Porcupines - 22. Chapter 22 - Dinner at Eight

Chapter 22 - Dinner at Eight

“Do you have everything ready?” Chuck asked Dylan for the twenty-seventh time. Dylan would have been annoyed but this tasting menu meant so much to him, he couldn’t be cross.

“I’ve got ice in the bucket. Booze is on the buffet. The table is set. We have everything set up. Do you need anything Hun?” Dylan came into the kitchen. Chuck was tasting the sauce and adjusting the seasonings.

“I think everything is ready. I’m afraid the roast will be too done,” Chuck worried.

“It’s going to be great. Everything will be perfect,” Dylan gave him a kiss. Chuck kissed back distractedly. Dylan wasn’t taking a half-hearted kiss as payment. The shorter, furrier man grabbed Chuck and pulled him in for a real lip lock. Chuck responded in spite of his anxiety and soon both men were sufficiently distracted from their apprehensions.

“Gawd, what you do to me,” Chuck said breathing hard.

“I’m just taking your mind off this for a minute,” Dylan said massaging Chuck’s shoulders. “Just a little amuse bouche for my man.” He was having a particularly arousing effect on the man.

“If you’re not careful, I’m gonna take you into the bedroom and to hell with the dinner,” Chuck said grabbing Dylan firmly in his arms.

“Nope. You’ve got work to do. I just wanted you to relax a little.”

“That didn’t relax me. Now I’m nervous and horny,” Chuck said. Dylan knew better. Chuck was now in the zone and not re-tasting things which were already scrumptious. They both heard the doorbell and Dylan rushed to the door. Chuck could hear as people came in. He carefully placed the lamb kabobs with rosemary infused honey glaze on a plate with a simple garnish of sliced tomatoes and cucumber sauce.

Chuck went out to greet their guests with the appetizers. Dylan had gotten drinks for his brother and Chuck’s sister and they were on the couch taking their first sip when the doorbell rang again. Dylan raced for the door as Chuck put the plate on the coffee table. Chuck was introducing the two of them to one another when he heard a voice call out.

“Hey bitches. We’re here,” Isaac said entering the room. Raleigh followed red-faced and smirking.

“Isaac, is that your best behavior?” Dylan said.

“I’m just kidding,” Isaac hugged Dylan and Raleigh shrugged as he too hugged Dylan.

“I can’t wait to eat,” Isaac said excitedly. He looked at the two previous arrivals. “I know Kelly,” he shook Dylan’s brother’s hand. “But who is this lovely creature seated next to him?”

“This is my sister, Kelli,” Chuck said. “Be cool,” he fiercely whispered to Isaac.

“I am,” Isaac said hugging Chuck. “I’m just gonna liven this dinner party up.” He then shook Chuck’s sister’s hand and sat next to her. “You got all the looks in the family I see. Chuck must’ve fell outta the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.”

Kelli just laughed at Isaac’s clowning.

Chuck wasn’t going to give his little blond friend any quarter. “Yeah and Isaac fell outta the gay tree and screwed every branch on the way down.” Isaac pursed his lips for a second but smiled. The diminutive blond then began animatedly talking with both Kellies. Raleigh walked up to Chuck and apologized.

“No need Rol. I knew when Dylan invited him exactly what I’d get. You’re among friends. It’s cool,” Chuck said half-hugging his apologetic friend.

“I can’t help it. He makes me laugh so much,” Raleigh said and hugged his friend back.

“I’m just glad you could come. Please have some snacks,” Chuck said pointing to the coffee table with homemade pretzels, antipasto dressed in a light vinaigrette, and the lamb kebobs. “This is just the appetizers. We are having five courses for dinner, three of which I’ll be submitting for my scholarship if everybody thinks they’re good enough. Enjoy.”

The four of them started sampling the food on the coffee table and oohed and ahhed over the kebobs and pretzels. Dylan’s Kelly tried an egg from the antipasto platter and his eyes rolled back in his head.
“This is absolutely fantastic. Chuck, what is in that dressing? It makes these eggs taste like heaven.”

“Just a little thyme flavored olive oil and cayenne vinegar. I think the mustard in the dressing makes the veggies and eggs come alive,” Chuck explained. The others also had to taste the antipasto now. It seemed they couldn’t enthuse enough about the appetizers. Dylan got Chuck’s attention and they beamed at each other. This was going well so far.

The doorbell rang again and Dylan answered it. “Hi Lynora,” he said. The man behind her had his head down for a minute and then looked up at Dylan and smiled.

“Krill?” Dylan said. Isaac, Chuck, and Raleigh’s chins dropped when they heard his name. The two Kellies looked at each other wondering what the big deal was.

“Lynora, you’re dating Krill?” Dylan said taking a second look at Raleigh and Chuck’s boss. Usually the hefty head of mall security had a hat, an oversized white shirt and a big coat on. Tonight he was in a polo shirt and looked rather handsome and even dapper. Krill shook Dylan’s hand and thanked him for inviting them.

“Raleigh, what the hell are you doing here?” Krill asked jovially. He reached out and shook the blond hunk’s hand.

“Chuck and Dylan invited me,” Raleigh said softly.

Isaac pushed up next to them both. “We came together. He’s my boyfriend.” Raleigh blanched at Isaac’s revelation but put his arm around his blond boyfriend.

“He works with Dylan,” Raleigh said to Krill.

“Well, I’ll be damned if the security crew isn’t dating the Sweet Nora’s crew,” he laughed heartily and pulled Lynora closer to him. “We got ourselves a little dating service going on.”

Lynora fluttered a little. “I didn’t tell you about Raleigh because I haven’t formally met him yet.”

“I’m sorry auntie. This is my boyfriend Raleigh,” Isaac said proudly.

Krill shook Isaac’s hand. “Lyn’s nephew huh? Pleased to meet you.”

“Have you started dinner already?” Lynora asked seeing the food on the coffee table.

“No, not at all,” Dylan said quickly. “This is just the appetizers.”

“Yeah, I’ve got plenty more of these and then we’ll have dinner. Three of the five dishes are recipes I’m thinking of submitting with my application. Dylan told you right?” Chuck asked and then sped off to the kitchen before anyone could answer.

“He’s so nervous,” Dylan explained. “He’s been working on this for two days.”

“I’m sure it will be nice,” Lynora said spearing a potato from the antipasto. She popped it into her mouth and her eyes got big. “Oh my Gawd, this is delicious.”

Everyone started raving about the appetizers as Chuck returned with more lamb kebobs. He proudly offered the fresh batch to Lynora and Krill. They took the sticks and pulled bites from the skewer. Lynora was the first to speak.

“This is fantastic. Chuck where did you get lamb tenderloin this delicate? It just melts in your mouth.”

Krill nodded his approval as he filled his face with lamb, tomatoes, and peppers. “Give me a couple more of those,” was all he said.

Chuck began turning red at Lynora’s question. Would she think he was cheating? He paused and then answered her.

“I didn’t use tenderloin. I couldn’t afford it. I used a couple of lamb arm chops.”

It was Lynora’s turn for her mouth to fall open. “You used arm chop meat for these kebobs. That is the toughest cut and these are like butter in the mouth.”

“It’s okay Hun. Lynora can’t believe you made something so cheap taste so delicious. She sees what I see; an amazing cook,” Dylan said to Chuck. He had seen the panic arising on his boyfriend’s face. What Lynora thought was a miracle, Chuck feared was a negative. Dylan could tell Lynora would be an ally in his fight to get Chuck cooking professionally.

“How did you get that crappy lamb cut so tender?” Lynora asked Chuck. Chuck explained about cutting across the grain and his use of papaya in the marinade. Lynora was listening to every word. No wonder Dylan was always going on about this boy’s cooking. It was fantastic.

“When do we eat dinner?” Krill said slipping the last kebob into his mouth. The other guests laughed. Krill just grinned.

“First course will be ready at eight o’clock. In the meantime, have a drink,” Chuck said formally. He was enjoying being the host. Dylan was acting as bartender and quickly got everyone a fresh drink. Isaac and Raleigh were sitting on the couch holding hands and chatting easily with the two Kellies. Lynora was grilling Chuck on the antipasto vinaigrette recipe and Krill was finishing off the pretzels. Dylan watched as everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. At a quarter to eight, Chuck went to the kitchen to start getting his dinner ready.

First Course – Crawfish Bisque

“I’ve never been to a dinner party with courses,” Raleigh said. “Best I’ve ever seen was a cookout with chips and dip, barbequed ribs, and dessert. This is pretty cool.”

“Remember, we’re doing this to help Chuck figure out what recipes to submit for the scholarship. Be honest, but please remember to be nice,” Dylan reminded them.

“If these dishes are anything like those appetizers, Chuck’s a shoo-in for the scholarship,” Isaac said looking at Raleigh and laughing.

“Dylan, can you help?” they all heard Chuck call out. Dylan excused himself and went in to help serve. Chuck came out of the kitchen with two small bowls of something steamy and rich smelling. The six diners all waited expectantly.

“What is this course?” Chuck’s sister asked as he placed a bowl in front of her. Dylan came out with two more bowls placing them before Lynora and Krill.

“Your first dish this evening is crawfish bisque with a touch of basil oil,” Chuck announced. Dylan hurried back into the kitchen to get the last two bowls.

“Where’s the crackers?” Krill asked Chuck. Chuck looked uncomfortable for a second and then saw his boss wink. Lynora elbowed her date in the side. “Ow!” he exclaimed. “Just kidding the boy a bit.”

Dylan served Isaac and Raleigh the last two bowls. “Okay guys. We’re going to get the next course ready. In the meantime, enjoy your soup course. I’ve left little pads of paper at each place setting. Please make comments so at the end of the meal you can give Chuck feedback.” Dylan leaned over and looked over his shoulder to make sure Chuck wasn’t listening. In a quiet voice, he said, “This is so important to him. Don’t make light of this.”

Second Course – Catfish with a Savory Lemon Curd

The guys took the empty bowls from the table. Chuck started bringing out small plates with an aromatic fish that smelled of lemon and anise. Dylan followed with more small plates and soon everyone had their second course.

“What you have in front of you is a sautéed catfish with my own play on a béarnaise. Instead of butter, the sauce has some fish stock and a hint of tarragon and cayenne. I hope you enjoy,” Chuck announced. Over his shoulder, Dylan was scribbling in the air indicating they had work to do. The six guests dug into the fish with gusto.

“What brought you to the Cities?” Lynora asked Raleigh as Dylan removed her empty bowl. “Isaac said you’ve only been here about three months.”

Raleigh squirmed a bit and Isaac placed his hand on his arm to reassure him. “You’re among friends,” the smaller blond man said into the larger blond man’s ear. Looking at Isaac’s glistening eyes, Raleigh found his voice but it sounded rusty.

“My aunt, my mom’s sister lives here. She’s been getting treated for cancer and having a rough time,” he explained. “We’d been living just outside Cheyenne Wyoming.”

Lynora nodded though Raleigh hadn’t answered the question. Krill wasn’t as socially considerate. “That explains why your ma’s here. Why did you move here to Minnesota?”

Isaac leaned up and kissed Raleigh on the cheek. “It’s okay babe. Go ahead and tell them.”

Raleigh got a panicked look on his face and clutched at Isaac’s hand. Chuck’s sister saw the distress on the big blond hunk’s face about this simple question. She had pity on him and turned to the older couple.

“So Krill, how did you and Lynora meet?” Kelli asked them.

“I don’t think that’s much of a story. I’ve known Nora for what, twelve years?” the head of mall security asked his date.

Lynora nodded and added, “More like fifteen since we moved into that space.”

“Okay, about fifteen years. I’ve been working security at Eastdale for about thirty years, give or take a year. When she moved her restaurant in, we got acquainted.” Krill smiled at Lynora. She grinned back.

“Tell us how you two started dating,” Isaac said snuggling closer to Raleigh who looked very relieved the center of attention had shifted.

“I guess it would be about two years ago I started seeing this pretty lady in a different way,” Krill said and patted her hand. “I just never would have dreamed she’d go out with a two time loser like me.”

“Stop that,” Lynora said slapping his hand. “You are no loser.”

“Am I telling the story or are you?” Krill asked with a smirk. Lynora nodded for him to continue.

“Well, I’ve been divorced twice and neither was very pretty. I’d given up on ever dating again.”

“Why?” Chuck’s sister asked. “You’re still young.”

“I’m fifty seven years young but there comes a time when you figure life is a solo journey and I guess I’d come to that conclusion. But, something changed.” He stopped and took a breath and continued.

“About a month ago, I found myself over at Sweet Nora’s with any little excuse that came up. I would make up reports to give to her I didn’t give the other stores just so I could talk with Lyn. I made up little problems just to go down to the restaurant and see her. It was pretty pathetic,” he said.

“I did notice you came by an awful lot more than usual,” Lynora laughed.

“Yeah. I wasn’t very good at being discrete,” Krill said and they both giggled. Isaac thought his aunt looked like a teenaged girl. Talk about sweet.

“Anyway, I kept thinking if I spent more time with her, maybe she’d notice me or maybe I’d screw up the courage to ask her to dinner or something. I had in mind we could be friends. I thought we could just hang out to pass the time. I guess I was really lonely. I never had the guts to ask her though.”

“Tell them what finally prompted you,” Lynora said. “I think it’s one of the nicest things I’ve ever heard.”

“A couple of weeks ago, I came to the restaurant and saw Chuck and Dylan having lunch together. At first I was pretty pissed. Mall security isn’t supposed to fraternize with store staff so it got under my skin something fierce. Lynora calmed me down though.”

“I told the big lug about how you two met,” Lynora beamed. “Dylan, I told him how you asked Chuck out.”

Chuck and Dylan looked at each other and shrugged.

“After she told me how you asked Chuck out the day after someone beat the shit outta you, I was so shocked. I thought to myself, ‘Jon Krill, if some gay boy has the balls to ask a guy out after getting his ass kicked, you can ask that beautiful woman out.”

“Hey!” Isaac and Dylan said in unison. “That’s a little offensive.”

“No it’s not. It’s truthful. You inspired him to step up to the plate,” Lynora scolded. “I think it was pretty cool.”

“Anyhoo. The very next morning I got my sorry ass down to the restaurant and asked Lyn out to dinner. I was surprised when she said it would be a pleasure. We’ve been seeing each other ever since.”

“And we have Dylan and Chuck to thank for giving us both the courage to try something different,” Lynora said craning her neck to smile at the two of them. Dylan and Chuck both blushed. They looked at each other and gave a quick peck on the lips.

“I didn’t do it because I wanted to inspire anyone,” Dylan said shyly. “I just wanted to get to know this cutie pie and boy am I glad I did.” Chuck hugged Dylan and then escaped into the kitchen to get the next course ready.