Porcupines - 32. Chapter 32 - Dear Old Dad

Chapter 32 – Dear Old Dad

“Get them if you want. I’m buying this stuff,” Dylan urged Chuck. Chuck was looking at the beautiful creamy white sea scallops in the showcase at Lund’s down the road from Dylan’s apartment. Dylan insisted on coming with me to get the food for his dad and Alisha’s dinner tomorrow night. It was Labor Day weekend and the only time they could get together before Chuck started his new job at Sweet Nora’s was tomorrow.

“They’re too much. I can’t afford them,” Chuck said but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from them. These luscious scallops would be the crowning jewel of the upscale picnic he was planning. He really wanted to impress Dylan’s dad. Dylan was so close to him and if his dad didn’t like Chuck? He shuddered at that thought.

“You’re not paying for them. I am. Get them. My dad will love them,” Dylan ordered.

“You can’t afford them either. We’d need forty dollars’ worth of scallops to feed the four of us,” Chuck shook his head.

“It’s my dad you’re feeding and I want you to make him scallops if that’s what you want to cook,” Dylan insisted.

“If you’re sure,” Chuck said. He ordered sixteen of the milky white rounds of muscle and looked back at his list. Now his menu had changed completely. Chuck looked in the cart and moved some items to the side. He’d put those back. He would also need a couple more peppers for sure. He was so nervous about this dinner, even more than for the scholarship dinner. But, that had went really well so hopefully this would too.

“So what is Alisha like?” Chuck asked. Dylan was looking at some of the other seafood. There were some really gorgeous clams, littlenecks that could make a great appetizer. “She’s nice. She’s not very talkative. My dad is one of those slap you on the back, tell a bunch of jokes, kind of guy. She’s more quiet and reserved.”

“I hope he likes what I’m making,” Chuck said eyeing those clams too.

“He’s gonna love your food. He’s gonna love you,” Dylan said poking Chuck in the side. Chuck winced and gave him a weak smile. “He’s totally cool with the gay thing?”

“Yeah. I didn’t even really come out to my parents. They knew. They figured it out. When I introduced my first boyfriend to them, they didn’t bat an eye. In fact, my mother was absolutely thrilled and embarrassed me by announcing to all her friends she was the first to have a gay son. She acted like she’d won a prize or something by having a child who was queer.”

“That’s interesting,” Chuck said and ordered two pounds of the littlenecks. They’d work well on the grill wrapped in aluminum foil with onions, garlic, and a little white wine. He grabbed a nice crusty loaf to go with the steamed clams. Now, he just needed to get some fresh herbs and a few peppers.

“It was interesting. It was right after I came out, so to speak, that my parents got divorced. Wasn’t even a month later. My mom just kicked Dad out one day and I came home from school to him being gone. I felt pretty guilty actually.”

“You felt like they broke up because you’re gay?” Chuck asked, confused.

“I did at the time. My brother told me I was nuts but the events happened so closely together I thought I’d done something that pushed them over the edge,” Dylan said clearly uncomfortable with the topic. Chuck changed the subject because the pain in his boyfriend’s eyes was so evident.

“I don’t even know what your dad does for a living,” Chuck was going back to the produce section of the store.

“He works at a marketing agency, Tupper, Watson, and Fitch. He’s very good at what he does. I just have never been able to figure out exactly what that is. Kinda like Chandler on Friends.”

“What does Alisha do?” Chuck asked.

“She’s an associate at a law firm. Alisha and my father met shortly after my mom threw him out. I think it was at some conference or something,” Dylan said. His head was far off from their conversation though. Chuck decided he wouldn’t push for any more answers right now.

The guys bought their items and in spite of Chuck’s resistance, Dylan paid for the groceries. Money was a sore subject for them. Chuck felt Dylan paid for too much in their relationship. He worried Dylan would hold that against him but now was not the time to squabble. It was his father and stepmother they were feeding after all.

**************************

“Something smells awesome,” Alisha said as they went onto the back patio of Dylan’s apartment complex. Chuck was at the grill attending to the food. Dylan had waited upstairs for his father and Alisha to arrive. They’d had a quick greeting and he led them down to the common picnic area.

“This is Chuck,” Dylan introduced them. “He’s your chef de cuisine for the evening. Chuck, this is my father, Terry and his wife Alisha.”

“It’s good to meet you,” Chuck said with a broad smile. He wiped his hand on his apron and reached out. Terry and Alisha both shook hands and Terry took a peek at the open grill.

“That’s looking delicious. Where’d you get those scallops?” Terry asked. “Did Dylan tell you they’re my favorite?”

“He said something about that,” Chuck laughed. “He paid for all this. I can’t take the credit.”

“My son has always been the generous sort. He’s never been much of a cook though,” Terry joked. Dylan rolled his eyes and went over to Chuck. “Don’t need to be now. He’s gonna get me fat though.”

“I can smell why,” Alisha said and took her own glance at the grill. It was covered with skewers of seafood and tin foil packages of unseen things. The smells were intoxicating.

Dylan got Terry and Alisha glasses of wine. They had the picnic table set with plates and flatware. A large boule of bread was sitting in the middle. Little bowls of melted butter with roasted garlic sat by each place setting. It was simple but elegant and the perfect Labor Day setup.

“So, Dylan tells me you’re going to cooking school this winter?” Terry asked after a sip of his Fume Blanc.

“I hope so. I applied for a scholarship for the school. If I don’t get it, there’s no way I can afford the place,” Chuck said turning the skewers.

“He’s a shoe in,” Dylan bragged. “He’s the best cook I’ve ever met. We had a trial run of his recipes and Lynora hired him to work at the restaurant.”

“Is that so,” Terry said. “Kelly told me the meal was exquisite.”

“I don’t know about that. Dylan’s brother was being awfully kind.”

“Kelly is very outspoken about food,” Alisha said. “I’ve never heard him go on that much.”

Dylan was beaming with pride. This was going better than he’d dreamed. Alisha was so gracious and his father wasn’t teasing him like he usually did. He just hoped the food would live up to their expectations.

“When does grad school start son?” Terry asked. “This wine is really good.”

“I start on January 10^th,” Dylan said. “But I’ve already started to plan some things out. I’ve got coursework of course but most of the program is writing.”

“I’m glad you’re going back. I knew you wanted to but I was wondering when you’d make it happen,” his dad said.

“I just wanted to take some time away. I’m glad I did. I got to play hooky for a while but now I’m ready to get back to the books,” Dylan said.

“You’ll make a great teacher,” Alisha said. “I’ve always thought you were destined for bigger things.”

“Thanks Allie. I needed to make some money and relax first.”

“Your trust fund should take care of the money part,” Terry said. Chuck looked up. What trust fund? Dylan had never mentioned that before. Chuck assumed Dylan would be taking loans out for grad school.

“It’s not that much and grad school is pretty expensive, especially at the U,” Dylan said.

“You’re not going to work are you?” Terry asked. “You shouldn’t need to.”

“I’m continuing to work part time at Nora’s,” Dylan said and made a slashing motion to his parents. Alisha didn’t see Dylan’s reaction and said, “We could help if you need it.”

Terry touched his wife’s arm. He shushed her silently but Chuck saw their reaction. He didn’t say anything but Dylan could see he was troubled by the discussion.

“I’ll be fine,” Dylan said. “I like working and going to school. It forces me to schedule things so I get it all done.”

“You were always such a hard worker,” Terry said. Alisha looked chastised and Chuck felt bad for her. He wondered why Dylan had never mentioned a trust fund. He didn’t have a pot to piss in but his boyfriend had money. He felt the shame begin to creep in.

“Are you ready to eat?” he asked pulling a tin foil bag from the grill onto a plate. “We’re starting with steamed clams.”

“Sounds yummy,” Alisha said averting her eyes. She didn’t know what had just happened but could feel the cold strain of discomfort that conversation had created.

Chuck placed the package of shellfish on the table. When he opened it a steamy cloud of delicious aromas of clams, garlic, and thyme filled the patio area. Dylan took charge and ladled out the clams and broth into shallow bowls at each place setting. Terry and Alisha dug into the appetizer and oohed and aahed at the creation. It was divine. Chuck closed the grill and sat down to eat as well.

The foursome made pleasant dinner banter as they made short work of the first course. Chuck told them about his family.

“I live with my sister and her son. My parents live near Worthington. My dad worked at the Campbell soup plant and my mom worked as a bookkeeper for a fertilizer company. Now they’re helping with the family farm.”

“Are you close with your family?” Terry asked.

“Yeah. My sister is the best. She’s a therapist out of Abbott Northwestern. Mostly works with people who have brain injuries.”

“Sounds like challenging work,” Alisha said dipping her bread into the fragrant clam broth. “We get lots of cases that involve those kinds of injuries. So tragic.”

“Yeah. She’s got the smarts in the family,” Chuck said. “I ended up with the brawn I guess.”

“I’d say from tasting these clams you ended up with the creative side,” Terry said thoughtfully. Dylan smiled at his dad. It was delicious and his father was as encouraging as he could be.

“Simple recipe,” Chuck said. “I love cooking.”

“I can’t wait for the next course,” Alisha said pulling the last clam from the shell.

“Well, your wish is my command,” Chuck said going back to the grill.

Terry, Alisha and Dylan all gushed over the perfectly cooked scallops. The smokiness from the grill and spiciness of the peppers on the skewers paired perfectly with the richness of the meat. Another packet contained jasmine rice with onions and mushrooms. They ate with gusto.

“That was an amazing meal worthy of a five star restaurant.” Terry pushed his empty plate away. “I can’t say when I’ve had better food.”

“That’s not all,” Dylan said. “Chuck made dessert on the grill as well.”

“I’ll get the ice cream. The pears should be about ready,” Chuck said and went back into the apartment building.

Alisha leaned over to Dylan. “Sorry to bring up the trust fund. I had no idea he didn’t know.”

“He’s very sensitive about money. He’s not very well off and that is a touchy subject.”

Terry looked at his son. “You know, we could help if you’d like. We’re doing pretty well financially.”

“I’ve got plenty in the trust. It matures in two months and then I’ll have more than enough for school,” Dylan said. “I just want to preserve the principal. I want to buy a house.”

“Good investment,” his father said. “But Kelly tells me the two of you are basically living together. Shouldn’t you have that conversation with him?”

“I don’t know how to bring it up. I mean, it’s not like it’s that much money. It’s a good amount but I don’t want Chuck to feel badly about it. He already complains about how he’s the poor church mouse and I’m Richie Rich.”

“How much did your grandparents leave you?” Alisha asked looking back to the door for Chuck.

“It’s about a fifty grand,” Dylan said quietly. “It’s a good amount of money but it’s not like I can live on it.”

“No. But your grandfather wanted you and Kelly to get a good start in your life. If Chuck’s gonna be in that life going forward, he deserves to know.”

“I know. He’s so independent. I’m afraid it’ll grate on him.

“Don’t keep secrets like that, especially about money. Just let him know your situation. He might get the wrong idea otherwise,” his father cautioned. “You know, that’s what finally convinced your mother to toss me to the curb.”

“What?” Dylan said, his eyes bulged at this news. “What did you keep secret from mom?”

“How much I made after becoming partner,” Terry said looking his son in the eye. “I never bad-talk your mother to you, but you know how she is about money.”

Dylan did know. His mother believed in only the finest things in life. Abby also liked to flaunt herself to her friends. “So you told mom you made less than you actually did?” he asked his father.

“Yeah. Big mistake. She found out from one of her so-called friends and had it out with me. It seems she thought I was laying up a nest egg to leave her. It was a dumb thing to do, keeping a secret like that from my wife. Don’t make the same mistake I did,” Terry warned.

Dylan nodded. He and Chuck would have to have the money conversation sooner rather than later. He didn’t like it though. But, he wasn’t going to make his father’s mistake either.

“Here we go,” Chuck said smiling. “Let me get the fruit off the grill.”

Dylan dished up the Butter Pecan ice cream while Chuck put a generous spoonful of roasted pears, cranberries, and brown sugar with Gran Marnier on top. Once again, Dylan’s dad and stepmom raved about the delicious concoction. It was sweet, tangy, a little salty, and scrumptious.

“Tell me about Dylan when he was a kid,” Chuck asked as he took a bite.

“He was a little instigator,” Terry laughed. Dylan looked appalled.

“I was not,” he said to Chuck.

“One time, the little demon was mad because his brother got a new bike and he didn’t. Dylan threw a fit and broke a window in the garage. His mother and I didn’t know who did it, but he convinced the neighbor kids Kelly did it. We took away his brother’s bike for a week. Finally, when all was said and done, we discovered it was Dylan who did it in the first place.”

“That’s not true,” Dylan whined. “I didn’t tell those kids anything. They assumed it was Kelly. I just didn’t tell them it was me.”

“Yeah, but when Kelly was grounded you didn’t fess up either,” Terry said smiling. “Dylan was a good kid. He’s just too smart for his own good sometimes.”

Dylan was red with embarrassment. Chuck just laughed and they all talked about little Dylan and his misadventures as a child. Kelly usually ended up on the wrong side with each story. Chuck could see his boyfriend’s powerful personality started young.

“I’m going to get these dishes upstairs,” Chuck said. Alisha stood and taking the plates followed him.

“Speaking of Kelly, have you talked with him lately?” Terry asked.

“Last week we babysat for him,” Dylan said. “He had a date with some hot momma by the name of Isabella.”

“I talked to him yesterday and he told me about some girl he’s seeing. I don’t think that was her name.”

“I met her. She’s a very attractive woman from Nicaragua or something. Seemed a bit distant, but nice enough I guess,” Dylan said.

“What was her name again? I don’t remember except it seemed very odd when he said it. Anyway, he’s so smitten with her he couldn’t stop talking about her. I’m glad to see my boys have both met people who make them happy.”

“You know Kelly. He’s just in lust,” Dylan said.

“I’d say the same about you except having met Chuck, I think you two are in love,” his father smirked back at his son. Dylan blushed fiercely.

“He’s really good for me,” Dylan admitted. “I think he’s a keeper.”

“Well, he can certainly cook for us anytime,” Terry said. “I can tell Alisha is very impressed.”

“I’m glad,” Dylan said.

Shortly thereafter, his father and stepmother said their goodbyes. Chuck and Dylan saw them off from the front door of the complex.

“I really like them both,” Chuck said. “Your dad is a hoot.”

“You’d say that because he kept telling stories about me being a little shit,” Dylan said smacking Chuck on the shoulder.

“Maybe. He’s crazy about you though,” Chuck said.

“He’s a good guy,” Dylan admitted. “I’m lucky.”

*******************

On the ride home, Alisha couldn’t say enough good things about Chuck. “He’s very level headed. Did you see the way they looked at each other all the time?”

“I did. I hope this is what Dylan wants. He needs a good, solid guy to depend on.”

“I know. I was so worried about him after that other guy,” Alisha said.

“Yeah. Ron. Say, I can’t remember the name of Kelly’s new girlfriend. Dylan said her name was Isabella but that wasn’t the name he used. It was something that I thought odd.”

“That’s because he’s dating someone named Kelli. Two Kellies. Your memory’s going old man.”

“As long as you don’t mind keeping me on track, I’ll happily lose it,” Terry smiled at his wife.

“You’re adorable.”

“Not as adorable as you, mon cheri.”