Page 96 of Pistols and Plush Toys

“No,” Nikolai said at once. “No, is good you’re laughing. I’m glad I’m can say things that make you laugh.”

Elliot sucked in a breath, a blush rising to his cheeks. Nikolai was suddenly seized with the desire to trace the curves of Elliot’s face and kiss that wash of color.

That desire was immediately followed by guilt like ice water trickling down his spine.

He’s dependent on you. Relying on you. You want to be like Vitale? Huh? Is that the man you want to be?

“What’s, um, what’s your favorite part?” Elliot asked, unaware of Nikolai’s inner turmoil. “About running your own business?”

Nikolai was grateful for the new line of conversation. “Picking new artists to sell in our stores,” he said easily. “We sell plain jewelry, gold and diamonds, simple. But also many artistic pieces. More unique pieces.”

“Like what?” Elliot asked, smiling at him.

“You want to see?” Nikolai asked.

Elliot nodded so Nikolai pulled out his phone. Once he’d found the folders with this year’s creations, turned his phone for Elliot to see. Nikolai had no hand in shaping what the artisans made once he hired them, but he still felt proud of finding them in the first place.

He watched as Elliot browsed the photos.

“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Elliot said. He was looking at a set of snake-themed jewelry. Serpentine rings and necklaces. They were carefully crafted, the bodies of the snakes serving as the bands with inlaid jewel eyes.

“Angelique Ferrero. She makes animal jewelry. All very fine. Meredith has several pieces.”

Elliot went through the photos slowly, zooming in on different places. He seemed genuinely interested, not just flattering Nikolai, and Nikolai loved to see his enthusiasm.

“This is really cool,” Elliot said as he went back to the previous screen and started looking through the other artists. “There’s so much.”

“We have twenty years of business,” Nikolai said with a shrug. “Is lot of time.”

“This looks familiar,” Elliot said as he looked through a folder of sun and moon themed jewelry, done in gold.

“Rafi Kev,” Nikolai said. “He work now for Isadore. Maybe you see their billboards, or maybe commercials? Artistsgraduate sometimes from us to their own lines or fashion houses.”

“Wow,” Elliot said, eyes wide as he looked up at Nikolai. “So you give artists their first big break?”

Nikolai had never thought of it like that. He was only mildly adept at picking out burgeoning artists fresh out of school or just starting their career, Gerard and Meredith also had say in who they worked with too. Nikolai funded people, sure, but their skill and craftsmanship was all their own.

“If artists do good work, people should know,” Nikolai said.

“That’s so cool,” Elliot said. Then he stopped at a set of necklaces. They were pendant necklaces, gold edging with a diamond suspended in the center. “Oh wow, how…” he zoomed in, bending over the phone to peer down at it.

“Floating diamond,” Nikolai said, smiling. He pointed at the clear edging that could be seen zoomed in as far as Elliot was. “Set in enamel, see?”

“The snake ones were cool, but I think this one’s my favorite,” Elliot said, looking closely at the necklaces. “They’re simple, but I’ve never seen anything like them. It really looks like it’s floating. And it’s so pretty.”

“Very pretty,” Nikolai agreed, watching Elliot admiring the jewelers that Nikolai had hand picked.

He leaned forward in his seat.

A voice came from the left. “Elliot…? Oh my god, Elliot! Hi!”

Nikolai turned to look, brow furrowing, at the waiter who’d been walking past their table who’d stumbled to a sudden stop.

He looked back to Elliot, who was staring at the waiter in shock.

“Xander?”

“Wow, hi!” The waiter, Xander, had vibrant box-dyed red hair and several piercings in each ear. He wasn’t as slight as Elliot, but looked around his age, youthful with round features. “I haven’t talked to you since—I mean, it’s been a while. How are you? What’ve you been up to?”

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