Rich Bastard {mxm}

Six.

"Feelings are for the weak," -C.T

"We are just so lucky that Tomas didn't take any of your words to heart. You literally insulted his best friend, Chez!" I sighed deeply for the sixty-fifth time, dipping my paintbrush into a black as Vivi walked around the studio, scolding me as if she was Davina. "Okay, but he's the one who called me a rich boy," I rolled my eyes. It was the truth, I did have money, but he didn't need to be so observant.

"Because you were giving Joaquin that usual attitude of yours! Saying how he couldn't afford your dry cleaning or whether or not he knew how expensive that shirt was?" Vivi exasperated, running her hand through her hair. "Are you his friend or mine?" I deadpanned, wondering what the issue was. Tomas had already said the issue was fine and that he was planning their next date, so I wasn't sure what I had to do with it now. "I'm yours, but that's not the point! The point is just because neither of them come from a background like us doesn't mean we need to make them feel bad about it," She mumbled.

I went to speak but she kept on going. "Tomas told me that Joaquin volunteers at a homeless shelter every weekend," I kept painting, allowing the feeling to relinquish every vein in my body. "How beautiful," I replied. The poor recognized the poor, it seemed.

"He says that he's been through a lot, but he takes the time to pray, to give thanks, to help others who are less fortunate. He said one time, he allowed a sickly mother and her homeless infant to stay with him for two days!" Vivi beamed and I kept painting, hearing the words but not retaining them. "Why don't you just marry this dude instead of Tomas? You seem to be really invested in his case," I shrugged, not finding anything useful or interesting about poor boy.

"No! I really like Tomas!" She screeched as she leaned on the side of my canvas. "It's just that he's a good man and so is Joaquin. They aren't like people we've ever met in our entire lives," She explained with sorrow in her tone and I scoffed. "Of course they aren't. You think our parents would've allowed us to meet them? God, I'd love to hear how Cordelia and Phillippe feel about that," I demurred, knowing full well that I was right.

Vivi frowned, realizing the severity of the situation. She knew Tomas wasn't rich enough or classy enough to even fit into the Baudelaire family. Cordelia was nice, but not nice enough to let some random middle-class individual woo her only child. Well, who knew what the odds favored?

"I'll deal with that later," She turned to face me. "I just want you and Joaquin to be cordial so that Tomas and I can blossom in our relationship," I raised a brow, drawing the coarse black to merge into the smooth on the white paper. "Hmph, well if you say that, I won't have Pierre do a background check on him. Though, I was curious to know what he made at the restaurant. Obviously, it's not anywhere near six figures," I snorted in disbelief, knowing that Joaquin could never.

"Chez." She said warningly, giving me a hard look. "What does it matter if I refuse to breathe the same as that poor boy? There's no reason why I have to be in the same city as him if you are dating his best friend. This isn't high school, Vivi," I sighed exasperatedly, wanting her to hop off of my case and stop griping about something so insignificant. I painted the arch of the head, connecting into the shoulders as I shaded it in, something about the act so ethereal.

"It matters none if I can tolerate Tomas or not. It matters none if I can stand Poor boy or not. All that matters is how you feel about Tomas," My brush moved automatically, listening to my subconscious as it painted the spikes of hair onto the sheet. "Which I'm still very shocked about. But it makes sense, you are a teacher at a public school," I cringed at the thought, knowing that it was just some way for her to appreciate things. I thought it was complete bullshit. "None of the men in our world would be your type," I tried to be reasonable, come up with an excuse or a reason as to why she would like somebody like Tomas.