Page 27 of The Player's Lounge

“I’m sure people have their reasons,” replied Quint, losing some of his will to eat. He had made that choice at one point, and seeing the hurt in Leo’s eyes after all those years of searching, it maybe answered why.

Harry finished the last mouthful of his breakfast, and as he chewed it slowly, savouring every morsel that hit his taste buds, he eyed Quint, seemingly plotting something.

“You doing anything this morning?” he said, after a moment, which in all Quint’s honesty, put him on edge a bit.

“Well, as you know, my calendar is pretty empty at the moment.”

“Come on, we’re going for a ride.” Harry counted out a couple of twenty-pound notes and wedged them under his plate. “That should be enough, right?”

“More than,” said Quint, smiling as they both stood up to leave.

Harry patted Quint firmly on the shoulder and beckoned him to follow him to his Bentley, parked in the next side road.

* * *

After a short drivethrough West London to Richmond, they eventually pulled up onto a gravel drive where a beautiful, detached house towered over them, its huge bay windows inviting Quint in.

“You’re kidding me,” whispered Quint as he got closer. “But how-”

Harry put his arm around him. “I’ve been around a long time, seen a lot of things. Things I’ve wanted to bring with me. This planet has the means to make that possible.”

Quint stood and took in the front façade in all its familiarity. It felt like he was truly home, the house resembling the same structures that filled the villages of Vondiv’d. “I knew you lived on Vondiv’d once, but when did you…?”

Harry breathed out a long sigh as he opened the porch door. “It’s been a long time in the making. Let’s just say it’s been one of my many philanthropic projects. After you, my good sir.”

He patted Quint lightly on the stomach, gesturing for him to go inside. He headed over to the porch, Harry jangling the keys erratically to find the correct one for the door.

The sound of the solid lock turning echoed around the huge porch as the door swung open. A soft glow emanated from the opulent light fitting hanging from the high ceiling above them, showing off a pristine entrance hall with a shining wooden floor.

They walked through to a large sitting room where the towering floor-to-ceiling windows were adorned with silk curtains that framed a stunning view of some fields hugged by woodland.

Through the sitting room was a dining area that greeted them with an expansive space that seamlessly merged with the rustic-styled kitchen. A lavish dining table of dark mahogany with glistening accents stood firm in the middle of the dining area, conjuring scenes in Quint’s head of the grand soirees he used to host with Leo. A modern chandelier, reminiscent of a delicate waterfall, dangled above the table, adding just the right amount of contemporary flair to the design of the place, bridging the gap between Vondiv’dian and modern British style.

Harry raised his eyebrows knowingly as they looked around the kitchen. Quint had yet to utter a single word since entering the place. Harry let him soak it all in. It seemed that this was the reaction he had expected.

As Quint perused the kitchen, he saw that it was filled with top of the range stainless-steel appliances, the real focal-point a beautiful range cooker that gleamed against the backdrop of the custom-made cabinets. A marble topped island stood in the middle, serving as a striking centrepiece for the room.

Quint had already seen enough. It almost hurt with the reminder.

Harry placed a hand on each of Quint’s shoulders. “Come outside,” he urged.

As he hauled the bi-folding doors open, the sound of the skyline woke Quint from his initial stupor as he glided his fingers over the green metal furniture on the patio, positioned perfectly to secure the view of the countryside in front of them.

Harry took the keys from his pocket and grabbed Quint’s hand, placing them onto his palm and folding his fist around them.

“It’s taken a long time to finish this place, but now it is, it’s going to do you a lot of good,” said Harry.

“Wait. What? You’re… giving it to me?”

“You’ve been out of sorts for a long time, boy. You need to be grounded and this is going to help you in ways you can’t imagine… yet.” He placed an arm around Quint’s shoulders. “What do you feel when you look at all this?”

Quint didn’t need any time to reply. “Memories. Clear memories. I can really see them. Feel them,” he said.

“Nothing like the feeling of happiness, right?”

“Right,” whispered Quint. “And hurt.”

He couldn’t begin to thank Harry for the nostalgia he brought up. He must have been planning this for years, and it felt as though he was holding something back doing it, but Quint knew whatever it was he needed to discover it for himself.

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