. He was sad and angry, but most of all devastated that the day and the date with Avi were now overshadowed by thoughts about his ex. After a while, he was able to calm down and his sobs turned into sniffles. When he sat up to grab a tissue, his phone fell out of his pocket. He picked it up and saw that he had several new messages, including one from Nick.
Scott knew that he shouldn't open it, but his finger was faster than his brain:
"Did you get the flowers? I just wanted to send you a reminder that I am still here and waiting. I hope you're having a wonderful time and I can't wait to see you again. Are you still coming home on Thursday? Oh and I fixed the AC, it was only a minor issue. Take care of yourself, Scott. Love you, Nick."
"I got them and I threw them away, Nick. I don't want you to wait. I want you to pack your things and leave. I'm only coming home on Sunday and when I do I want you and your shit gone. Leave me alone!"
After sending his message, Scott blocked Nick's contact and turned off his phone. He didn't want to deal with it anymore. Tears were streaming down his face again and he didn't hear the knock on his door.
"Scott?" Avi's soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"I just wanted to see how you're doing. I can leave you alone if you want to..." Avi asked carefully.
Scott shook his head. "Please stay."
Avi sat down next to Scott. He grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and handed it to the blonde.
"Thank you." Scott took a moment to dry his tears and blow his nose and then he looked up at the bearded man. "He ruined the whole day. We had such a wonderful date and I was looking forward to the pool and the jamming later on."
Avi nodded slowly. "I get that this riled you up," he said softly. "But I don't think you should let him ruin your day. You're right, we had an amazing date and this day is far from over. Of course, you can stay inside if you want to, but I think distraction works better."
"But..." Scott began. Then he nodded. "You're right. If I don't stop moping around, I let him win." He wiped away his tears once more. "He texted me and I just told him to pack up his things and leave. Then I blocked him so he won't be able to reach me."
Avi smiled. "That's good," he said and leaned in to kiss his cheek. He tasted the salty tears while at the same time noticing the smile on the blonde's face. "There's that beautiful smile," he said.
Scott couldn't help but smile even brighter. "Thank you," he said and kissed Avi's temple.
~~~~
