Chapter 18 Charlie #2
Things don’t get easier from there because the next item on his list is butter.
There are at least a dozen brands, and each brand has different kinds—regular, organic, plant-based, margarine, spreadable, whipped, salted, unsalted, grass fed, European, sweet cream, Irish, and even herb butter.
If Charlie didn’t know better, he’d swear someone was playing a prank on him.
Why in the hell are there so many kinds of butter?
Surely they can’t be that different. Does this constitute an emergency? It feels like it.
Pulling his phone out, he stares at his recently called, noting that all of them are Andrew or Eden.
Eden might know, but Charlie isn’t sure he wants Eden to see him in this particular moment of distress and taps Andrew’s name, about to call when he stops himself.
Andrew is probably relaxing, the last thing he needs tonight is Charlie bugging him about butter. Charlie can figure this out. Maybe.
Five minutes later, the only thing Charlie has figured out for sure is that butter is overpriced, and the internet's opinion on which one is the best varies wildly. It also apparently depends on what the butter is being used for, but Charlie has no clue. He’s pretty sure Alec uses it in almost everything.
Holding a horribly overpriced foil-wrapped block of organic butter in one hand and a cardboard package of store brand in the other, Charlie decides that grocery shopping is one of the worst things he’s ever experienced.
He promises himself to hug Andrew extra tight next time he delivers Charlie’s groceries.
He ends up tossing in several kinds of butter including salted, unsalted, whipped and a half-priced turkey-shaped butter for shits and giggles.
Finishing the rest of the list proves to be a lesson in patience because there are absolutely no fresh cranberries, and when the employee directs Charlie to the canned variety, he has to choose between a can of what looks like jello and something that makes a sloshing noise when he shakes it.
Again he buys both, pretty sure he’s never going to be put on shopping duty again.
He’s trying to figure out what the fuck nutritional yeast is when his name is yelled.
“Charlie King, is that you?”
Charlie’s eyes dart down the aisle to a lone figure. Tall, brown hair, and piercing green eyes. It’s been a long time since Charlie last saw him, but he’d recognize him anywhere—one of his best friends from high school.
“Zach?”
Zach strides down the aisle, lowering his hand basket before pulling Charlie into a hug and clapping him on the back. “It’s good to see you, man.”
“You too, I didn’t realize you were back in town?”
“I posted about it online.”
“I don’t use social media, you know that.”
“Afraid your pretty face might break the internet?” Zach grins, giving Charlie’s shoulder a squeeze.
“Naturally.” Charlie nosily eyes Zach’s handbasket, taking in the array of frozen meals. “So what brings you back? I thought you said you'd never leave New York.”
The last Charlie remembers was Zach going away to NYC for film school.
He’s tried to keep in touch, but his dislike of social media and phones made it difficult.
Zach was in town for their ten year high school reunion a few years ago.
He and Andrew had dinner with him and a bunch of other friends, but he hasn’t kept up with his life.
“Ah, yeah. Me and Stacy got divorced, and I guess I missed home.”
“Divorced? I didn’t even know you were married.”
“Bit of a shotgun thing.” Zach clears his throat. “How’s your other half? I assume he’s still living in Santa Leon?”
“Yeah, Andrew still lives in town. Over in those new apartments on the hill.”
Zach whistles. “So he’s doing well for himself then? I thought he’d be living with you.”
“We lived together for a few years after college, but he got sick of my messy ass.”
“You sure you didn’t get sick of his nitpicking?” Zach grins.
“He keeps me on my toes,” Charlie replies, resisting the urge to frown. Zach’s always been a bit of a tease but after years away, he’d almost forgotten. He doesn’t mind being the butt of a joke but finds he doesn’t like it so much when it’s Andrew.
“So what’s the occasion?” Zach asks, eying his cart with interest. “You going to a butter convention?”
“Oh no, me and my brothers are hosting our yearly Friendsgiving tomorrow. You should come.”
“Yeah? You sure you won’t mind another mouth to feed?”
“I’m sure,” Charlie tells him, already pulling out his phone. “Alec always cooks twice as much food as we need. I’ll just text Andrew and let him know to expect one more.”
“No,” Zach says, a familiar smile on his face. “Let me surprise him tomorrow. I haven’t seen him in years.”
“Andrew doesn’t like surprises,” Charlie reminds him.
“Aw, come on. I wanna see his face when I walk in. For old times sake. It’ll be like when we were back in high school, the three amigos.”
“Yeah, alright,” Charlie concedes, wondering exactly how many surprises there are going to be tomorrow.
“If you don’t stop pacing, I’m going to scream,” Andrew’s tone is eerily calm despite his words.
“Sorry,” Charlie sighs, unused to the low grade sense of unease buzzing under his skin.
If this is how Andrew feels every day, he’s not sure how his brother copes.
Andrew was right, Charlie rarely worries about anything, but he’s worried about today.
Whether he’s more worried about what Eden will think of his friends and family or what Alec is going to think about Eden, he’s not sure.
Jason likes everyone, so there’s nothing to worry about there, but Alec is going to be pissed, and given that Eden rarely likes anyone, today might be a shit show.
He also feels guilty not telling Andrew about Zach.
He might be an old friend, but Andrew really does hate surprises.
“Go outside and check the tables or something.”
“I did when Jason dropped them off earlier. I’ve checked everything, twice, and taken Birdie for a walk around the neighborhood. I also put the tablecloths on the folding tables in the yard and set out the centerpieces you brought.”
“Are you bored? Do you need another job? You can count forks. We need fourteen.”
“Fifteen.”
“No, it's fourteen I counted.”
“I uh…invited another friend,” Charlie says, as much as he can say without ruining Zach’s surprise.
As expected Andrew’s expression morphs into one ripe with confusion. “Who?”
“Uh—”
Before he can think of a suitable answer without flat out lying, the front door rings several times in annoying succession.
“That’s got to be Alec,” Charlie says, all but running to the front door. His relief at escaping the conversation is short lived because the moment he opens the door and sees Alec’s beaming face, he realizes he might be the reason it falls.
“Take something, I’m dying,” Alec groans, hidden under several casserole dishes atop which are piled various plastic containers.
“Where’s Theo?” Charlie asks, half-expecting to see him attached to Alec.
“He’s on the phone with Jason,” Alec rolls his eyes. “I swear to god you’d think they didn’t hang out last night and won’t see each other in an hour.”
“He’s a loyal guy, that Theo.”
Alec’s eyebrows knit together, clear suspicion in his eyes. “Are you drunk?”
“No,” Charlie splutters. “I’m being nice.”
“What did you have for breakfast?” Alec asks, shouldering past Charlie and into the living room. “A heaping serving of bullshit?”
“I am offended.”
“No, you’re not,” Alec grins, lowering his arm full of casserole dishes onto the entryway table so he can throw his arms around Charlie.
“I’m not,” Charlie concedes, wrapping Alec into a hug. He’s so much smaller than Charlie it’s easy to forget how much he’s grown up, how much he’s endured in the last year. Charlie is so fucking proud of him. Something he maybe doesn’t tell him enough. “Hey, Ally?”
“Hmm?”
“You know you’re amazing, right?”
“Obviously,” Alec smirks, stepping out of the embrace to retrieve his dishes. “I’m surprised anyone can function when I’m not around.”
“It’s truly a wonder,” Andrew remarks, dropping a kiss on the top of Alec’s head as he saunters by.
Andrew’s gaze meets Charlie, and the unspoken words are loud.
“I know,” Charlie hisses.
“You know what?” Alec asks, already preheating the oven and moving around the kitchen. He’s putting away a container of some kind of mixed green salad in the fridge, turning back around with a can of Coke in hand and a smile on his face. “That’s a lot of butter, you could’ve just called me.”
“I didn’t wanna bother you.”
“Since when?” Alec asks, shutting the fridge with his hip.
Since it was easier not to talk to him if he was going to lie.
“Did Jason bring the extra pies we didn’t finish at Mom’s? He said he was going to, but I wasn’t sure if he’d remember. He’s been very wrapped up in Emerson.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Fine,” Alec shrugs, moving to the stove and flipping on a burner before retrieving the pan Charlie stores in the oven and lowering it onto the lit burner.
“It’s good to see Jason happy. I mean he’s Jason, so he was always happy, but this is different.
He’s…happier. He looks content in a way I’ve never seen him.
Emerson makes him really happy. Love makes him happy. ”
“Not everyone needs love to be settled.”
The words leave a bitter taste in Charlie’s mouth.
He’s always been happy too, but thinking about Eden, about the kind of happiness he’s felt when he’s around, it’s hard not to acknowledge the difference.
He suddenly wishes Eden were here, wishes he could breathe him in and taste those sweet lips.
He wishes Eden were sitting in the kitchen with him, watching Alec cook.