The Assistant | Scavi

Wine Night

"Mitchy, I am home! I hope dinner is already here, I am starving" Scott said as he walked inside their apartment and threw his jacket over the coat rack.

"It arrived ten minutes ago. Be quick!" Mitch called from the living room.

"Of course..." Scott hurried to get into the bathroom to wash his hands and then joined his best friend in the living room. "Here I am" he said. "What are we having?"

Mitch grinned. "Pizza. And wine. You texted that you wanted a lot of wine. Was your day that bad?"

Scott sat down and immediately grabbed a piece of his pizza and took a bite. "Mmmh... food first" he said and pretty much inhaled three pieces of pizza while Mitch watched him with a bright grin on his face.

"Didn't you get anything that eat while you were at work?" The smaller man asked amused while he ate his portion of pasta.

Scott shrugged his shoulders. "Wanted to go out for food, but took to long and Kevin and Avi wanted to go home to their wives..." he explained. "But we had fruits and other snacks at the studio."

"Good... and how was your first day?" Mitch asked again once Scott had slowed down his eating.

"Interesting..." Scott replied. "I first met with Chloe and we did a lot of paperwork, non-disclosure agreements and shit, so technically I am not allowed to tell anyone about new music and other internal things. That took a while, but Chloe is a sweetheart and made me feel very welcome. Then I walked to the studio to meet Avi and yeah... his producer, Kevin, is such a nice guy, very keen on teaching me a lot and by the time I was leaving my head was literally spinning because it was a lot."

"And Avi?" Mitch asked.

Scott shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly don't know. When I came in first, it seemed as if he didn't want me there, as if me sitting there was a nuisance. They sent me off to do some intern shit like making copies and getting tea and when I returned he talked to me and seemed genuinely interested in who I am and what I am doing..."

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" Mitch asked.

"I don't know, Mitch. I mean at first I he was so cold and I felt like I was just thin air for him, then I came back and he was the nicest person ever? I even... oh my god, that was so embarrassing... I told him I didn't like his music so much and I thought he'd throw me out, but he just laughed and said that he doesn't expect anyone to like his music" Scott explained.

"Oh you are such a dork" Mitch said and chuckled. "Telling someone you are going to work with for the next few months that you don't like their music that much. But maybe this did the trick? Maybe now that he knows that you're not a fan and see things differently, he'll warm up even more?"

Scott shrugged his shoulders. "At first I thought so, too. Kevin had finished a rough mix of the song they had been working on and we listened to it together. Avi asked me what I thought of it and honestly? I admired the song? I knew immediately that the lyrics came from a place of deep hurt while the overall tune was a little lighter. It's a song that gives you hope and makes you realise that even though it seems like you're going through some tough shit, it'll get better..."

Mitch listened closely to what his friend was telling him. "Did you tell him this? He was probably impressed by how you understood his music?"

"Yes and no. Of course I told him, after all he wanted to know what I was thinking. But he didn't comment, he just said that the second verse sounded like shit and how I didn't get this and that some of the harmonies in the chorus were off" Scott explained. He sighed. "Then he practically stormed back into the recording cubicle and rerecorded the parts he didn't like."

"Oh wow..." Mitch simply said. "He sure is intense."

"Intense?" Scott scoffed. "More like two-face."

"That guy from the Batman movies?" Mitch asked.

"Urgh Mitch!" Scott said. "No. Not that. Seriously. I just feel that he has two sides, this kind and interested guy and the cold and unapproachable asshole. I just want to know why?"

"I don't know, Scott. I don't know." Mitch finished his pasta, put away the box and reached for the bottle of wine. "Want a glass?"

"Make it a bottle. I can sleep in tomorrow. They're having an meeting in the morning and I am scheduled to be at the studio at noon. They're to record with some other musicians..."

Mitch filled Scott's glass almost to the brim and handed it over. "There you go girl. Don't drink too much, though, or you'll be hungover and throw around sheet music or stuff."

Scott took a big gulp of his glass and had to suppress his laughter. "Already did that" he said. "Next up would be spilling hot tea or coffee..."

Mitch rolled his eyes. "Probably." He took a smaller sip from his wine and then sat back. "Maybe..."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "Maybe what?"

"I am still thinking about Avi and his behaviour. Maybe he is just very focused when it comes to his music so he practically forgets his manners and everything?" Mitch asked.

"I honestly thought the same." Scott shrugged his shoulders. "So I hoped that once we had finished recording, he would be back to normal. But then when Kevin offered to go out for dinner he refused saying that his wife was waiting for him and that Leigh, Kevin's wife would be waiting, too. I didn't even get a goodbye, he just rushed out of the room."

"Ok wow. What did Kevin say?"

"He excused Avi's behaviour, saying that he was probably a bit stressed because the album release is coming closer" Scott explained. "And I get that. It's just that I hate this kind of behaviour."

Mitch chuckled. "I know that you do... I mean you still have issues dealing with my mood swings..."

"Yes, but with Avi it's just... I don't know what to expect. He is either not talking to me at all or the nicest human being ever... honestly, if it wasn't for Kevin, I would consider changing my placement..." Scott explained. "But it would be a pity to not learn from him. He's so kind and caring. The perfect mentor..."

"Well, it's hard, but you just have to learn to deal with Avi's mood then" Mitch said.

Scott just hummed and continued to nurse his glass of wine. A second and third glass followed while Mitch told him all about his day as a aspiring fashion designer.

"Maybe it helps that he's kinda hot?" Scott said all of a sudden.

"Who? My boss?" Mitch wanted to know.

"Avi?"

Mitch raised an eyebrow. "He is? I always thought you'd like, tall blonde and sporty. Not lumberjack with long hair and beard.."

"I know... but there is something about him. He isn't even tall. He's tiny if you think about it. About your height and just a little bit broader than you are... but it's just..." Scott sighed. "I don't know, maybe that's the wine talking."

Mitch giggled. "Probably. Don't forget that he married his high school sweetheart and will probably have three kids and a dog and a cat."

"I wouldn't mind having a dog and a cat, if it wasn't for my allergies..." Scott chuckled.

Mitch rolled his eyes. "Of course..."

Scott grinned at his best friend. "Anyway, I should head to bed. I'll tidy up in the morning, I am so tired."

Mitch got up as well. "Fine with me, I have an early fitting tomorrow." He stretched his arms out. "Sleep tight, Scotty and I wish you all the best for tomorrow."

Scott smiled. "Thanks Mitchy. For your fitting too. Good night."

Their ways parted and Scott laid down in his bed after brushing his teeth and washing his face. He was dead tired after the long day and the wine night, so he fell asleep immediately, hoping that the next day with Avi would be better.