WHILE THE NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG, Chapter Two

Charlie was in the kitchen when Don and Megan arrived, at the end of a long work day. They were the first from the team to get to the house. Amita and Megan lingered chatting and putting the finishing touches on setting the table. Don wandered into the kitchen to the smells of hot bread. He eyed his brother at the cutting board a bit dubiously. "Doing all the cooking tonight, Chuck!"

Ignoring the gentle gibe, Charlie kept dicing the fresh carrots and tossing them into the frying pan which was already simmering. "Hey, Mom taught me to cook while we were at Princeton. I'm pretty good."

"Uh-huh. What's that veggie concoction you are putting together there, Chef Chas?"

"What is this, how many annoying variations on Charles can I come up with night, Donald? I'm making fresh carrots and spinach lightly sautéed in olive oil, with almond slices and dried cranberries. It won't kill you to have some healthy vegetables for a change, older brother? "

By now, Don was raising the lid of the Crockpot to sniff at the meat which really did almost make him drool. "Wow. This looks almost perfect. Damn that smells good."

His younger brother grabbed a kitchen towel, twirled it up and snapped it at him. "Every time you open the lid you let out the heat, brother mine."

"Hey, watch yourself, short stuff. I can pound on you from up here."

"Oh, I'm shaking in my shoes. You are what, two inches taller than me. "

"Is that garlic bread I smell?"

"Yea, the French bread was fresh when I picked it up at Kaufman's and I used fresh garlic, real butter and mozzarella cheese on one loaf – that's the sweet French. The sourdough has just garlic butter on it. I also have 7 potatoes baking in the oven. Do me a favor?"

"Sure, what?"

"Get the salad bag out of the fridge and put it in Mom's big salad bowl. You know the one, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Wow! You really are making a feast. Dad let you loose in the kitchen like this a lot these days?"

"He should be getting home pretty soon. They had a meeting with a client that ran late. My classes don't go as late on Thursdays so I cook a lot on Thursdays."

"Megan insisted on bringing some wine."

"Oh, good. We can have it with dinner."

"Colby and David should be here soon. They were stopping to pick up some beer and chips for after."

"Sounds good. " Charlie reduced the heat on his spinach and carrot concoction, and put the lid on. "I'll squeeze the fresh lemon on just before we serve it."

Megan had brought the wine out into the kitchen. "The guys are just pulling up. Hey, Charlie…where's your chef hat?" She smiled at him sweetly.

The younger man grinned back. "Did you bring us white wine in honor of Larry?"

Megan laughed. "No, but that would have been cute. I brought a nice Merlot. Don, do you have a corkscrew out here somewhere? It should breathe a little before it's poured."

"Yeah. I'll get that for you. This corkscrew is kind of tricky."

"Well, let me finish with the salad. More of the mix is going down your throat then in the bowl."

The professor sent his brother a glare. "There are two bags in there, Don. "

"Hey, I got both out. I'm on it. Megan, I'll let you finish the salad. Wouldn't want Charlie to tell the guys the salad is all gone because I couldn't keep my mouth shut…"

"Well, if the shoe fits, bite it!" Charlie laughed. The kitchen door swung in and Colby and David came in, carrying grocery bags.

"Hey, whiz kid – is there room in the refrigerator for the beer? It's cold – man, is it cold!"

"Bottom shelf should be clear. Thanks for bringing the contributions, guys. You didn't have to."

"Man, my mom would have a fit if I didn't bring something for the host…" David laughed. "She'd say, "David, I raised you better than that!" "

"Well, I appreciate it."

"Wow! The garlic bread smells great, Charlie. I didn't know you could cook, too." Colby remarked. He lifted the lid from the frying pan. "Hey, this is different – spinach and carrots. I like it – what's in there with it?"

"Slivered almonds and cranberries…I'm going to squeeze a little lemon on it just before it's served. The almonds and cranberries give it that little extra snap, you know?"

"Sounds good." David said appreciatively. "I love getting a home cooked meal once in a while."

"You guys are welcome any time, you know?" Charlie smiled. "However, shoo! I just have to take out the roast, let it sit for a little while before we carve, so I can whip up the gravy."

"Homemade gravy, Mom's recipe?" Don asked, as the guys went into the dining room. "I'll get down the gravy boat." He had the wine open

"Thanks, bro!" Charlie grinned. "Of course, Mom's recipe….with a slight variation. Get down both boats, okay? I want to have one for au jus in case someone prefers that."

"Well, okay….but no one will want that once they taste Mom's gravy. Are the potatoes done?"

"Everything is done…just these finishing touches."

"Want me to carve?" Don asked, just as his father came in the back door.

"Hey, I carve the meat around here. I see your guests are helping you, Charlie."

"Nothing wrong with that, Pop. He's feeding us all after all."

"It wasn't a criticism, Don. More of an observation. Oh…nice Merlot." He picked up the bottle.

"Megan brought that." Charlie mentioned.

"Hi, Megan. Looks like we are about ready…thanks for putting together such a nice meal tonight, Charlie."

"Not a problem, Dad. Just remember…you can't say your landlord NEVER does anything."

Alan smiled at the gentle rant from his son. "I never did, Charlie. Over all you are a very good land lord. You know I just love to give you a hard time."

Megan asked, as she opened the refrigerator door. "Which salad dressing should I put out?"

All three Eppes spoke at the same time. "All of them…"

They all burst out in laughter, while Alan explained. "That way everyone can make their own choice."

"Well, you certainly have a variety to choose from."

Alan got out the carving knife. Megan took the salad bowl and Don carried the dressings out to the room for her. Charlie quickly whipped up the gravy, pouring that from the mixing bowl he'd used into one of the tureens. The other he used a ladle to get some of the juice from the Crockpot in and mixed it up for au jus.

Don came back in and grabbed the two gravy boats. "You think you can handle that roast, Pop."

"I'll manage. Has it been sitting long enough, Charlie?"

Don took the gravy to the dining room table and Megan came back in.

"Yep." Charlie replied as he took the lid off the vegetables, cut a fresh lemon in half and squeezed it over the pan. He quickly tossed the contents, after which he got a slotted spoon and took the vegetables out, putting them into a dish which Megan grabbed just as Charlie slid a serving spoon into it.

"I'll take this into the dining room, Charlie."

"Thanks, Megan. Let me just get out the potatoes and the bread. Dad, where's the bread board?"

"Here, Charlie. One loaf with cheese; one without?"

"Yes, the sweet French has the cheese and garlic. The sourdough has the garlic butter only."

"Very good, my boy. Do we need the bread knives at the table?"

"No, I pre-sliced. Everyone can just tear off their piece and pass it on."

"Good job. Your mother trained you well."

"You BOTH trained us well." Don put in. "Charlie, I'll get the bread plates. Dad, almost done carving there? I'm hungry."

"You usually are hungry when there is beef on the table, son. This is a nice large roast. Should be plenty for every one. Don Eppes, don't you sneak a slice. You eat with your guests."

"Hey, I'm family. I should get perks." The agent grinned, saucily at his father as he chewed the slice he had snatched. "Wow! Charlie….this is fantastic. It melts in your mouth. Awesome job, kid."

"Well, thank you." Charlie bowed.

Soon every one was gathered around enjoying the meal with very little conversation. The food was too good to waste time on talk until the meal was winding down. There were the regular pleasantries and 'pass that' or 'may I have another'. Charlie looked around the faces at the table and allowed himself a contented smile. This was what it was all about. Friends, family, good food – what more could a guy ask for? Oh, and don't forget a very hot girlfriend at one elbow. Yeah. Life was really good.

"Man, Charlie….you outdid yourself." Colby remarked as he leaned back in his chair. "Everything was great. That vegetables…was that your own idea? Because I have to say, I wouldn't have thought of that combination, but it was great. The carrots weren't mushy, the spinach was just right and the extra zing from the almonds, cranberries and that dash of lemon – that was good."

"Not to mention a great roast. Those potatoes though. They could have been a meal in themselves." David added.

"You did an excellent job, Charlie. I will do the dishes." Alan observed.

"No, that's okay, Dad. How did your meeting go?"

"Charlie, you cooked. I don't mind cleaning up."

"Oh, its okay, Mr. Eppes. I'll help him in the kitchen." Amita waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Don laughed. "That may take a while than!"

"Well, if it isn't a private party…" Megan said teasingly, "I'll be glad to help."

"We'll all help clear off the table." David said firmly. "All of us." He repeated at the snort from Colby. "It'll go quicker."

"After we go over the info Charlie was able to pull out of the data Don brought to him earlier…there is dessert." Amita added. "Two different kinds of cheesecake."

Colby groaned. "I love cheese cake, man, but I don't know if I have any room left!"

"You can find room while we are talking, dude." David advised his partner.

Alan said. "You boys don't have to carry the dishes out. Oh, and Amita….how many times do I have to tell you, it's Alan?"

"Yes, we do, sir. It's the least we can do." David said firmly.

"We'll just rinse them and put them in the dishwasher, Dad. Why don't you relax in the living room?

You never answered how your meeting went." Charlie said firmly.

"Oh, I don't know….some of these clients want the strangest things. This woman wants us to add two rooms on her house for these cats she rescues. She wants one to have a screened in enclosure where they can and I quote "Take in the sun without actually being outdoors." It's like she wants a spa for cats. She also wants us to build like this whole obstacle course thing around the rooms so the cats have nooks and crannies to climb into and play. It might be an interesting challenge, but first she has to have a permit to have so many cats within city limits. I mean rooms designed just for cats."

"Sounds like a nice lady, saving homeless cats." Megan remarked.

"Oh, yeah. It is cat rescue. Maybe I could have our neighbor's cat 'committed' there." Alan threatened, only half joking.

Charlie frowned a little worriedly. "Is that monster after the Koi again?"

"Charlie, I swear those Koi could eat that cat. They are getting fat and lazy. You've been overfeeding them, you know."

"Dad, you either complain I'm not doing enough for them…or I am over -indulging them. Make up your mind. So are you going to take the project?"

"Hmmm. We'll see. Have to get some legal clearances first and we have to go and look at the house to see if the existing structure is suitable and there is enough room in the yard for the addition. It'll be a while before we know for sure."

There was a crash from the kitchen. "Man, that was not funny, David. Cripes!" Colby stuck his head through the swinging door. "Uh…nothing broke guys. David's just giving me a hard time and I dropped that metal bowl, but we had already put the salad back in the fridge."

Don laughed. "You might be more convincing on that if you didn't have lettuce in your hair, Granger. Very manly style. Early Vegetarian isn't it."

Colby's face turned beet red. "Oh, man. David…." The ones still in the living room heard the back door open and close real fast. "I am so going to get him."

"Boys!" Megan said to Amita who was cracking up at the shenanigans.

"Should I have mentioned the lettuce on his head had French dressing in it?" Don ventured aloud. "I think I better go moderate things before we have to call 5-0."

"Good excuse to escape clearing the rest of the table." Amita remarked.

"Don learned that trick early." Charlie said.

"Yes, well back then he was usually chasing YOU and it was your Mom and I who wound up stuck with the dishes!" Alan laughed. "Now this is a wonderful way to relax in the evening. You sure that you don't mind if I go and check out the news, Charlie?"

"Go on, Alan." Amita said firmly. "The ladies will help the professor clean up the kitchen."

"Lucky me," Charlie quipped. "You are much prettier assistants than those mugs!"

"Oh, flattery. Hook us and reel us in, Charlie." Megan laughed as they cleared off the last of the things on the table.

End of Part Deux