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“If you ask me, I don’t think Kai really wants a relationship with anyone. He always seems to change the subject every time anything remotely about romance is mentioned.”
“He sounds complicated,” said Quint.
“Yeah, well, I think we all are in some way, me included. Music takes up most of my brain power, to be honest. Relationships have always been on the backburner for me.”
Quint could live with that for now and eased his line of questioning. “So, you’ve known each other a long time, you said?”
“Since we were kids. Kai always looked out for me at school. He was always opening my eyes to cool stuff, changing the way I looked at things. He made me a better person, if I’m honest. I was a right little shithead at school.”
“You? No.” Quint feigned shock.
“I got into a bit of trouble at school. The music teacher was shite there, and I just wasn’t interested in any of the other subjects. I kind of got distracted, fell in with the wrong crowds, took to skiving, all that stuff. It was only really after I left school that I went to college to learn music production. Kai found this place where I could get some help with the course fees, and I sort of pulled myself together after that.”
“He seems like a good person to have fighting your corner.”
“He is. What about you? What’s your story? Romance wise, I mean. Sorry, do you mind me asking?”
Quint snorted out a laugh, unintentionally lingering a stare at Leo. “I don’t come without my complications, either.”
“Now, that sounds way too intriguing not to follow up.”
“Not really. It’s the usual story of the working professional. Too busy for a relationship, that sort of thing.”If only you really knew,he thought.
“Well, you won’t have that excuse anymore now you’ve quit work.”
Quint shrugged and looked to the floor, kicking a pile of dry leaves.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to depress you. I’m sure you’ll find a new job soon,” Leo patted him on the shoulder.
Quint returned the touch, reassuring Leo that no harm was done.
“Was it your choice? To leave Wrap’d, I mean.”
“Bit of both, I guess. Like I said, I was getting a bit frustrated with the way the company was going. Once upon a time, Wrap’d would champion all those unique acts that you’d find playing gigs in stinky cellars under shops in Camden. Now they just pull in anyone with-”
“A social media following?” Leo smirked before following up. “Don’t worry, I’m not offended.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean you. What you guys do is different. Or so I’ve heard.” said Quint, second guessing. “And I have heard good things, really.”
Although he’d never watched Leo’s stuff, he knew that it would be something magical. Everything Leo ever did when they were last together, he always put his heart and soul into it. On Vondiv’d he designed and built things as a natural problem solver in the community. Quint couldn’t quite understand where his love of music came from, but maybe it was an echo of another lifetime, one that Quint had chosen to forget.
“Thanks. Our stuff is kind of… real, I guess. I’ve got to admit, I couldn’t believe that nobody had thought of doing it before. I mean, making normal conversations into pieces of music, it’s genius. I’ve got Kai to thank again for that. We got so bogged down with trying too hard that we got lost. The simpler we made things, the more everything fell into place.”
Quint laughed, brushing Leo’s arm accidentally on purpose this time. “That’s the way everything in the universe works. The more you overthink things, the harder life gets, unfortunately.”
“You’re quite spiritual as well, then? That’s good.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah. It’s good to know your place in the bigger picture. It usually means that you’re not an arsehole. Or less of an arsehole than most.”
“Oh, we’re all arseholes, believe me. Some of us are better at keeping it to ourselves than others.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“A wealth of it.” Quint laughed it off.
They hadn’t moved anywhere near the penguin enclosure, and they shared a look together, but still neither of them decided that it was time to move.
