Chapter 8
Charlie started to set the table when he saw Amita vigorously tug and pull on the lavender t-shirt he had given her. He smiled, she looked great in that t-shirt, but obviously something was bothering her judging by the way she was nearly molesting it.
"Taking your frustrations for being soaked out on the t-shirt?" Charlie asked with a tease as he put down the plates on the table.
Amita froze instantly, still pulling the t-shirt down, and stared at Charlie.
"No… "She replied in a squeaky voice.
"Something wrong with the shirt then?" He asked curious as to why she was pulling and tugging.
"No…. It just has… a print on the front" She replied now letting go of the shirt and folded her arms in front of her chest.
"Then you're pulling it because…. "Charlie started motioning his hands in the air tempting her to finish the sentence as he still had no clue what was wrong with the t-shirt
Amita sighed. She was going to have to spell it out for him.
"Because it has a print on the front. An embroidered print" She replied with raised eyebrows.
Charlie frowned in confusion and put his hands on his hips. He didn't understand what the print on the front had anything to do with her behaving so uncomfortably in the shirt; even more confusing was the way she avoided having to explain exactly to him what it was about the print on the front of the t-shirt that made her so uncomfortable.
Amita who saw the huge question mark form over Charlie's head and sighed a little annoyed "Never mind the shirt or the print, let's set the table and eat." And she walked over to him to finish setting the table hoping he would drop the matter.
"But why…" Charlie started as he let a hand rest on her waist to prevent her from walking past him.
"It itches Charlie" Amita cut him off before he could finish.
"It itches" Charlie repeated still not understanding.
"Yes Charlie, it itches. Certain areas when not covered with certain attire tend to itch when exposed to embroidered prints on t-shirts" She finally explained aggravated moving her hands in circles in front of her chest.
The question mark over Charlie's head suddenly disappeared as he finally caught on why she was making such a big deal about the print.
"You mean you're not…ehm…. wearing anything under…. You know? Charlie stammered as his cheeks turned bright red.
"It was wet Charlie, just like anything else above my waist so I had to take it off." Amita replied now secretly enjoying seeing Charlie struggle.
This has been the second time this evening the focus has been on the area below her neck, and not that Amita didn't enjoy the effect it had on Charlie, it did suck the romance right out of their first evening alone together. For Charlie to focus on, or better said explore her anatomical features was something she was very much looking forward to, but not before she squeezed every bit of romance out of Charlie. And that had proven to be quite a challenge.
Charlie had his moments but they never lasted long because he was so easily distracted. And with Larry, his brother and father being those constant, ever present distractions she was grateful they finally had one evening alone together. A romance filled evening alone, his undivided attention, for once not being ruined by distracting people. Nor would she allow her curvy features to stand in the way of the long awaited romantic evening either for that matter. Al least not yet.
With Amita's confession Charlie withdrew his hand that rested on her waist and carefully placed them behind his head as he took in a deep breath. He looked a little bashful, but smiled none the less.
"I'll go get you another t-shirt. One without a print this time." He said as he looked into her beautiful eyes.
Amita threw him a semi dirty look and watched him walk towards the stairs to get her that promised printless shirt. She couldn't wait to get out of that itchy t-shirt. It didn't take Charlie long to find a plain one and ran down the stairs to relieve his girlfriend of her uncomfortable condition.
While Amita changed shirt Charlie finished setting the table when the timer he had set earlier that evening went off, announcing the lasagna was ready.
"Boy, time flies when you're having fun" He muttered with a cheeky grin remembering it took one and a half hour to cook the lasagna.
"What was that?" Amita asked as she returned dressed in the new shirt Charlie had given her.
Charlie smiled. She looked even better in that shirt than the one.
"Dinner's ready. Have a seat, I'll be right back" He said opening the kitchen door.
---
Don entered his gloomy apartment and gave his keys a throw and expected to hear his keys land on side table in the hallway of his apartment. Instead he heard a dull thunk. Don upon registering the odd sound he moved his tired eyes to where the unfamiliar sound came from and groaned. The side table was missing and his keys landed on the floor right next to a plant that used to stand in the living room. Don stared at the plant and frownded.
"I'm sure you were in the living room when I left this morning" He muttered to the plant.
Scratching his chin he picked up the keys from the floor and walked into his living room only to drop the keys instantly, having them land on the floor for the second time that evening.
"WHAT THE…!" Don exclaimed.
What used to be the living room had now been turned into his bedroom; his bed, the nightstands, the lamp, his wardrobe, it was all there.
Don turned a couple of circles in his former living room, eyes fixed on all the furniture that had been exactly where it should have been, his bedroom, when he left to enjoy his day off that morning. When he was done taking in this absurd surrounding he walked up the door that led, at least up until now, to his bedroom and rubbed his tired eyes with one hand before opening the door.
When the door swung open, he let out a loud cry. His whole living room had been cramped into his much smaller former bedroom, the couch, coffee table, dining table, chairs the whole nine yards. Don felt the anger rise and clenched his fists, ready to slam whatever was closest to complete oblivion and decided to cool down before he would do anything he might later regret.
He groped his pocket in a frantic search for his cell phone.
"Oh ho ho ho, Charlie's gone too far, way way too far" Don spat at the device he held in his hands shaking his head vigorously.
As he desperately tried to regain control over his limbs shaking with pure and utter rage he punched in the numbers to Charlie's phone nearly breaking the cell phone in the process. It took him three tries before he got the number right, completely forgetting he had his brother's number stored in the address book.
As the phone rang Don's anger flared with each tone he heard and started hopping from one foot on the other until he heard his brother's voice on the other end of the line.
"Don… I thought you promised…." Was the first thing he heard his younger brother say but wouldn't let him finish.
"I don't know HOW you did it Charlie or WHO you recruited to pull this off, but THIS is crossing the line!" Don bellowed through the phone. "You are SO going to pay for this, YOU my brother, are IN FOR A RIDE YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!" And Don pressed the end call button so hard he could swear he heard something crack.
---
"Alright… that's it; losing three times in a row is enough for me. I'm done playing" Rob complained to his fellow players as he folded his cards on the table.
"Me too, nice game you played Alan" Martin added.
"Yeah well, I'm sure I'll be on the losing end next week." Alan replied with grim smile.
"Say, what you do have in store for you eldest? You said earlier that with your help both of them would think twice before getting themselves into something like this again" Martin asked.
"Aahh, my Donnie" Alan said with a sly gin on his face. "I don't think my eldest is in a very happy mood right about now". Alan grinned as he looked at the clock.
He was sure that his son must have come home right about now. Oh how he would have loved to see the look on his son's face when he realized what happened.
Both Rob and Martin both leaned forward eagerly wanting Alan to fill them in on what he had been up to.
"You have no idea how easy it is in this country to have some furniture moved in an apartment. One phone call no questions asked, and they were there within the hour. That's why I was a little late this evening" Alan explained.
"Wait wait wait. Let me get some more beers and nacho's and give us the finer details" Rob said as he made his way towards the kitchen.
"I have no intention of going anywhere yet. By this time Charlie must have only just started dinner, and I'm not setting one foot in that house until I'm absolutely sure he's had desert." Alan replied with a wink to his friend.