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‘Come and take a look!’
Mitch smiled to himself. ‘It’s in?
The locksmith was replacing his tools in his bag, so Mitch hoped it was finished, either that or he was taking the afternoon off. ‘All ready for you. Just need to sort your combination and you can use it right away.’
Mitch took the paperwork from him excitedly. He had a whole afternoon ahead of him to start organising all his pieces, and the joy of opening and cataloging all his boxed and unboxed jewellery had him practically delirious with happiness and anticipation. Not most people’s idea of an interesting time, he knew, but having everything in one place, and safe, was a start on becoming more organised.
While he was doing that, he was also going to empty and organise items he had still to unpack from the move. He had meant to have all that completed during lockdown, but with the Messer launch and other things he had found that also needed his attention, it just hadn’t happened.
It had been Austin who had suggested the safe- not the small one that sat in a closet now- but a real safe, when Mitch had expressed concern about leaving his valuables while he was on tour. There was only so much he could and needed to take with him, and the worry of a break- in had him stressing way too much.
He practically ran to his closet where the new safe had been installed, carefully concealed behind a sliding framed photograph of himself and his bandmates- cute, but not valuable enough to interest any burglars.
Impressed, he ran his fingers round the frame. No gap- good. He found the hidden button in the frame and clapped delightedly as the frame slid to the side, displaying the elegant but monstrous, burgundy, solid steel safe behind.
‘Well, hello beautiful,’ he murmured, stroking the satin effect coating, ‘you and I are going to have a very special relationship.’
It didn’t take long to decide on a combination, and he just spent a while enjoying opening and closing it. It was custom made with hooks and hangers for his pieces that had no boxes and three deep shelves for the ones that did.
He stood back grinning with satisfaction. It wasn’t like he had lots of jewelry; some were expensive, others just costume jewelry, but being in the public eye meant he needed a good selection and he had spent the past few days collecting it all together in his closet from some weird and wonderful places.
He had found earrings stuffed into pockets in luggage he had forgotten about and strangely, a neck chain in an old toilet bag he was about to throw out.
Wine, he thought. An occupation like this required wine; the same as packing to go on vacation or wrapping Christmas gifts. It was a chore, but a pleasant chore.
Suitably furnished with a bottle and glass, Mitch put on some music and grabbed a notebook and pen; old- fashioned but easy, and spent the next two hours unboxing, hanging and listing.
He had more than he thought he had. The shelves were quickly filling and he sighed with relief when he eventually reached the final bag. It was an old sports bag, small but with lots of zips and pockets. He’d dragged it down from a shelf right at the back of his closet when he’d been searching- another item that had remained unpacked since the move, and probably well before that.
He opened the main section with a little trepidation, half of him wondering if he should wear gloves.
It was clear from the contents it had been packed in a hurry. He wrinkled his nose at the slightly mouldy smell that hit his nostrils as he eased the stiff leather apart. There was a bundle of clothing, half empty toiletries and satisfyingly, a glint of silver at the bottom of the bag.
‘Ah ha! ‘ he exclaimed. Gleefully, he threw the old clothing into the corner where there was a growing pile of items to be discarded, along with the bottles and tubes.
The haul was disappointing. A pair of dangly earrings, one without a back, and a plain chain tarnished beyond redemption.
Mitch was about to throw the emptied bag into the pile when his eyes came to rest on a zippered pocket he hadn’t noticed before. It was on the base of the bag, hidden until the bag was turned over.
Not really expecting to have ever used such a compartment, he opened it and slipped his hand inside. His fingers brushed against something hard, and curious, he pulled the zip back to it’s full extent to open the flap. It fell open and there was a clink as whatever was inside hit the wooden floor and rolled a little before coming to rest.
‘Well, I’ll be fucked,’ he breathed.
The gold bangle laid there looking exactly the same as he remembered it, the tiny screwdriver attached to it with a piece of what looked like electricians tape.
It was almost as if he had stepped into some time altering dimension as he went back to the last time he had laid eyes on the Cartier love bracelet.
He had been on the set of Superfruit’s Future Friend’s video recording five years ago. The story required for himself and Scott to act as wrestlers in a real ring. There was a lot of make-up involved to look like blood and gelatine spray for sweat.
‘There’s not many wrestlers go into the ring wearing jewellery, Mitchy,’ Nicole had said, her voice as clear as day in Mitch’s memory. He had looked quizzically at the bracelet on his left wrist.
‘I can’t take it off,’ he mused, ‘Scott has the screwdriver.’
That had been a big thing, he recalled. Who would keep the screwdriver?
He had made such a big thing about getting that bracelet. He had practically begged for someone to buy it for him he remembered with a lurch of embarrassment. It was a ‘thing’ that you didn’t buy the love bracelet for yourself, Someone had to gift it to you, and Mitch had been determined to get it.
He had finally been gifted the bracelet from Scott (as he knew he would), on his twenty second birthday. He had been so overjoyed receiving that little bag!
‘You know I wouldn’t give this to anyone but you,’ Scott had said, his eyes full of love and admiration, and Mitch had hugged him so tight…
He smiled now, taking the bracelet into his bedroom where the light was better and spinning it slowly in his fingers. His thumb ran over the smooth gold and he gently pulled the screwdriver free. It was fiddly, unlocking the tiny screw so the bangle opened and he could lock it back into it’s rightful place.
He moved his arm up and down, feeling the familiar slide once again; loving the way it settled around his wrist. ‘Hello baby,’ he whispered, and suddenly, unbidden and unexpected, his eyes filled with tears. The nostalgia was too much.
***
‘There,’ Scott murmured, locking the bracelet onto Mitch’s wrist and dropping the tiny gold screwdriver back into the box. ‘I’ll be keeping this though.’
Mitch had protested. ‘But what if I need to take it off? What if…?’
‘Ssh, baby,’ Scott had whispered, his fingers intertwined with his own. ‘I’m by your side constantly. I like the thought that this signifies you are locked to me-in a way.’ He had smiled, his eyes filling with a hunger that, together with the ceremonial locking of the bracelet, sent a surge of longing through Mitch. If Scott liked to think the bracelet signified that Mitch was ‘locked’ to him, then he was strangely okay with that, despite being positive that wearing it meant no such thing.
As Scott’s arms had dragged him close, Mitch’s arms wrapped around his neck, and he had marveled how the gold of his bracelet almost perfectly matched Scott’s hair.
‘I love you, babe.’
‘Love you more.’
***
Mitch swallowed hard, the lump in his throat more for the perceived loss of the bracelet and the symbolism that had been lost with it ; the emotions that had ran through him when he though it was lost forever. The despair, guilt, and most of all, grief. Now, he was unsure how he felt. The bracelet had been a physical reminder of something of huge significance at the time- but now?
Of course Scott didn’t have the screwdriver on him that day they filmed Future Friends. Mitch recalled him standing there in full make-up, fake blood dribbling from his mouth, wrestling shorts and robe, looking every inch the tough guy. God- he was so masc that day!
‘You have got to be kidding me!’ he exclaimed, looking from Mitch to Nicole in exasperation. ‘You want me to drive home- like this for a screwdriver to take a fucking bracelet off?!’
Mitch had looked back at him calmly, refusing to be cowed by Scott’s indignation. ‘Tell me where it is and I’ll go.’
Scott’s jaw had dropped. ‘No you won’t…’
The whereabouts of the screwdriver had remained a secret since the day Scott had fastened the bracelet on his wrist. Yes, it had had to come off occasionally, and Scott had produced the screwdriver from it’s hiding place a few times- but Mitch had never discovered from where.
It seemed like the whole crew had gathered to watch Scott saunter across the car parking lot on his mission to retrieve the screwdriver, grumbling loudly to himself as he did so. Photos had to out there somewhere, Mitch grinned, perhaps even a video or two.
Later, Scott would relate the odd look he got from a delivery guy delivering a package to their neighbor as he clambered from his car muttering darkly under his breath. Then later they had all laughed hysterically at the way Scott had acted out the scene in the wrestling ring they had set up for the video.
They were not laughing later when Mitch went to retrieve the bracelet and return it to his wrist.
‘Scott! You fucker! Where did you hide it?’ Hands on hips, he stood glaring at Scott, too busy checking the messages he had missed while they were filming.
Distracted by his phone, Scott hadn’t even looked up, ‘What?’
‘My bracelet, Scott! Where is it?’
Alerted by the controlled panic in Mitch’s voice, Scott peered up at him, his brow creased. ‘Why would I know? Where did you leave it?’
His mind went over and over removing the bracelet. He recalled Scott asking one of the techs for a piece of tape to attach the screwdriver to the bracelet so they were both in the same place when it came time to replace it on his wrist. But after that- nothing. He had no idea where he had left it.
Mitch could feel the sting of tears and even now, five years later, the memory of that moment he thought he had lost his bracelet brought back that ache. He recalled the look on Scott’s face as they finally left the studio hours later, having never found it. He was heartbroken for Mitch. It wasn’t the intrinsic value of the band of gold, Scott knew, but the sentimental value; and even if he bought Mitch a new one, it would never be the same.
****
The three years he had worn the bracelet had been insane. It seemed they were barely home at that time of their lives, Mitch recalled. World tours, recording, TV performances and the extra stuff he and Scott did for Superfruit. Every minute Scott was at his side, their days spent either working or partying hard, and their nights filled with a passion that never got old. Everywhere they went, the bracelet had gone.
It had been hard. Hard because they had had to be so careful. Management and the label had frowned on them being open to the world about their relationship, deciding the ‘squeaky clean’ image PTX had cultivated might be damaged, and so they had been forced to maintain the ‘best friends’ image in public.
Fans weren’t fooled of course. Well, some of them. Some still maintained the official line and there were social media dramas constantly whenever someone had managed to capture a photo of them obviously being more than that.
Thank God things had changed a bit since then, Mitch sighed, but their relationship had never really had a chance. Before too long, Scott’s relationship with Mark had become serious, and Mitch had found and lost Beau.
He returned to the safe and extracted the ring that matched the bracelet.
Bought by Scott two years after the bracelet, he had managed not to lose that, and had worn it until just before the pandemic. The ring and the bracelet had been partners for a year, until the bracelet disappeared.
He buffed the gold with his sleeve, turning it over in his fingers. It had the same pattern of screw holes engraved into it as the bracelet. It too held it’s own memories. He slipped it on his index finger on the opposite side to the bracelet, playing with it as he chewed on his lower lip. He was tempted to call Scott and tell him he had found the bracelet- that he had unknowingly carried it home in the little sports bag that day, but things had changed a lot since then…
He wondered idly how Scott would react if he just showed up wearing that bracelet again. He laughed lightly as he imagined the look on his face. No- he wouldn’t do that, but he might wear the ring again. He supposed the ring was not quite as obvious and he’d simply fallen out of the habit of wearing it as he obtained other pieces. He would tell Scott about the bracelet quietly, in person sometime.
****
Mitch had a recording slot the following day that wouldn’t take too much time out of his day. He felt good as he pulled into the parking lot; the sun was shining but the temperature was pleasant and hadn’t reached the unbearable heat of the summer yet. The band had a concert coming up next week in the Bahamas- the closest they were going to get to a summer tour this year, and he was looking forward to performing live again. The vocals he was laying down today would be his completing contribution to their upcoming album.
He did a double- take as he spotted Scott’s car parked near the entrance. Strange, he thought, he was sure Scott hadn’t mentioned he was going to here today. Still, it would be great to catch up.
‘Hey, Scottish, what are you doing here?’ he called over his shoulder as he tossed his jacket over a chair. Scott was in the booth chatting to Ben with the door open.
Scott raised a hand in acknowledgment as he finished his conversation with Ben, then strolled out, hands shoved deep in his pockets and grinning. ‘Just wanted to make sure we had everything we needed sorted before the trip.’
Mitch raised an eyebrow. ‘Okaaay…’ It was unusual but maybe he was at a loose end. ‘Ten minutes, Ben?’
Ben waved his agreement and Mitch wandered into the lounge for coffee. Scott followed close behind. ‘You okay?’ Mitch asked, slightly amused at Scott’s slightly odd behaviour. He couldn’t put a finger on it, but there was something…
‘Of course- never better in fact,’ Scott grinned, hovering at Mitch’s elbow as he drew the coffee for both of them.
Mitch shook his head with a chuckle. ‘Well it must be the love life then!’ He raised his cup to take a drink and paused as the smile slid from Scott’s face. His eyes were locked on Mitch’s hand and Mitch felt alarmed as the blood seemed to drain from his face. ‘Scott? Hey- you okay?’ He put his coffee cup down so he had both hands free to catch his friend as he just stood there looking as if he was about to pass out.
Finally, just when when Mitch was about to call Ben over, he reached grabbed Mitch’s hand. ‘Wh- why are you wearing this?’ Suddenly, Mitch understood.
‘The ring?’ He pulled his hand away to spin it on his finger, a little upset at Scott’s reaction. ‘Why wouldn’t I wear it? It’s mine.’
Scott looked at him hard. ‘Mitch- you can’t wear it. Please take it off.’ The words tumbled out of his mouth quickly.
Mitch was dumbfounded. What on earth was going on? He frowned in puzzlement. ‘What the hell’s wrong with you?!’
Now he looked as though he was going to have a heart attack, right there, right in front of him. ‘You better fucking calm down right now!’ His voice was sterner and louder than he intended. Could Scott think he was trying to resurrect something between them? ‘Scott, you don’t think that I’m wearing this because…’
‘No!’ His words were cut off sharply. ‘No, I know you wouldn’t, but- but…’ He was floundering now, and Mitch was none the wiser. Hell, if this was his reaction to a ring he had worn for three years, then God knows what it would have been like if he’d worn the damned bracelet! As if he would be trying to muscle in on Scott’s relationship with Mark? The idea was unthinkable and he felt angry.
‘I don’t believe it! You do think that, don’t you?’
Scott looked as though he was about to burst into tears. ‘No, no Mitch, I don’t. Honestly!’ He pulled Mitch over to a small couch and sat down. He took a deep breath and composed himself. ‘Look, Mitchy. I’m being totally upfront with you. There is a reason you can’t wear that ring. I thought you’d lost it or sold it or something to be honest.’
Mitch allowed himself a little grin. ‘Because I lose all my jewelry huh?’
Scott grinned and gave a little shrug. ‘Well..’
Mitch smirked. ‘I found the bracelet yesterday. It was in a pocket of the bag I had with me that day. Remember?’ There was a fleeting look of shock on his friend’s face. ‘Don’t panic, I won’t wear it again- but the ring, Scott? Why can’t you tell me what’s going on in your head?’
Scott grasped his hand. ‘Just don’t wear it when we go to the Bahamas then. Okay? I really, really can’t tell you why but I’m begging you…’
Mitch held up a hand. ‘Whoa- no begging! Those days are over babe!’ He couldn’t help but laugh. ‘I was just surprised. If you don’t want me to wear it then I won’t. Okay?’
The look of relief on Scott’s face was touching. ‘Thank you.’
‘Hey, you two- we’ve got work to do you know!’ Ben’s head appeared around the door.
‘I’ve got to go.’
‘Me too.’ Scott smiled. ‘I owe Mark a little bit of spoiling for his birthday.’
Mitch nodded. ‘Absolutely. Go now. I’ll see you next week.’
Scott got to the door before turning. ‘I love you Mitchy.’ There was a strange look on his face.
Mitch felt a lump in his throat. ‘Love you too, babe.’
****
Five days later, on a beach in the Bahamas, while the sun set in a perfect sky, Scott slid a ring on Mark’s finger. A love ring, a Cartier love ring but this time with a diamond in place of one of the screws detail.
Mitch was as surprised as everyone else, but it was about time. He laughed as he recalled their conversation the previous week with him later that night, and celebrated their friendship well into the night.
He now knew why Scott had been so adamant he hadn’t worn his own ring, and felt cold when he realised how it would have looked if he’d turned up wearing the same ring minus a diamond. But, as much as he loved his bracelet and the ring that matched, he knew with certainty they would never again leave his safe, and he also knew he would never wear it again. The dream they had encapsulated at the time lost like a single star in a galaxy. But there were lots of other stars there too and Mitch knew there was one there with his name on it- and that he would find it one day.