Ever the gracious host, Sebastian wasted no time with Patrick's invitation. "Gretchen, we thought that Abby's place is rather crowded, and since we have more room, that maybe Patrick would be more comfortable staying with us while you're here. If you don't mind."
Abby came through the door making a beeline for Gretchen, followed by Andy. She opened her arms pulling her in tight. "I just know this place will be perfect for you. I stopped by yesterday for a peek. It should be everything you need. It even has two places for Patrick to work!"
Andy darted a glance towards Patrick and blushed. I turned to look at Patrick and noticed his eyes were locked on Andy, and there was a smile. Not wolfish, but more of adoration. This would be one hell of a weekend.
*****
After feasting on several assorted pizzas, we gathered in the living room to plan out the next several days. Isaac and I had to work, and with Andy out of school, he immediately volunteered to help Gretchen and Patrick. That didn’t surprise us in the least.
He would go with them Thursday morning to check out the property and then their booth space. Abby leaned over to whisper something to Gretchen who nodded and then cleared her throat. “We’re going to head upstairs and have some girl talk before turning in. How about we all get together at eight thirty and go out for breakfast? We have to meet the landlord at ten.”
Gretchen looked to Patrick who smiled before saying anything. “Sounds like a good idea. Goodnight, Mom. Love you, sweet dreams.”
I was about to agree when Sebastian placed a hand on my arm. “We have to be at work tomorrow morning. We’ll be gone before you get up, so stop by and tell us how it went later.”
“That’s right!” I must have been real tired, or caught in the moment. It was getting late. “Patrick, let’s get you some sheets and a blanket for the sofa.”
“Mr.…. I mean, Isaac, I brought in my sleeping bag. No need for sheets and stuff. Maybe if you could spare a pillow?”
I was starting to like the kid, just a little. “Sure. Give me a minute.”
As I was coming back into the living room, Abby was saying good night to the boys, and Gretchen was giving Patrick a kiss on the cheek. Sebastian returned from the kitchen after clearing the coffee cups and dishes. Once the ladies left, Sebastian and I said good night to Patrick and made our way into the hall. Andy stood in the doorway and waved to Patrick, probably at a loss for words, which surprised me.
Patrick grinned, giving him a small wave. “I’m glad to finally meet you, Andy. Abby has told me a lot about you. She said you were handsome, but that word wasn’t strong enough. I’ll have to think of a better one.”
With that, Andy took off to his room, leaving Sebastian and I dumbfounded and staring at Patrick. “I told him the truth. Andy is special, and I like him. I would never hurt him. Good night.” He climbed into his sleeping bag and turned away.
I was about to say something, a warning, anything, about not hurting our boy, but Sebastian put a hand on my arm. “Isaac, let’s go to bed.”
Heading to our room, Andy’s door was closed, and we left ours ajar that night. Once we were in bed, I turned to Sebastian and he put a finger to my lips. "Listen. Before you say a word, Andy is a big boy. We need to let this play out. Patrick seems like a nice young man. If we notice anything out of the ordinary, we can say something, but not until then. Can we agree on that? Please?"
I bit my tongue, trying not to argue. I knew he was right. That didn’t make me feel any better though. I nodded and kissed him good night as he rolled over and I spooned him, praying I could keep my word.
Sleep was a long time coming, and when it was time for work, I reluctantly left the house. We had to trust Andy. We left the boys a note to have everyone stop by the foundation office before heading back to the house, and let us know how things went with seeing the store and meeting the landlord.
*****
It was just after eleven thirty when I recognized Abby’s voice calling from out front as I was pouring myself a coffee in our little lunch room. When I stepped out, I saw Mrs. Dandridge chatting with Abby and Gretchen. “Isaac, Gretchen just told me that she and Patrick are moving down here. I met them at the fair last year when I bought a beautiful owl carving of Patrick’s. I look forward to seeing more of your work this year at the fair, young man. Now, I must get back to work. Wonderful seeing you, Andy, Abby, Gretchen. I’ll see you all at the fair.”
Abby had a huge grin on her face and Gretchen seemed to burst with excitement. Just as Abby was about to say something Gretchen grabbed her hand. “We got it! This afternoon we have to go back and sign the papers. We move in six weeks from today!” She threw her arms around me. “Thank you so much for finding the store. I can’t thank you enough! Patrick said the workspace is perfect for him.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek and I noticed out of the corner of my eye Patrick slipping his arm around Andy as our son leaned against him. Sebastian and I needed to talk.
“Isn’t that wonderful news? Isaac?” Abby’s voice jarred me back to the surrounding commotion.
“Yes. Yes! It’s great news! I wish Sebastian was here. He’s with his attorney right now. I’ll give him the news when he gets back.” Looking over at Andy and Patrick again, they were whispering something. I must have zoned out because I found Gretchen standing in front of me looking at me queerly. “Sorry. I was just overwhelmed by the news.” I plastered a smile on. “We all need to go out to dinner to celebrate.”
Abby grabbed my arm lightly. “What about that place that just opened down the street just before Ashbury? The one that’s supposed to be like Southern home style cooking?” I was staring at Andy and Patrick talking quietly in the back. “Yeah, sure. That sounds great. I’ll let Sebastian know when he comes back. I’ll see you guys at home. Have fun this afternoon.”
I turned around and went back to our kitchenette and dumped my now cold coffee and poured myself a new one from our little machine before returning to my office. Setting it aside, I sat down at my desk and rested my head on my folded arms and sighed. I heard a knock on my door frame and remembered I forgot to close the door.
“Someone does not look too happy.” Mrs. Dandridge was standing there, her hands folded in front of her, a concerned look on her face.
“I’m fine.” The words sounded hollow and unconvincing. She came in and closed the door behind her.
“Now that sounds convincing. You can tell me to mind my own business, but this is a small office and we’ve worked closely for quite a while. I’d like to think we are more than just boss and employee.” She pulled out a chair in front of my desk and sat down. “If my son were alive, he would have been your age. He died in that damn Vietnam war. He was in the Navy.”
I never asked much about her personal life and now I felt terrible. “I’m sorry.”
“The new girl is watching the front. Now tell me what has you in such a state. Does this have something to do with your little group out front earlier?”
Sitting up straight I took a gulp of the bitter beverage, remembering I forgot the sugar. “Our son seems to have a crush on the dark-haired Adonis you saw out front earlier.”
She gave me a knowing smile. “Parenthood is a bitch. He seems like a nice young man, and close to Andy’s age. What’s the problem?”
I let out a long sigh and ran my hands over my face. Was I being dramatic? “He got out of a relationship a few months ago. I don’t want to see him hurt again.”
She placed her hand on mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Isaac, he’s young. It will happen again. You can’t smother him. But you can be there for him if he falls. He has great parents in you and Sebastian. Andy is a smart boy, but he has to learn to take care of himself. If something goes wrong, he knows where to go. Now I will give you some advice as a friend if I am allowed.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Of course, Mrs. Dandridge.”
“Well first. Please stop calling me Mrs. Dandridge. If I can call you Isaac like you want me to, then you can call m
e Elizabeth. This formality has gone on too long. It makes me feel old.” She chuckled, and it brought a smile to my face.
“Okay.”
"Now, the second thing is this. "You will be worthless this afternoon, so go home or go to a bar. Get out of here. When Sebastian gets here, I’ll tell him you needed to get out for a while and he would see you at home."
I gave her a smile and took her advice and left.
*****
I left and wandered about, ending up in Buena Vista Park, sitting in the open area where people sunned themselves. It was getting late and there was hardly anyone there, which was nice. I didn’t feel like company. Elizabeth was right, but it still didn’t feel right not protecting him from potential heartache. I was lucky. Having been in foster care I never allowed myself to get close to anyone until I met Sebastian. But the pain I saw in Andy’s face when he broke up with Elias, even though it didn’t last long, I didn’t want him to experience it again.
It was getting dark, and I was on Haight Street about to turn onto our street when I saw Sebastian heading up the hill. Now I had to explain what I was doing coming from the direction of the park. “Hey! Wait up!”
He turned and looked surprised then grinned.
“I left early and took a walk in the park. I figured everyone would be out so why hang around an empty house.”
Grabbing my hand, he began to walk again. “Let’s see if anyone is home yet.”
“Hold on. Let me give you the news.” I filled him in on the store and our going out to dinner before we went inside. Now that he was up to speed, we headed up the walk.
Walking up the front steps we could hear the noise inside, and, peeking in the window, it looked like the whole gang was already here. Opening the door, the first voice we heard was Gretchen’s, screaming, "It’s official! We rented the store!"
She ran up to us and threw her arms around our necks. "We wouldn’t have been able to do this if it weren’t for you both. Thank you so much! I had to tell you again!"
Everyone talked all at once until I heard Abby whistle. “Now, let Gretchen tell them all the details of what happened. Gretchen, my dear. Fill the boys in.”
Everyone sat down and she relayed the story of meeting the landlord and touring the building. There were things that needed changing, and she and Patrick would do what little basic work was needed in a week or two to make the store presentable for their business before opening. I noticed Patrick roll his eyes at that comment and Andy gave him a little nudge with his elbow. The upstairs was suitable for their living space. With three bedrooms the third would be a multipurpose room where they could store Patrick’s finished sculptures. There was a small office in the store where they could keep their business records. The larger storeroom would be Patrick’s work room, while the small storeroom would be for her inventory. Artwork and other items would be stocked by the artists. There was a covered area in the backyard that Patrick could use for working when the weather is good.
Her plans made sense to me. The landlord was agreeable to rent the premises on a lease, and later on, Gretchen might consider buying the property. It would be contingent on what their home in Arcata would sell for and how successful the business was. The landlord wanted occupancy in thirty days but Gretchen talked him into six weeks instead.
Once the news was shared, Sebastian suggested we head out to dinner. Gretchen was thrilled with the idea, but she reminded everyone that it would be an early night, as they had to leave in the morning to set up their booth for the fair. She also explained that Patrick would spend Saturday night at the booth, much to Andy’s disappointment, which made the young god grin.
*****
When we entered the restaurant I found the atmosphere homey and casual. It had a family feel, and I smelled the fried chicken and gravy, and my stomach grumbled. Sebastian chuckled, and I grinned at him.
“This place is awesome!”
I turned around to Andy, and Patrick was nodding and grinning with an arm around his shoulder. I tried to remember what Elizabeth said and what Sebastian kept reminding me, and took a deep breath. Patrick had done nothing to show he wasn’t sincere.
A woman with long, curly, light brown hair wearing a granny dress and sandals greeted us and showed us to a table. She was explaining the daily specials, including their wheat grass tea and southern fried steak. When she mentioned that tonight they also had Charleston Style Shrimp and Grits, Andy gave her a weird look.
“What’s grits?”
She explained that grits was made from corn, and the dish had shrimp and andouille sausage. He seemed to hesitate and then Patrick squeezed his hand.
“Go ahead. I’ll split it with you.”
We all agreed on fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy, with Andy and Patrick sharing an order of the Charleston Style Shrimp and Grits. When it came to drinks, Sebastian and I ordered coffee, Abby and Gretchen ordered the wheat grass tea, while Patrick and Andy ordered iced tea.
Sebastian was smiling at their behavior, and for the moment I relaxed, just a little. The young god was showing warmth and true affection to our boy. What I thought was predatory was looking like he really cared. It was at that moment he brushed a lock of Andy’s hair out of his eyes and smiled at him. Andy blushed at the attention and slid his hand over to Patrick’s on the table. I may have been overreacting about what was happening.
Once the drinks came, Gretchen went into greater detail about the store and the apartment upstairs. The store, in her estimation would take about a week or two to get ready for the opening, and then they would take their time with the upstairs. Any touch ups to the store could be done when they were open. Patrick was about to say something when Andy leaned over and whispered in his ear. Patrick nodded and looked down at the table. You could tell he was unhappy. Andy immediately volunteered to help, as well as Abby. Sebastian and I volunteered to assist on the weekends.
When dinner was served, everything looked and smelled fantastic. Sebastian looked at me and I could tell he wondered how he would eat everything. I nudged him with my elbow and whispered, “What you don’t eat, I will.”
Looking across the table, Andy and Patrick were ignoring the fried chicken and potatoes, instead staring at the shrimp and grits. The dish was a burst of color and scents, with the shrimp, andouille sausage, bacon, colorful bell peppers, and cheddar cheese. Andy took the first bite and his eyes went wide.
“Oh my gawd!”
Patrick grinned and took a fork full. “Wow! Next time I’ll order one of these for myself!”
Gretchen and Abby laughed while we smiled at each other. Maybe all of this would work out. I hoped.
*****
When Gretchen said they'd start bright and early in the morning she wasn’t kidding. It was six in the morning and she, Andy, Abby, and Patrick were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast when Sebastian and I sleepily walked in wearing our robes. A very animated conversation about the plan of attack for that day was in full swing. Gretchen saw us walking in and hushed everyone.
“I’m sorry. We hoped not to wake you. We were just assigning duties for this morning as to setting up the booth. Abby had an idea that since the store is already vacant, and we are close, she thought maybe we could store our merchandise in there overnight so Patrick doesn’t have to spend the night in the booth. It’s inconvenient to bring the pickup here with the trailer after the fair closes so late.”
That seemed like a good idea, but before I could say anything, Sebastian brought up a good point. “Call the landlord this morning, or better, I’ll call him for you. We should change the locks first. If he allows us to put new locks in today, then you can store the goods there, but Patrick wouldn’t need to stay there. If not, then if he lets us get the keys and allows it, you could still store your things in the store overnight.”
Slipping my hand around his waist, I gave him a peck on his cheek. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. Is there any more coffee? We’ll check with the landlord and s
top by later to let you know. Just make sure to leave his number before you go. We can join you to help, if you want.”
Gretchen looked at us with pity and the boys shook their head while Abby just drank her coffee. “I have Abby and the boys. Any more people and it would be too crowded in the booth. Why don’t you guys take it easy and stop by later? You can bring us lunch. How does that sound?”
I made my way to the coffee maker while Sebastian gave Gretchen a hug. “That sounds too easy, but we’ll do that. We’ll stop by once we’ve talked to the landlord and, at the same time, take your lunch orders. Now I need coffee and toast.”
Once everyone left, we collapsed on the sofa to read the paper. Unfortunately, we were too wired to go back to bed and decided to toss the paper aside after a while. Since we had privacy, it was time to take advantage and have some fun on the sofa. Once we were done, we showered and had a snack before calling the landlord.
Knowing he would have a long-term tenant, he was very agreeable to having the locks changed, at Gretchen’s expense. He also agreed they could store their goods there for the fair, but only for the fair, and he would want copies of the keys before they move in.
Once we got the okay, Sebastian called the local locksmith he used for the foundation offices, and he was gracious enough to come out later that morning and re-key the locks for the store if we could meet him at eleven.
With everything out of the way it was still early and we headed up to the fair to see if we could help with anything. The walk up Haight Street was quiet that morning and there was a slight chill in the air even though it was June. They expected it to be a warm afternoon which would bring out a lot more people to the festivities.
The fair was to open in the afternoon on Friday but you could see people arrived early to look. Once we hit the entrance, you could see all the activity with the vendors still setting up and people already milling about. There were booths for photography, paintings, wood craft, glassware and ceramics, hookahs and bongs, jewelry of every kind, brightly colored clothing and leather clothes of every kind from suede to polished studded vests. The variety represented was amazing. There was even a bandstand setup for entertainment. I wasn’t sure of what kind, but I knew it would be entertaining.
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