Little secrets

Chapter 2: Deviant

The rest of the weekend goes better than Howard expects, more or less. With Vince home for most of the weekend, they end up spending a lot of it together. Well, not together per-say. More in the same room doing their own things. The conversation however never falters or goes awkward, which Howard is relieved by. They've still got the double act magic that has followed them from youth, and it's never more obvious than Saturday afternoon in the Nabootique.

First there had been a heated debate on the proper way to display the antique Xooberon collection of snow-globes that Naboo insisted on selling. Vince thought they were genius and spent a long time shaking the globes upside down and then watching the snow inside twirl and dance with a delighted smile. He thought they should be be randomly stacked in the window for people to see. Howard refused to touch them, thinking perhaps they were a not so clever way to peddle alien drugs to the people of London. He wanted to place them near the back of the shop, maybe in a cabinet. This debate led to a crimp about the snow-globes, which sent them both into a fit of giggles and laughter that kept them a-float with happiness for a long time after.

That was until they actually had a customer, then things went south fast. It had been a lovely lady, curious about the strange snow-globes stacked in the window. She had been bubbly and pretty, with a round face and brunette curls. At first Howard had stepped up and tried in vain to direct her away from the globes and towards the collection of jazz records, lovingly arranged on the rack by the counter. All his well practice charm fell flat and soon a confused frown was gracing her features. He never understood why or how that happened, he was only being nice.

Vince, predictable swooped in and with nothing but a smile and a hair floof sold her five of the globes. Not even the younger man's brilliant smile could put off Howard's glare.

"Wot?" Vince asked as if he didn't know. He stepped away from Howard and made his way to the barber chair by the door.

"I was about to make a sale there little man, then you came and distracted her with those stupid snow globes" he blamed crossly, knowing that he really hadn't been about to make a sale. It wasn't about the sale anyway. She had been a nice lovely lady. After some conversation he had planned on asking for her number, or at least a name. Anything to make him feel like he was getting somewhere with the opposite sex.

"As if, you were getting nowhere" Vince said as if reading Howard's mind. "I saw the look on her face when you mentioned your dusty jazz records. She was well freaked out. Besides she asked about the snow-globes first, or did you miss that?" Vince asked with a small smile that looked as if he were making fun of Howard again.

"An what's that supposed to mean?" Howard ask, turning away towards his records and rearranging them. Maybe if the more colorful ones were on top they would turn some heads?

"You were staring at her Howard! You can't just stare at them and expect them to be interested" Vince stated, crossing his legs matter of factually.

Howard felt himself flush in embarrassment. It wasn't as if he thought that was how it worked, he just never could think of what to say. Not when it mattered anyway. Turning back to the other man he fixed him with a disbelieving look.

"Oh and I suppose your way is better is it?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah, well some of us don't need all the fripperies and tricks, acting like a tart all night. Real men get women by being sauve and gentlemanly"

"Is that what you were doing? Because it was well creepy. Where have you been getting these ideas from anyway?" Vince asked. "Because you know you shouldn't believe everything you see on internet" He grinned cheekily, a gold booted foot bouncing and swinging merrily, obviously delighted with himself for being able to tease Howard once again about his browser history.