Chapter 10 Charlie
“Denise, my love. You’re looking radiant as always.”
“You have a lot of nerve showing up here after skirting Amanda yesterday,” Denise frowns. She crosses her arms, tilting her face up to meet Charlie’s. She might be a foot smaller than him, but she has the energy of someone much bigger, and Charlie finds himself lowering his chin.
“I did sign most of her papers yesterday,” Charlie points out. He leans on the doorway, peering inside the shop. “Place is looking wonderful, as always.”
“It looks the same as it did last week when you were here with your brothers.” Denise doesn’t move a muscle, still blocking him from entering. “Why are you here?”
“You told me to pick up my suit, remember? There was a voicemail from you where you said, ‘Charlie, my dear, my favorite customer, come pick up your suit so you can look even more handsome than usual.’”
“Bullshit,” Denise says, uncrossing her arms. Somehow it makes her look even more menacing. Or as menacing as someone her size can look. “I also left a second voicemail telling you to send Andrew instead.”
“Andrew was busy,” Charlie lies.
“You’re so full of shit. Andrew is at home reading.”
“How do you know that?” Charlie asks.
“Because I love that man, and someone needs to check up on him.”
“What does that mean?” Charlie frowns. First Juanita and now Denise. “I’m with Andrew every day. I check up on him. He’s fine.”
“Andrew is always fine, isn’t he?” Denise says in a tone that offers more questions than answers.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Denise sighs. “Nothing. Just get your ass inside, and let’s get you your suit so you can leave.”
“You know if you’re not careful one of these days I’m going to start thinking you don’t want me around, Denise.”
“Can that day be today?”
“You’re extra cranky today, love. There’s no trouble in paradise is there? Relationships are way more trouble than they’re worth.”
“One of these days you’re going to find someone worth that trouble and realize what you’ve been missing.”
“Bite your tongue,” Charlie groans. “First Alec went and got all domestic, and now Jason and that Emerson guy—”
“Say one bad word about Emerson, and you’ll never get another suit out of me,” Denise says in a tone that manages to sound somehow both friendly and threatening all at once. It’s kind of terrifying and impressive—and also surprising.
“Denise, are you adopting another neurospicy queer?”
“None of your damn business,” Denise grumbles, swatting his arm. “That boy is the sweetest thing I’ve ever met, and you’re not going to do anything to upset him, or I’m cutting you off. Do you hear me, Charlie King?
“I never upset people on purpose,” Charlie frowns, a prickle of discomfort nagging at him. He’s funny, and honest, and maybe a bit intense, but he’s not mean. He only teased and flirted with Emerson last week because it got a rise out of Jason. Surely his brothers and Emerson knew that.
Besides, Emerson was beautiful. Maybe he wasn’t exactly Charlie’s type because he wasn’t feisty enough, but Charlie wasn’t lying or anything. He’d meant the compliments.
“Hey, do you think—-”
“Just get in the back and try on your suit to make sure it fits.”
“Sure,” Charlie agrees, unable to shake his unease.
The feeling stays with him all through his final fitting as Denise oohs and aahs over her creation.
It really is incredible. There’s a reason Charlie keeps begging her to use Andrew to fit him suits.
Part of it is because Denise is in his social circle, and he loves supporting independent, queer-owned businesses, but it's also because she’s damn good.
To Charlie’s dismay, not even his appreciation of how good his ass looks is enough to bolster his mood.
It’s not until he’s following Denise back into the front of the shop, suit bag slung over his shoulder, that something—or someone—provides the kind of distraction Charlie needs to get out of his head.
Unable to stop the slow spread of elation from across his face, Charlie brightens. “What a pleasure seeing you again, Emerson. I was sure after last time Jason was going to hide you away.”
“Hide me away where?” Emerson asks.
He’s so earnestly literal that Charlie can see exactly what Jason likes about him. Jason’s always been a no-nonsense guy. Someone sweet, and blunt, like Emerson is exactly what Jason needs.
His musings are interrupted when Denise swats him on the backside of the head. “You behave.”
“What the hell, D? I literally only said hello.”
Denise hums and narrows her eyes at Charlie. “Uh-huh. I’ve got cameras everywhere mister. I’m watching you.”
“Wow,” Charlie balks. “I don’t know why everyone acts like I’m going to cause trouble. I’m a fucking delight. Besides, I only ruined one suit, once. It’s not like I planned to spill paint thinner on a custom silk suit a week before my gala opening and requested an entirely new one at midnight.”
Emerson looks confused and Denise looks annoyed, both of which thrill Charlie.
He wishes he could blame his pathological love of attention on something specific, but the truth is he was just born thriving in chaotic conditions, especially ones that garnered him attention.
Andrew is always reminding him not all attention is good attention, but since positive and negative attention both light up the dopamine receptors in Charlie’s brain, he’s often hard-pressed to care which he gets.
“So,” Charlie muses, eager to find out more about the redheaded man in front of him that’s responsible for his baby brother’s queer awakening. “Not at the game with Jason?”
“No,” Emerson answers succinctly.
“Why? Didn’t my obtuse brother invite you? I know he wanted you there.”
“He’s very kind,” Emerson agrees. “He did invite me to the game tonight, but I needed to pick up my suit. That and well, the game sounded—”
“Like an archaic demonstration of popularity and heteronormativity disguised as school spirit?”
“I was just going to say loud.”
“That’s fair,” Charlie concedes, caught off guard when Emerson’s intense gaze zeros in on the friendship bracelet currently sitting on his wrist. The one he was supposed to give back at Juanita’s but which he hid in his pocket at the last minute. The one he’s worn all week.
Eager for a distraction, Charlie’s eyes hone in on what Emerson is wearing.
“Nice sweatshirt.”
Emerson looks down at himself, his pale cheeks flushing bright pink. If Charlie hadn’t already figured out this guy had it bad for his brother, this exact moment would give it all away. There’s something almost painfully innocent and sweet about it actually.
“You know, it all makes so much sense,” Charlie muses, watching Emerson for ulterior motives. All he sees is a man caught with his hand in a cookie jar, or more accurately caught wearing his crush’s clothing. He lets the silence drag on longer than necessary to test Emerson’s reaction.
“What, uh…what makes sense?” Emerson questions.
“In high school, all the girls used to try and steal Jason’s hoodies.
The football team one with his name. They wanted to wear it around campus, you know?
” It’s clearly a rhetorical question since Charlie doesn’t expect Emerson to answer.
“His ex-girlfriends did it too when he became coach and his team started winning state championships. Jason’s kind of a big man on campus, and in town, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. ”
“Everyone likes Jason,” Emerson points out.
“Everyone does like Jason, because he’s really fucking nice,” Charlie says, laying his suit on the edge of the couch before crossing his arms. “Jason is the nicest guy in the world, and a lot of people, especially his exes, knew that. They liked it because it meant they got what they wanted. The thing about Jason is that he’s always had one giant flaw—his shit taste in women. ”
Emerson fidgets but says nothing, so Charlie keeps going. He’s pretty sure this guy doesn’t have ulterior motives, but after the shitty way Jason’s been treated by his exes, Charlie thinks he’s entitled to be protective. He might love to give Jason shit, often, but he loves him.
“Jason has always picked the kind of women who would wear his hoodie in public but never in private. He was as much a trophy to them as the ones he helped his teams win.” Charlie pushes off the chair, inching closer to Emerson.
“You, on the other hand, had no idea I would be here when you got dressed.”
Emerson bunches the overly long sleeves of the hoodie in his fists. “I just borrowed it. I uh, I’m going to give it back. I wasn’t—I mean—”
“Relax, Emerson,” Charlie says, grabbing his suit off the couch.
Much as he is curious about Emerson, he’s suddenly unsettled.
He assumed this thing with Jason and Emerson was some sort of fleeting crush, but after talking to his brother last week and now this interaction, he’s starting to suspect it’s something far more serious—and more special.
Suddenly, Charlie feels like an intruder in his brother’s life, and he needs to get away.
Besides, if he pushes too hard and really does upset Emerson, someone is going to kill him, though whether that will be Denise or Jason remains to be seen.
“I like you. I can see why Jason does too. You know if—”
“Charlie King, get your ass out of my store,” Denise snarks. “Stop bothering my clients.”
“One day, you’re going to take me on as a client too, Denise. I can feel it. I’m growing on you.”
“You’re growing on me like a weed. Get out of here, and tell that sweetheart brother of yours I set up an appointment in December for that suit fitting.”
“What December fitting?” Charlie asks, unsure why the world seems determined to pull the rug out from under him lately. First Alec and now Andrew? Don’t his brothers understand he wants to know everything? Especially Andrew. “Where’s Andrew going? What’s he need a suit for?”