Porcupines - 9. Chapter 9 - Salt

Chapter 9 - Salt

Chuck awoke and felt warmth next to him. ‘Dylan,’ he thought, ‘My sweet Dylan.’ He opened his eyes and looked at his sleeping lover. Dylan had cried out in the night and he’d comforted him. He calmed him and he went back to sleep. Chuck couldn’t believe such a beautiful, red haired man was in his arms. How did this happen to him? A week ago he’d awaken with a thunderous hangover feeling his life wasn’t worth living. He was alone, so alone and so tired. Now, he felt a surge as he watched Dylan’s breath go in and out of him. And Dylan was smiling. He was making Dylan smile in his arms.

Chuck remembered he promised to make breakfast. Carefully, he pulled his arm from beneath his bed partner and Dylan just smiled and snuggled closer. He rolled away and slipped out of bed. In his sleep, Dylan reached out and whined at his departure.

Chuck exited the bedroom and walked down to the kitchen. He surveyed his workspace. The kitchen itself was neat, but apparently Dylan didn’t cook much. There was dust on the stovetop. He got a rag, wet it, and wiped down all the surfaces. He pulled out some cookware. They needed a good rinse as they were dusty as well. He finally got a pot of water on the stove and went in search of ingredients.

As he’d seen last night, there were a dozen eggs and they weren’t out of date. A stick of butter was in a cute little dish. There were three slices of wheat bread. The ham had some green hair growing on it. He threw that in the garbage and checked out the freezer. There were frozen dinners and pizzas but in the back, he found a hoar frost encrusted package of spinach. “Bingo,” he said to himself. Better than rotten ham.

He looked into the pantry and found the bag of potatoes. Most of them were growing but a couple of them on the bottom were still edible. He quickly pared them and got them in cold water. As he worked, Chuck thought about how Nanna made hash browns from scratch. He could see her as she parboiled and then shredded the potatoes just like the morning before she’d made him and Kelli make The Vow. Everything she cooked, she did with care. Chuck did so in the same way as he prepared the ingredients.

Having arranged his mise en place, everything in its place, Chuck started a pot of coffee. The gurgling, aromatic liquid trickled through the maker with the sounds of morning. He searched the cupboards for a box grater and found one on an upper shelf. It still had the price sticker on it. He washed it and peeled off the tag.

Chuck got a fry pan heating up. He dumped the shredded potatoes directly into the sizzling pan, adding a healthy dose of salt and some pepper. He put another pan on a back burner, slipped a little of the butter and added the drained spinach. He added salt and pepper to that too.

Chuck thought about salt, how everything tasted better with it. Potatoes didn’t taste like anything without a healthy dose of sodium chloride. Spinach tasted muddy without salt. Eggs were flavorless without salt to give them substance. Food without salt was lifeless. As he placed a bowl above the boiling water and placed the whipped yolks, he added salt. Slowly, he poured the clarified butter into the yolks while mixing it. As it thickened, he added lemon juice and pulled from the heat. Two dashes of cayenne and a quick taste, Chuck carefully added a few more grains of the magic stuff. Salt.

If you ate food without any salt, it was bland, lifeless. It was kind of like life without love. Salt and love. Food and life. Chuck knew that life without love wasn’t just bland, it was, well, lifeless. He’d experienced two years of life without love. The last few days, he’d tasted life with love. At least, that’s what he thought. Food and salt. Life and love. He added another big dash to the potatoes and flipped them. They were lush and golden brown, caramelized to perfection. Dylan would like this. Chuck thought about how he loved making food to express himself. He wasn’t great with words, but with food he could tell those he loved how he felt.

He cracked four eggs into a bowl and slipped them into the bubbling hot water. Almost done. He watched the eggs congeal and the sauce shimmer brightly in the bowl. How many times had he carefully made a meal the entire time thinking about how Brandon or his sister would just love it? Now, he could do this for Dylan, a man he thought he could love, just maybe.

“Dylan, time for breakfast.” He placed the warm plated and cups of coffee on the table. “Sleepyhead, time to eat,” Chuck peeked around the corner and called to his bedmate.

Dylan’s sleeping senses first became aware of the coffee. Then as he woke up more, he smelled lemon, eggs, and frying fat. ‘Ron’s making me breakfast,’ he thought and that seemed impossible. Ron couldn’t cook. He had trouble serving cold cereal with milk. Dylan wasn’t a cook but he could make spaghetti with meat sauce provided the sauce was from a jar!

Suddenly, he realized something. Ron was dead. Ron wasn’t making breakfast. Chuck was. It smelled so good. He rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom.

Dylan came around the corner and Chuck looked up at him smiling. Sitting on the table was a beautiful plate of Eggs Florentine crowned with golden sauce and graced with lacy golden browned potatoes. Dylan sat down. He was impressed. It smelled magnificent.

“You didn’t need to go to the store and do all this,” Dylan said looking at Chuck in a different way. This wasn’t a good ole boy without a future. This was a kind, generous man who was willing to make him a gourmet breakfast.

“I didn’t go to the store. I made this with stuff from your kitchen. Give it a try,” Chuck said proudly. He loved doing this. He loved the look Dylan had on his face right now. It was a look of admiration and surprise.

“I didn’t have hash browns and I know I didn’t have hollandaise sauce in my fridge.”

“You had a couple of good potatoes so I made the hash browns and I make hollandaise from scratch, always,” Chuck said taking a bite of his hash browns, slightly salty, tasting rich, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Dylan took his fork, sliced into the poached eggs and it was perfectly cooked, the yolk running out slowly, like an additional sauce coating the green spinach. He cut a bite with egg, sauce, spinach and a bit of toasted bread. He ate it.

“Chuck. This is absolutely delicious. I’m just blown away,” Dylan said, digging into the hash browns. “Gawd, these are the best potatoes. I love these.”

Both men dug into their food. Dylan kept oohing and ahhing and complimenting Chuck. Chuck beamed from the attention. They were so enjoying their meal; it was quiet for a few minutes in that kitchen. Dylan broke the silence after taking a sip of coffee.

“I’m working tonight, what about you?” he asked.

“I work this afternoon,” Chuck answered around his last bite of eggs.

“I’m supposed to close,” Dylan said. “But, I wanna see you later. Will you wait for me?”

“I will,” Chuck said. “I can go home and get cleaned up and come get you. What time will you be done?”

“I should be outta there by eleven or so,” Dylan said finishing his hash browns. “You’ll pick me up?”

“Yeah, did you want to do something tonight?” Chuck said hopefully.

Dylan looked up at Chuck and grinned. “I want you to cook me dinner.”

“I’d love to,” Chuck blushed. “Can I spend the night again?”

“Count on it.”

 *********************************

“Here is the report for sector 3. We have a cracked pane in door SW 7. There is also a defective sensor in door SE 3. Do you want me to call GuardOne to get those fixed?” Chuck said handing over the piece of paper to his boss.

“Okay,” Krill said taking the paper from his employee. “Let me see what you got here.” Krill looked up at Chuck who was smiling broadly down at him. ‘What the hell has gotten into him?’ he thought. Krill had never seen the boy smile before. The most pleasant expression he’d ever seen from this guy was a measured, thin-lipped grin. Chuck looked positively giddy this afternoon. Ever since his disappearance and then rehire, the boy had changed significantly. Maybe his little talk with him had worked.

“I’ll get Raleigh to call it in. Good job though. I appreciate the attention to detail,” Krill said to Chuck, looking at him over his reading glasses. “Just get ready to make some rounds on the floor,” he said with a friendly grin. “Sure enough,” Chuck responded and went over to get his things. He heard the door open and looked over his shoulder. His other security guard today, a big, beefy blond guy had arrived.

“Raleigh, Chuck here found a couple of security deficiencies. Wanna take care of them?” Krill said scratching his balding head.

“Old sourpuss found a couple of issues huh?” Raleigh said taking the paper from his boss’ hand. “At least he showed up today.”

“That’s enough,” Krill said softly. “Get the call in.”

“Yo, ferret-face, you gonna stay for your whole shift today or gonna pull another disappearing act?” Raleigh called out to Chuck.

“Green is doing a fine job. Just do your job.”

Chuck grabbed his walky talkie and turned to his foul-mouthed colleague. “I apologized for that. I just helped out a client who got mugged,” he said. “Next time I’ll follow the protocols to the letter,” Chuck smiled at his coworker.

“Whoa, dude, did you finally get some pussy? You’re smiling like the cat that found the cream,” Raleigh grinned mischievously. “Told you if you just cleaned out your pipes, you’d be happier.”

Krill frowned. Raleigh was an irritating moron. He thought the answer to every question was ‘getting some pussy.’ He liked his team to be more professional. But, he couldn’t get Raleigh to behave decently except in public. At least there was that.

“Raleigh, just make the calls and stop with the rude comments.”

Chuck smiled and blushed. He thought about earlier this morning right after breakfast. He didn’t get pussy. He got something much better.

“Still thinking about your girl?” Raleigh said breaking Chuck’s revelry.

“Shut up Raleigh and make your phone calls,” Krill yelled across the room. “I want those doors fixed today.”

A few hours later and on the other side of the mall…

Dylan was rolling silverware in napkins and thinking about Chuck. All his nocturnal doubts had been washed away this morning. The perfect stranger in his bed last night had made him breakfast and then after..? He blushed just thinking about it.

He was too good to be true.

He rolled the last silverware bundle and took the stack to the wait station. Almost everyone had been cut and he was closing. Dylan walked to the bar to see what was going on.

Kenny was chatting with Chad and Isaac. Dylan was still pissed at the little blond man’s antics with Chuck. Isaac was preening as usual for Chad. Chad, Dylan’s old college roommate and best friend, was laughing with the blond joker. Gawd, Isaac could be a horse’s ass. Sure, Chad was a bigger man-whore than Isaac ever hoped to be but he was open and honest about his libertine excesses. Isaac pretended he was looking for his “one true love,” but ended up dating guy after guy.

Well, maybe Dylan had been doing that lately but not anymore. He was done with hookups. He truly liked Chuck and last night and this morning seemed to show him that Chuck felt that way too. At least, they’d try this thing out, see if it worked. He wandered over to the bar.

“So Dylan,” Isaac said sipping a Manhattan from a straw. “Where’s your rough trade tonight?”

Chad squinted at Dylan. “Rough trade. Dylan, who’d you pick up?”

Dylan shook his head and looked askew at Isaac. “No. I met a nice guy. His name is Chuck and he’s from the country. Isaac thinks anyone who isn’t a flaming queen like him is “rough trade.”

“Does he wear boots and a cowboy hat?” Chad laughed.

“No. He’s just from a small town.”

“Dylan decided to start dating white trash from the wrong side of the tracks to see how the other half lives,” Isaac said meanly only pausing to chew on a maraschino cherry. “This week he likes his boys rough and rural.”

“Isaac,” Dylan said evenly. “Just because you couldn’t get the last gay mall employee into your bed doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with him. Chuck is a nice guy so you and he have nothing in common.”

“So you are getting your pipes cleaned,” Chad said smiling. “How long have you been seeing this one?”

Dylan was sensitive about his recent dating record. “We just started seeing each other.”

“Is he any good?” Chad said raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah Dylan. Did the redneck’s practice with farm animals give him some game?” Isaac piped up.

“You two are ridiculous,” Kenny said walking to the other side of the bar. Chad and Isaac ignored Kenny’s annoyance. Chad wanted the dirt. Isaac wanted to needle Dylan.

“We’re just getting to know each another,” Dylan said looking toward the front door. He was worried Chuck would walk in at the wrong time and hear these idiots. He turned back to Chad pointedly ignoring Isaac.

“He’s a mall cop here and I like spending time with him. This morning he made me the best Eggs Florentine and from scratch,” Dylan realized his mistake too late.

“He made you breakfast?” Isaac sneered. “So after he serviced your chassis he made you eggs.”

“Ha, ha, you’re a regular Phyllis Diller only not as pretty,” Dylan snapped.

“I think it’s great,” Chad said. “Giving the farm team a little action leaves more of the A-team for us.”

Dylan couldn’t think why he wasted time talking with these two. It was obvious they were just trying to get under his skin.

“Speak of the devil,” Isaac mewled. “Hey, there’s Dylan’s hillbilly now!”

Dylan looked over and Chuck was standing right behind him. He gave the waiter a big smile and Dylan grinned back sheepishly. What had he heard?

“Hello Isaac. Say, my dad needs a place to park our trailer. I hear your ass has plenty of room. Care to rent it out?” Chuck said smoothly. Chad let out a snort and started belly laughing. Kenny laughed right along with him. Isaac looked at Chuck like he was a dead cockroach.

“Your boyfriend has room enough to spare. Why don’t you ask him?” Isaac sniped.

Chuck didn’t miss a beat. “Not from what I experienced this morning.” He wasn’t going to let Isaac insult Dylan like that.

“Wow, TMI dude TMI,” Chad said but was soaking it all up. Isaac took another drink and turned his back on them both.

“Hi hun,” Chuck said and smiled again at Dylan.

“Hey. It’s almost time to close. Do you want a drink?” Dylan asked. He was pleasantly surprised by Chuck’s quick parry of Isaac’s barbs. He didn’t really like revealing their intimacies to these two gossip girls but it did make Isaac look like a fool.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Chuck said and crawled onto a stool next to Chad. “What can I get you?” Kenny said grinning broadly at Chuck. “Just a Leinie’s fine.”

Chuck drank his beer and Chad pumped him for information. He was pretty close lipped but asked lots of questions of Chad. Chad was more than willing to talk about himself. Pretty soon Chad was talking about a concert he’d been to, a guy he’d picked up at the Saloon, and his car. It didn’t take much to get Chad to yammer away on his favorite topic; namely Chad.

Isaac listened to the two chat and grew bored. Dylan was off closing up the shop so Isaac decided to try and cause trouble, again.

“Chuck, so where did you and Dylan meet?” Chuck just looked at Isaac. The question was a valid one so he decided to answer it.

“I was the guy who found Dylan after he was mugged. I helped him get home. Dylan asked me out the next day.”

“That’s nice. You know Dylan is a very friendly guy. He’s been very, very friendly for the past year since his boyfriend passed away,” Isaac said around a sip of his drink.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Chuck said, his anger rising but also a thread of cold fear was leaking in.

“Nothing! Don’t get mad. I just know lots of guys have been making him lots of breakfasts for several months now. Dylan likes breakfast,” Isaac said slyly.

“I heard you like to take guys to parties and then sleep with some random guy in the host’s bedroom, without making them breakfast.” Chuck was getting pissed.

Chad put a hand on his arm. “Never mind Isaac. He’s just trying to get your goat. Dylan’s one of my oldest and dearest friends. He needs a good guy.”

“I think so too,” Chuck said still staring daggers at Isaac who realized he’d scored a direct hit. Isaac decided to turn up the heat a little more.

“Dylan has had trouble adjusting since Ron died. He’s been trying to keep his mind occupied with whatever piece of ass comes his way. It seems even white trash is to his liking.”

Dylan came around the corner. “Isaac! Stop telling lies about me. I am not that kind of guy and you know it.”

“Common as dirt,” Isaac said twirling the ice in his glass.

“Isaac. Apologize. I will not have you call my boyfriend names like that,” Dylan stopped and realized what he’d said. He looked over at Chuck with a stricken look on his face. How could he have just blurted that out?

Chuck smiled and held out his hand. “It’s okay. I just consider the source. Coming from the gay Welcome Wagon, his basket on every front door step, it doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Dylan smiled and took Chuck’s hand. Chuck smiled back. He wasn’t mad about the boyfriend reference.

“I’ve been keeping score and it seems Chuck three, Isaac zero,” Kenny laughed. “Farm team is beating the daylights out of the professional gays it seems.”

“I’ve got everything done on my end. Should we go?” Dylan asked Chuck.

“Sure. I’ve got dinner started for you.”

“Well, isn’t that domestic bliss,” Isaac commented, the bitterness seeping from his voice.

“Shut up,” Chad and Kenny said in unison.

As soon as the two got into the parking lot Dylan turned to Chuck and apologized, “I’m sorry I called you my boyfriend. I know it’s too soon and I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”

Chuck stopped and took Dylan’s face in his hands. “I liked hearing it. I’ll be your boyfriend if you want me to.” Dylan remembered their session just a few hours ago, how it made him squeal, and of course, that breakfast!

“I’d like that too,” he said and reached up to kiss Chuck in the silvery light of the parking lot. He realized he had meant it.