6
hugs the petite woman in front of him, bending to kiss her cheek.
“Hey Claire, how are you doing honey?”
His sister-in-law plants a loud smacking kiss on his cheek in return then tiptoes to give him a gentle cuff to the ear. Around them the restaurant is filling with the Sunday lunch crowd.
“I’m good brat. Where have you been? We haven’t heard from you in ages.”
Shrugging, Alex waves hi to his brother coming out from the kitchen and sits at the corner table. Matt unloads bowls of salad on to the table and gives the empty tray to a passing waitress. Two loaves of warm bread wait, steam still rising from their crust, next to an open bottle of New Zealand chardonnay.
“Yeah, I’ve been busy,” he says, avoiding Matt’s glance.
“What with?” Matt asks.
“Better yet,” Claire says, squinting at Alex, “with whom?”
Alex groans. He’s known Claire for years, introduced the interior designer to his brother, and Alex is well familiar with her ability to read people. As far as he is aware, nobody can keep a secret from her.
“Are you seeing someone?”
Claire grins. He’s screwed.
“How’s business?” he asks Matt hoping to change the subject. When Claire punches his shoulder, he yelps and jerks out of reach.
“You are, aren’t you?” she crows and holds a glass out for her husband to fill.
“Ow,” he says rubbing the tender spot, “Matt, control your wife.”
“Come on brat details,” Claire says.
He sighs. This is where it gets complicated. Alex never discusses his private life, such as it is, with anyone. Never introduces people to his family. There’s never been a need to, he’s never been serious about anyone. Nothing lasted longer than a week or two, there’s never been anything that wasn’t easily dismissed and ignored. Then Ben came along and now everything is different; Alex isn’t sure how he feels about that.
“His name’s Ben” he says, refusing to look at either of them. Then because he feels he should say something, added, “he’s a lawyer.”
“How long have you been dating?” Claire is all but bouncing in her chair, china blue eyes dancing.
“Couple of months. I met him at the U2 concert.”
Claire launches into a barrage of questions, not waiting for answers, but he ignores her to return his brother’s stare.
“What?” he asks finally, disconcerted by Matt’s silence.
“You’re seeing someone?”
“Yes, I’m seeing someone,” Alex says. “What’s the big deal?”
Matt leans forward.
“What’s the big deal?” he asks. “I know you, dude, and you don’t see people. You don’t even date. I assume you get laid from time to time because according to my wife and half my staff you’re reasonably hot but I know you do not see people.”
Matt sits back and folds his arms over the white apron he’s still wearing.
“Screw you,” Alex says but there’s no real heat in the words. Matt isn’t wrong but that’s not the point.
“So?” Claire is still bouncing like a kid on a sugar rush.
Can’t Matt at least get her to drop it, Alex thinks. He shakes his head to show he has no clue what she’s talking about.
“When do we meet him?”
There it is – the question he’s been dreading. If he introduces Ben to his brother, then this becomes real and if it’s real it can end and he doesn’t want to even think about that. What’s more, if Ben meets Matt and Claire he’ll want to meet Alex’s parents and that can’t happen. Alex bites his lip and picks at his wrist.
“They’re here,” Matt says, nodding toward the door. Alex looks up and sighs. Their parents are making their way across the crowded restaurant. Claire slings an arm around his neck and kisses his cheek.
“Hey, brat,” she says, her breath soft against his ear, “we won’t say anything. I promise.”
He squeezes her hand and tries to smile. Fails.
“I know.”
#
Davis is dressed in her usual Sunday dress of navy linen with matching high heels. A simple gold cross lays on an almost nonexistent breast and her chestnut hair is coiffed and sprayed into a symmetrical bob that skims her shoulders. Her makeup, as is her habit, is perfect.
She frowns when she sees her daughter-in-law leaning against Alexander. That woman is so inappropriate, she thinks. Why could Matthew not come over and meet them? It would be nice to have a little recognition for a change. After all she’s not an ordinary diner, she is the mother of the restaurant owner, surely that should count for something.
Behind Matthew, Alexander stands and Janice purses her lips in distaste as he unwinds his enormous frame from the chair. Tallness runs in both her family and that of her husband Robert, who like Matthew, is just over six feet tall. She, herself, is just a fraction under. But her younger son is an anomaly even by familial standards and Janice does not like anomalies. Especially in her family.
“Hey Ma,” Matthew says and pulls a chair out for her.
“Please don’t call me that Matthew,” she says fingering the gold cross.
Claire chirps a greeting to them both and Janice tries to suppress a shudder. What Matthew sees in the woman, Janice does not understand. He could do so much better. For goodness sake, she’s standing there in her husband’s restaurant on a Sunday – a Sunday – in short, faded denim overalls, a cotton blouse, and plain white sneakers. Does she not understand how to dress for Sunday lunch with family at least? Forget that she is the owner’s wife. Even more infuriating is that she doesn’t seem to care. Still, she thinks, at least she can be grateful to God that Matthew is not given to the same … inclinations… as his brother.
“Hi mom,” Alexander says.
“Alexander,” Janice replies, waiting for Robert to join her before she sits. She has no time for nicknames or pet names. Her sons are named Matthew and Alexander and that is what she calls them. Not Matt. Not Alex.
She looks over the table.
“New Zealand Chardonnay,” she says, with a sniff. “I told you I don’t like that, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did but this is a better match with the fish,” Matthew says rolling his eyes.
“I suppose you know better.”
From her tone, it’s clear she supposes nothing of the sort. She closes her eyes for a moment to clear her head.
“Alex?” Matt is reaching for his wine glass. Janice frowns.
“Matthew, already?” she says. “Shouldn’t we wait for the food.”
“Ma, relax, it’s Sunday lunch.”
“Please don’t call me that, Matthew,” she says again.
Alexander nods at his brother and greets his father who has finally joined them looking bored. To her annoyance, Alexander accepts a glass of wine from his brother and sits down. Matthew is holding a glass of whiskey out to Robert, who takes it without thanks, and sits at the end of the table.
“I’ll just get the fish” Matthew says, turning toward the kitchen.
“Can Claire not help?” Janice asks as he walks away. “When you have children, she’ll have to learn to juggle crockery after all.”
As she turns back to the table, Alexander drains his glass and nods when Claire offered to refill it.
“Alexander, really? Don’t tell me you’re developing a drinking problem now too?”
“Common among his type,” Robert says from the end of the table.
“Dad, don’t start,” Matthew says in a low, heavy voice putting platters of buttered sole and sautéed potatoes on the table.
“He is only speaking the truth,” Janice says with a sniff. “It’s well known.”
Matthew looks as though he is going to say something then thinks better of it and reaches for the platter of fish to begin serving. Janice feels a small rush of triumph.
She turns her attention to her daughter-in-law.
“Claire, have you had a haircut?”
Claire nods yes as she opens a second bottle of Chardonnay.
“Really, I must give you the number of my stylist,” Janice says, holding the young woman’s eye. “She is really very good at helping you find an age appropriate style. And I’m sure she could help you do something with that color.”
She sucks her teeth in disapproval as Alex drains his glass again
#
“You okay?” Matt asks as he gets in the car.
Alex closes his eyes, stomach churning,and pulls his seat belt on. Matt and Claire will drop him off before going to a movie .
“Navy is the color of the month, I see,” Claire says from the back seat. “Our clothes didn’t clash for a change.”
“Oh you clashed honey, don’t worry about that.” Matt flicks a CD on and Cold Play blares until he’s able to adjust the volume. “Remind me again why we do this?”
“Because,” Alex says, “we’re not orphans. Because it’s the right thing to do. And it’s only once a month. It’s not like it’s going to kill us. Well nothing more than my liver at any rate.”
For a moment, he listens to Matt and Claire dissecting the afternoon and laughing over hair color. Alex doesn’t see what’s funny about any of it; it’s all just depressing, he thinks, and looks out the window at the grey, overcast sky. The first hints of autumn are beginning to creep into the foliage, turning it burned orange and red and the air has a bite to it that it wasn’t there even a week earlier.
He pulls his cell phone from his pocket and taps the screen, finds Ben’s name and sends him a text message. As it disappears, Claire pulls his hair and tells him to pay attention.
“I asked when we’re going to meet him,” she says.
Alex rolls his eyes.
“Your wife is relentless, man,” he tells Matt who just nods with a grin.
“Yes, I am and don’t you forget it,” Claire says, poking his shoulder. “Well?”
“Forget it? Chance would be a fine thing,” Alex says. “I don’t know Claire. Soon. Maybe. We’ll see.”
His phone chimes and he reads the message.
“Hey, can you guys drop me over in Encino? Is that too far out of your way?”
Matt shakes his head, no problem, but Claire unclicks her seat belt and leans over Alex’s shoulder, trying to get a look at the screen Alex is covering with his hand.
“Encino? Really? Nice. He must be a good lawyer. Can we meet him?”
“Yes, really. Yes, he is. And no, you can’t. Were you a damned terrier in a former life or something?”
“I’m adorable,” Claire says and hugged his neck. “What’s more you love me.”
“You are,” Alex says. “I do. The answer is still no.”