Chapter Ten

'Are these your music?' Riyaan asks, going through Ivan's collection in the living room. Poets of the Fall, Iron Maiden, U2, and a thick stack of vinyl collection.

Ivan invited him to have dinner at his place, probably because he had asked Ivan out for dinner, which he didn't seem to want for some reason. Maybe the line he has drawn - only sex, no more than that - discourages him from going out for dinner. But since he is in his house again, maybe he will get lucky again.

'Yes. That's one rock band that I really enjoy. Will you play it please?'

'How?'

Ivan helps him play a vinyl record on the player and the room is filled with some never-heard-before music to Riyaan. He leisurely sits on the sofa, watching Riyaan picking up things from his collection room. The room is fully lit by daylight even though the curtains are closed. It reeks of the same sophisticated and classy look that Ivan puts on every day - with his get-up and the way he speaks. Silent, soft, respectful and in short, beautiful.

But that is not the only reason why he likes Ivan so much. Another reason he has added to the list of why Ivan is so likeable is that: he is letting him explore his space(apart from his body).

'Your favourite?'

Ivan nods. 'I listen to it most evenings when I'm not at work.'

For a moment, Riyaan lets his gaze dwell on Ivan's chest skin, a small part that is naked from the two open top buttons. Then their eyes meet. Ivan knows he is checking him out.

'How was your exam yesterday, it was the last right?'

'Yeah, for a few months.. It was okay. Is that you?' Riyaan finds a photo frame over the mantelpiece.

'Yes. With Jai, my ex, in Costa de Sol, a very beautiful place.'

The man is hugging Ivan from behind across his neck, while Ivan is holding his arms. Riyaan wonders seeing the face of his ex, if he cares when he learns Ivan is sleeping with some other guy. Just why, why does someone not want Ivan?

'Where is it?'

'Spain.'

'Why is he an ex again?'

'We are waiting, I guess? We have different views.'

Riyaan gets it - he is the advertisement in the movie hall before the movie starts.

'Where in the world have you been to?' Ivan asks him.

'I have been to this city.' He grins.

'No. I mean have you travelled?'

'No.'

'Don't you like travelling?'

'I .. have no idea.'

'Come again?'

'Again?' Riyaan smiles and goes back to exploring the music albums.

Ivan laughs. 'You know what I mean, dirty mind.'

Riyaan shifts his focus to the shelves beside the large TV. The whole room seems to be for collections. 'I haven't travelled so I wouldn't know if I like it. I grew up in an orphanage.. as an orphan.'

'Oh! I didn't know that.' Ivan sits up straight on the couch.

He looks at Ivan and finds him looking at him intently, with frowned brows.

'Is that a problem?'

'No, no. I just..I am reacting to it. I had no idea.'

'What about you, who is in your family?'

'My father, mother and my step-brother.'

'They live here in the city as well?'

'No. Not in the country actually. My mother and father are now in South Africa for business, while my step-brother is in Italy, handling family business.'

'Wait, is someone from your family Italian? Because you got that look.'

'My mother. Yeah, everyone can guess from my looks.'

'Right. Are you on good terms with them?'

'Mostly with my step-brother, parents not very much. We have our issues, we keep in contact but not as much as with my brother. How's your work going?'

'Uh..it's okay.' He shrugs. 'How's yours?'

'Hectic, but good enough. You had some problems, was it sorted?'

'Problems?'

'Yeah, with the management.'

'Oh. No. It's still the same, but I'll look for another one.'

'Your manager is still micromanaging?'

'Yeah. She's...like, she thinks she is a badass, but she is just a bad apple.'

'A bad apple?'

'You know... the apple that makes everyone bad and sad in the basket.' Riyaan says as he moves to the next piece of showpiece. He has always been so interested in random tiny things around people's homes. He didn't have a personal space growing up, but he tried to have similar stuff mimicking others' spaces.

He takes a very intricately detailed piece of model ship in his hand. He feels sophisticated and smooth wood.

'And what about your rent problems?'

'Same. I'll just have to look for another one.' Then he asks, holding up the model ship. 'What's this?'

'That's a warship model I built with my ex.' Ivan comes up to him from the bed, and says slowly. 'Why don't you stay here?'

Riyaan looks at him, finding Ivan smiling, so he scoffs.

'What, I am serious. It's a big house. You can live and sleep wherever you want to...'

He cannot. He shouldn't. He has self-esteem even though he cannot afford much of it yet. He cannot take advantage of Ivan's generosity so it is unfortunate that he must say 'no'. It's quite sad.

He shakes his head of thoughts. But those eyes of Ivan are so inviting!

'Can I sleep with you in your room?' Riyaan hears himself saying, slyly.

Bye, self-esteem for a minute until I find a new and convenient place.

Ivan raises his brows and considers him for a moment.

'Sure, if that's what you want,' he smiles, rather shyly. 'So, you're staying?'

'You really don't have to. I should find some place soon,'

'I know, but why pay when you can live here comfortably? This house has everything - you don't have to follow rules or have in-between problems. I have an extra kitchen top if you like, and I got full home cleaning service.'

'You know, you're tempting me now. I might say yes because I'm struggling with places.'

'I am not just saying this for the sake of politeness. I'm serious.' Ivan runs a hand through his hair.

'What about Kris?'

'Kris? What about him?'

'I don't know, will he know somehow?'

'Does it matter to you?'

'No. I mean, I thought it would matter to you?'

'I don't care what Kris thinks, or his would-be.'

'Fine then. I don't think I have any other problems. This is really beautiful,' Riyaan places the model ship back in its place.

'Yeah. We did it in three days, and it is still one of my favourite possessions. Probably because we spent time doing it.'

Something about these pieces of 'ex' information is rubbing him the wrong way. Yet he wants to know more - possibly to find out what kind of man Ivan likes. Does Ivan like him?

'What's your ex like?' he asks, careful enough to not look at Ivan, or more specifically, not have eye contact.

'Mostly like me, especially with the stuff we do. He is adventurous, like me. We have other hobbies in common like crafting, cooking, and reading.' Ivan sits crossed-legged before asking, 'And you?'

'Me? I am your hobby as well?'

Ivan laughs, and then slowly, 'I am asking, what's your hobby?'

Riyaan knows that.

'Um, let's see. I like reading, I'm working on my cooking, I do some crafts too. And I like adventure movies too.'

Now his hobbies are almost similar to Ivan's.

Ivan rolls his eyes as he laughs. 'I like to travel too.'

He thinks he can win the game, but he doesn't know Riyaan is determined. 'I travel long distances to be at work. You'd be surprised.'

'I take you to work. I'm not that surprised. But, where would you like to go, if you could?'

'Some place towards the Himalayan region. Actually, mountains in general.'

He has always been interested, and curious about exploring the hilly and mountainous regions - serene, romantic and quiet. But it's his salary, that doesn't seem to agree with his fantasies and interests.

* * * * *

His computer screen should have the design file open but it reads Tripadvisor's Explore Costa del Sol page instead. Since the time he got to work, he has scanned the available pictures of this place, zooming in and zooming out, and has calculated how much a month's salary would he require to take someone on a trip like that. He either needs a job change or a change in a particular romantic interest.

'I don't think we are getting paid enough,' Riyaan slides his office chair back and looks at Plasi.

'Good morning, you woke up,' Plasi says, making a face.

'Like, do we talk to Nikita?'

'Today? No. Maybe next month.'

'What do we say? Like straight up, "pay more"?'

'Yeah, good luck.' Plasi says with a mock encouragement.

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