Wild (sequel to Deep) - Zarry AU

Art

Harry half walked, half ran from where he had parked. He hated leaving his Thunderbird too far away so was risking the no-parking zone in front of the parade of minimalist boutiques and real estate brokers. This fact gave his task an added urgency and he leapt up the steps to the gallery entrance, trying to slow himself to a controlled walk as he approached the reception desk.  The geisha / bowling pin assistant had morphed into a softly curved blonde with a deep tan and sparkling blue eyes. She sat, flicking through what appeared to be a carpet sample catalogue and chewing gum in a way that should have made her look cheap but, instead, seemed impossibly cool. Harry hesitated for just a second.

"Hi," he smiled, clasping his hands together in front of his chest. "I'm interested in your erm... amethyst picture..." The assistant looked at him blankly. Harry began to wonder if the gallery employed only aloof Europeans.

"Amethyst? Am I right? Mounted on a really big canvas....Maybe not amethyst... I ... your colleague said it was made out of some kind of organic stone... " He cast about as he talked, looking for the picture in the place he had seen it previously. It was no longer there.

The assistant frowned.

"Amethyst?" she said, between chews.

"Yeah.... er... something like that," Harry was smiling too much now. He felt the need to charm coming on. He had spotted the tiniest flicker of recognition in the assistant's eyes although he guessed she was too cool ever to admit to knowledge of One Direction's existence.

He kept going. "Er.... well, it was kind of swirly, with greens and gold... and brown bits... like... sort of...shiny" As he spoke his long arms described a circular motion, jazz-handing briefly to catch her gaze. She started to smirk.

"Ok, ok. I get it now." She placed her hand under her nose, then flattened it onto her upper chest, as if to control the urge to laugh. "The Ammolite."

Harry nodded, enthusiastically. "Yeah! That was it!" He spun in victory, his gaze returning firmly to hers. Ah, he had her now.

"Oh, such a lovely piece!" she said. She was actually an East coaster.

"I know, right?" Harry beamed. "I wanna buy it!"

She hesitated a minute but held his gaze. The game was still on for her.   

"I'm so sorry!! It's been sold."

Harry stopped dead. Game over.

"Wha? "

"Mmm, I'm sorry." She turned to the razor-thin notebook on the desk and typed a few strokes. "Yes.... Sold last Friday."

"Er... well....do you have any more like it?" Harry knew this was a stupid question.

She shook her head slowly. "We only stock unique pieces, I'm afraid." Then, chewing on her lip. "Ummm... we could contact the artist if you like... "

Harry frowned. "No, that's ok."

She turned back to the screen.

Harry's eyes searched the floor. He looked out of the window, considered the brightly-clothed women window-shopping on the other side, then said: "Can you tell me who bought it? Maybe they'd sell it on to me...?" .

Another slow head-shake. 

 "I'm really sorry, we have to keep the details of our buyers confidential. I'm sure you can understand....".   At this, she looked directly at Harry and held his gaze, this time for far too long.

Harry knew that if he took the invitation that was being offered, the assistant's devotion to the store's confidentiality policy might slip. But that was the old Harry Styles. And he was no longer present.