Chapter 24 - Valentine’s Dinner #2
“I love it, thank you,” Julian replied. He opened the card and read what Callum had written, which was:-
‘To Julian,
my ‘hairy, beary, solid, fit, man mountain’ on our 1st Valentine.
You make me happy.
I ‘L’ U (still too soon!),
Love Cal. xxx’
Julian beamed and didn’t say anything for a moment. He seemed really touched, and Callum noticed his eyes were glistening. “Ah, you big lummox,” Callum said, crushing him into a big hug. “You ok?”
“Yes, I’m good, thanks. This is the first Valentine’s card I’ve ever received, and it just means so much to me that it’s from you, and I have you in my life now.” He kissed him. “Thank you, Cal,” he added, wiping his eyes. “Now you should open yours, please,” grabbing his card from the unit.
Callum felt the card in its red envelope.
He opened it carefully. The front had two cartoon figures of avocados, exercising in little white shorts, vests and trainers, with the tagline ‘I’d flex for you, but I don’t want to cause a scene.
Happy Valentine’s Day’. Callum laughed, it was funny, especially considering their shared history.
He looked at Julian, “Brilliant card, very apt!”
He opened it now to read the message:-
‘To my wonderful Cal,
You know what you mean to me – you’re my entire world.
Meeting you has been the highlight of my life.
I ‘L’ word you….
Julian xxx’
Callum laughed, they had both referenced the ‘L’ word, managed not quite to say it, but said it anyway. He leant into Julian and they both hugged a huge beary man hug, falling back onto the sofa. Callum kissed him tenderly. “Thank you for my card, I love it.”
Martha announced, “Dinner is served,” and they both headed over.
“Martha, you really have excelled yourself tonight, thank you so much,” Callum said, gesturing to the table, giving her a peck on the cheek.
“Yes, thank you, Martha; we do appreciate all your efforts,” added Julian.
The meal was a triumph and Callum realised Martha was way more capable than he had assumed; her culinary skills were exceptional.
They feasted on oysters for a starter. She announced each course fully. “These are six hand-picked Blue Point oysters, lightly grilled with a baby spinach crust, Pernod and Gruyère cheese, served with a lemon and thyme champagne foam.”
Callum had never eaten an oyster and was blown away by the taste.
The main course was more traditional. Beef tenderloin roasted to a perfect medium rare.
This was more Callum’s bag, being a huge lean steak eater.
He loved this one even more than the oysters.
Martha served it with honey-glazed carrots, a silky spiced parsnip puree and a red wine reduction, that Martha informed him had been reducing for twenty-four hours.
They both tucked into this course with glee.
They drank the wine Martha served them, which was a 2018 Opus One, chosen for its pairing with the steak.
They were both happy and relaxed. Callum was telling Julian about some amazing new sneakers he’d been trying to find called Nike SB Dunk Low Pros by Parra.
They were his next obsession that he was going to save up for.
Julian heard it and thought, I’ll just buy him them tomorrow but had already forgotten the name.
Julian shared that he was maxed out at work, still trying to get this big deal through with the Chinese company.
They avoided talking about The Iron Works, but it was a topic they both knew they needed to discuss again at a suitable moment.
Martha served dessert as her final flourish before leaving them alone. This was a chilled black forest mousse, served with a red cherry reduction, fresh red cherry, and sprinkled with edible gold leaf.
“Martha. Amazing,” said Callum, giving her a huge hug. She’d done well.
After they ate their dessert, they sat at the table holding hands. Callum enjoyed the quiet moment, looking around the apartment, then back at Julian, who, as always, was watching him.
“OK?” Julian asked.
“Yes, very happy, thanks to you,” he replied, kissing him. “ I was thinking the last time I was with anyone for Valentine’s was some time ago.”
Julian laughed. “Think yourself lucky, Cal. I’ve never been with anyone for a Valentine’s meal, let alone received a card, or… present,” and as he said the word, he leapt from the table, sprinting across the room to his lovingly wrapped gift on the side. Callum laughed, following.
Over by the window, Julian looked longingly at this gift.
“Cal, can I open it, please? I’m desperate to see what it is; it’s so big!”
“Yes, of course you can open it,” he replied, sitting on the sofa to watch.
Julian made a great play of carrying it over, and it being heavy.
He carefully undid the bow, setting it aside.
They then ripped the paper to reveal a basic brown shipping box.
Callum had checked and the only clue as to its contents was on the bottom, which was good.
Julian pulled the paper down the sides; again, no clue.
He started unpeeling the brown tape from the top seam, doing this carefully and removing the whole piece from both sides and the top.
He then lifted both flaps and saw the present, printed on the top of the inner box.
“What on earth…” He looked at Callum. “It’s the Infinity Gauntlet!”
“Yes,” replied Callum, “take it out, look at it,” but Julian was already carefully putting his hand down each side between cardboard layers to lift the inner box out.
Callum helped by holding the outer box down to make the job easier.
The inner box was soon revealed, with a larger photo and callouts of some of the details, which Julian was eagerly reading.
“Oh my God, Cal, it lights up; the stones light up,” he said gleefully.
“Yes they do, and it’s on a nice stand too,” Callum replied.
They then spent the next thirty minutes carefully unwrapping the gauntlet from its white polystyrene packaging.
There were some sections you had to click together, and batteries provided to insert, so it wasn’t long before the gauntlet was fully in place, looking majestic on its stand.
Julian placed it carefully on the low table, next to the framed photo from Callum, and stepped away to admire it.
He then leant in and pressed the hidden button to light up the stones, which pulsed before him.
“Oh my God, Cal, it’s the best present ever. Seriously.” He sat cross-legged on the floor in front of it, admiring it.
Callum came and sat close behind him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “I just saw it and knew it was right for my Titan.”
Julian turned his head to kiss him. “You’re right for me too, you know,” giving him another kiss. “It’s perfect, thank you. You’re perfect, thank you.” Julian was very happy.
“Now yours.” Julian retrieved his gift for Callum and placed it carefully in front of him.
Callum made a great play of peeling off the tape, then unfolding the foil paper carefully. He spied the Lego logo and looked at Julian quizzically.
“You bought me Lego?”
But as he revealed more of the gift, the reason became clear.
Julian had found an Adidas sneaker, made by Lego as one of their more modern sets.
The shoe was the iconic white Adidas Superstar, which Callum had a pair of back in his lockers.
The box had printed details which Callum eagerly read out loud.
“1:1 scale, features the iconic shell toe and triple serrated stripes on the side, the gold-foil Superstar branding, all packed in an Authentic Adidas shoe box. Note: includes display stand with plaque containing facts about the iconic shoe’s history.
” He looked at Julian, his face full of happiness.
“Oh Julian, I love it. Thank you so much.” They kissed.
“These are the best of times, Cal,” Julian said, looking deep in his eyes.
“The ‘L’ word” was Callum’s only response.