Longer chapter because it stretches over more than one day!
'What I don't understand is,' Kelly started casually over breakfast a week or so later, 'is why Syed didn't tell you he was going to meet his daughter and ex-wife all those times?'
Syed could have thrown his bowl of cereal at her. He'd known she was up to something when he'd ventured into the dining-cum-living room to find her already up. She hadn't got up before midday for weeks but, he supposed, it was difficult to get up when you were partying all night.
'It was a difficult time,' Christian said vaguely, taking a piece of toast to eat as a distraction.
'But you wouldn't be angry? So why?'
The question just hung in the air. Christian wasn't inclined to answer on behalf of his lying boyfriend and Syed didn't want to answer because he knew whatever he said it could only cause more them to return to the arguments which had been dealt with months ago.
'Silence is golden,' Kelly sang with a bit of a giggle as she reached for the carton of orange juice. 'Empty,' she sighed.
'That's alright, Sy can get some on the way back from work, can't you babe?'
'Why can't she get some?' Syed hissed back.
'Sy, don't be like this,' Christian groaned. 'Just get the orange juice, yeah?'
Their eyes locked and Christian seemed to be daring him to refuse.
'Fine.' Syed admitted defeat. 'Fine. But if I come back and these dishes aren't washed I'm going to be furious.'
'When am I supposed to do them?' Christian asked irritably. 'I've got clients all day.'
'Well, if only there was someone here with nothing to do all day.'
Christian sighed heavily. He was beginning to get fed-up with Syed's constant jibing at Kelly. Why couldn't he see that Kelly was important to him and that he didn't want to drive her away?
'She'll probably be busy looking for jobs,' Christian leapt to her defence easily.
'On the internet again?' Syed directed the question at Kelly but her valiant protector answered first.
'If that's the best place to look.'
'You're deluded,' Syed hissed at him and left the flat without another word.
'Sorry about him,' Christian said to Kelly. 'I think he's having a bad morning.'
Syed stormed through Albert Square feeling more angry than he had for a while. It was just typical, Christian and he would be just getting their relationship back on track and suddenly, something had to fall into the middle of it and attempt to rip them apart. Kelly was just another in a long list; his mother, Roxy, Amira. She'd fail, just like the rest of them. He was sure of that.
Then he spotted it; The Argee Bhaji. It had never looked so beautiful or so opportunistic as it did right now. He turned on the spot and marched towards it. He spotted his target as soon as he slid through the door.
'Tamwar,' he grinned. 'How's my favourite brother?'
'How does Kamil feel about you saying things like that?'
'He still thinks dad's job is part-postman, part-superman. It's fine,' Syed answered quickly, putting his hand on Tamwar's shoulder and pulling his sweetest smile.
'What do you want?'
'I need a favour.'
Tamwar said nothing. He didn't need too. He knew Syed would spill the beans eventually and he did. Tamwar's eyes widened at his brother's proposition but he agreed to it reluctantly and the two shook.
Syed thought this was turning into a better day than he'd originally imagined.
Christian knew Syed had been cooking when he opened the front door to the flats. The smells of korma and tikka were wafting right down the corridor. He grinned to himself. He liked it when Syed played house-husband and cooked a good feast from his homeland. Whatever Syed said, it was better than Christian's chilli, pasta, tomato concoction, which never tasted the same twice and had probably never included the same ingredients.
He opened the door quietly and peeped around. Lady Gaga was playing and Syed was bobbing along to the tune as he threw some more spices into the bowl. He had no real sense of rhythm, but Christian didn't mind. He snuck up behind him and wrapped his arms around Syed's waist. The younger man jumped.
'Only me,' Christian breathed in his ear. Syed grinned and leant back into his boyfriend's chest. 'What's brought all this on?'
Syed turned and beamed up at Christian. 'I think I've found the solution to all our problems,' he smiled.
'Korma?'
'No,' Syed chuckled, wriggling free just in time to turn one of the pans down. 'Here,' he said, dipping a spoon into the pinkish-red sauce and blowing on it for a second. 'Try this.'
Christian obliged.
'Mmm, delicious,' he grinned, which made Syed's lips curl up in a smug grin. Christian had the urge to kiss it away. He didn't have the urge to stop kissing. In fact things were just starting to get a little heated, when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. The two men spun around to see Kelly stood at the table, having finally stumbled from her room.
'Should I go out for a while?' she asked, raising an eyebrow in bemusement.
'No, no,' Christian chuckled. 'We were just getting a bit carried away.'
'It's a good job you're here really,' Syed agreed, though he didn't seem quite so genuine. 'I think we were just getting to point where I was going to abandon the food.'
Christian raised his eyebrows suggestively and wondered if maybe he could go back on telling Kelly she didn't have to leave but Syed was already starting to dish up.
'Set the table will you,' Syed had looked at Kelly when he'd said it but nobody had expected her to actually do anything. Christian quickly cleared the table of car keys and letters and all the other stuff that didn't have a place and helped Syed move the dishes from the counter to the table.
They all took their first mouthfuls and Christian complimented Syed on how it was: 'Delicious.'
'Mm,' Kelly nodded. 'Grand.'
'So what's all this in aid of?' Christian asked.
'Huh?' Kelly looked up from her food.
'Syed says he's got the answer to all our problems,' Christian beamed, reaching a hand across the table and taking Syed's.
Syed smiled back at his boyfriend, clinging to his hand tightly. He had a feeling Christian might not be so happy once he'd spoken.
'Er, I've found you a job,' Syed beamed at Kelly. Just as he expected, Christian's hand retracted immediately. He didn't need to look at him to know he was disappointed. He could feel it radiating from him.
'You what?' Kelly asked. Her fury was obvious in her eyes but her body language managed to hide it well. Christian would be none the wiser, Syed was sure of that.
'At the Argee Bhajee,' he continued, refusing to meet Christian's eye. 'I know the owner and you said you were looking for somewhere so, I thought I'd help.'
His eyes flicked to Christian but the older man didn't look angry as he'd expected. In fact, he was smiling straight at him and mouthed; 'thank you.' Before turning to Kelly and saying:
'You can stop trawling the internet for hours now,' he beamed.
'I don't really know if I want to work in a restaurant,' Kelly said and Syed couldn't help but smirk. He was sure that inside, she was trying not to explode with anger. She'd been alright whilst Syed and Christian were divided on this topic but now she had nowhere to run. She'd have to take this job, they both knew it.
'Maybe not eventually, but it's a great place to start,' Christian insisted, taking Syed's hand again. 'And once you've got a job, it's much easier to get another one.'
'I've never worked in a restaurant.'
'Well, Sy works there sometimes,' Christian grinned, as he looked between them both.
'Yeah,' Syed nodded. 'I'll be able to keep an eye on you.'
Kelly just scowled back. She was sure that this stupid little man would love nothing more than to "keep an eye on her." He'd crossed the line now. He'd been annoying before, constantly nagging at her to do something but now … actually getting her a job. That was enough. She'd had enough. She wanted him gone.
'So, Christian and Syed….'
That was all Kelly had said. She'd just said it to the right person. In was fifteen minutes since she'd spoken but she'd learnt so, so much. The first thing she'd learnt was that, on some level, Roxy was still in love with Christian, the second thing was that Syed was basically the bane of her life. They weren't the important bits, they weren't the bits she could work with. Everything else was golden. Syed's relationship with his family had been strained, Syed's reluctance to adopt, his inherent homophobic concerns that left him always pulling in a different direction to Christian's gay-rights, out and proud outlook on life. And then there was the age gap, Christian was moving faster than Syed on all levels.
'Syed's a weed,' Roxy finished, downing that glass of wine and calling for another. 'Christian's so boring now! But,' she beamed suddenly over Kelly's shoulder. Kelly turned to see her dad walking towards them, 'he's promised me a big night out tonight.'
'Syed won't be happy about that?' Kelly questioned.
'Probably not,' Roxy laughed. 'Christian!'
'You're drunk,' he smiled.
'And you're playing catch-up,' she insisted, calling the barman for two more glasses of wine and pointing that he should give them to Christian.
'Aww, babe,' he groaned. 'I can't tonight.'
'What!' Roxy seemed immediately sober. 'What do you mean you can't Christian? We've been planning this for weeks.'
'I know, but Sy and I have finally got the house to ourselves,' he whined.
Kelly rolled her eyes. Clearly they hadn't forgotten that tonight was her first shift a the Bhajee.
'Which reminds me,' Christian continued to Kelly. 'You'd better get going or you'll be late. Sy's there, he wanted to help you settle in.'
'Checking up on me more like,' Kelly groaned. 'He's like a wee spy.'
'He's just worried about you,' Christian chuckled. 'Go on.'
Kelly scowled but relented eventually and sulked her way out of the pub and down the road to the Indian restaurant.
'Kids,' Christian rolled his eyes as he watched the door swing shut behind her.
'Drink,' Roxy countered, pushing a glass into his hand.
'I can't,' he smiled gently, placing the glass back on the bar.
'Just one,' she insisted. 'Syed won't be home yet if he's helping Kelly settle in. Please. Please. Please. Please. Pleeeeeeease, with a pink cherry on top.'
Christian looked down at his best friend, puling what was the most ridiculous attempt at a pleading face and sighed.
'Alright,' he nodded. 'One.'
'So this is the special of the day if anyone asks. Always make sure you smile and are polite and don't….' Tamwar watched Kelly playing with her hair and looking at the floor and finished: 'Feed anyone to the giant squid.'
Kelly didn't react and the two brothers looked at each other.
'Kelly,' Syed snapped. She looked up. 'Are you listening?'
'Aye,' she lied.
'What was Tam talking about?'
'Something about squid,' she shrugged. 'Wait, it's the special of the day.'
Tamwar twitched nervously before pushing a jug of water into Kelly's hands and saying, 'just go and make sure everyone has plenty of water.'
'Yes, sir,' she saluted, turning on the spot and sloshing water over the side of the jug.
'Brilliant,' Tamwar muttered under his breath, turning on his heels and making his way back to the counter.
'I'm so sorry Tambo,' Syed sighed, as he walked with his brother and leant on the counter. 'It won't be for long, I promise.'
'Yeeeah,' Tamwar drawled. 'You say that.'
'Sorry.'
'Can you just go and fix the barrels for the soft drinks before you go? We're only getting soda water at the moment.'
'I have to get back to Christian.'
Tamwar shot him with an expression that read "you owe me" and Syed quickly changed his tune.
'Back in a sec,' he said, slipping his jacket from over his shoulders and leaving it over the counter, an action that wasn't missed by his Irish step-daughter.
'I really have to leave,' Christian insisted, as he finished his beer.
'One more,' Roxy begged, clinging desperately to the front of his jacket.
'No,' he laughed. 'I shouldn't have even had one.'
'Go on! Lover-boy won't mind.'
'He will if I'm late.'
Just then, his phone beeped loudly in his pocket.
'Oh that's probably him, the fun-warden,' Roxy frowned. 'Asking where you are?'
Christian said nothing, he just got the phone out from his pocket. Sender; Syed. Roxy was probably right then, Syed had just got home to find the place empty. He opened it. "Stuck at Bhajee," it read. "Won't be back til late. S xxxx"
'Babe. Babe,' Roxy said, rubbing his arm. 'Babe, what's up? You look like someone's slapped you.'
'I'm fine,' Christian said, shaking himself out of his immediate slump and sitting back on the stool. 'Alfie,' he called to the landlord, 'two white wines please.'
'One bottle, two glasses?'
'Two bottles, no glasses,' Christian replied, with a cheeky smirk.
'Wooooooooooooo!' Roxy yelled, her hands going up in the air in delight. 'That's what I'm talking about. Welcome back to fun, Mr Clarke!'
He was filthy. Brilliant. All he wanted to do was enjoy a nice meal and watch the television curled up on the sofa with Christian, but now he was covered in grease and unnameable muck.
'It's horrible down there,' Syed groaned, wiping his filthy hands on his destroyed jeans.
'I know,' Tamwar smiled weakly. 'It hasn't been cleaned in a while.'
'You need to start running this place better.'
'Well, maybe I could if I didn't have to take on people who are useless,' he nodded to Kelly who was at this point failing to answer the simple customer question of "where are the toilets?" 'I wouldn't mind,' Tamwar continued, 'but she's spent the majority of her shift so far, hiding in the toilets.'
Syed just smiled and then went to the end of the counter.
'Hey,' he called. 'Where's my jacket? I left it right here.'
'Oh, I got Kelly to hang it up on the coat stand.'
'Yeah,' Kelly nodded, coming over when she heard her name. 'It's by the door.'
'Thanks,' Syed smiled in a way that looked almost like it was causing him physical pain.
'No bother,' she beamed.
The hours dragged by. The takeaway pizza that Syed had ordered had gone cold and most of it had been thrown away. The bottle of white wine he'd picked up for Christian had stayed firmly in the fridge. The sofa felt a little too big to be sprawled out on his own and the house felt a little too empty. He kept checking his phone but there were no messages, not an apology or even an explanation. He sighed and slammed his phone on the table. The television became more and more dull as the hours went by and eventually, he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.
The slamming of the front door finally woke him. He checked the time on the TV, 11.15pm.
'Better late than never,' he said, turning around to see Kelly stood in the doorway.
'Where's Christian?' she asked.
'Out,' Syed answered, without missing a beat.
'Out where?'
'Just picking up some things.'
'Other men?' Kelly quipped. Syed shot her a furious stare and she muttered; 'that wasn't funny. Sorry.' She didn't look sorry. 'Did you enjoy your night in together?' she continued brightly.
'Yeah,' he lied, he'd turned away from her by then, so he didn't see her smirk.
'What time did Christian get back from the pub?'
'Pub?' Syed asked, turning around immediately and glaring at the girl.
'Yeah. I saw him there before my shift,' she smiled innocently. 'With Roxy.'
Syed jumped to his feet, grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the house, leaving Kelly to chuckle to herself.
'We're soooooo ooooooold,' Roxy drawled as the two staggered out of The Vic and down the street. 'I can't believe our night is ending at….' She grabbed Christian's arm and glared at his watch. The numbers wouldn't stand still long enough for her to read them so she gave up and whined: 'it's still early. We should be heading into a club.'
'I can't,' Christian slurred. 'I have to get home to Sy.'
'Now you think of me,' Syed's voice interrupted them. He was storming down the street towards them.
'Uh-oh,' Roxy giggled and Christian giggled too. It was funny. God he was drunk. "Uh-oh" was funny, he was drunk, and his boyfriend was geared up for a row.
'I'm glad you're laughing,' Syed continued. 'Because I'm not. I've been sat in the house waiting for you for hours. No texts, no phone calls. I should have known you'd be out with … her,' he spat the final word like an insult as he pointed at her in a way that reminded Christian of Zainab.
'Hey!' Roxy cried indignantly.
'Hey,' Christian said firmly. 'I was just having a couple of drinks while you were at work.'
'I wasn't there long,' Syed cried. 'I was looking forward to having a night with just you. Without … distractions.' He glanced to Roxy and again and she burst into laughter.
'I think he means me,' she cackled.
'We never get to be just us anymore,' Syed whispered. His voice cracking as he fought off the tears. 'I just thought that….' He wiped his face with his sleeve. 'Never mind,' he gulped. 'It doesn't matter.' He turned and walked off. Christian had made his choice.
'Sy,' Christian whispered, reaching his arm out after him.
'Christian,' Roxy moaned, dragging him back. 'Come on. Let's go to a club.'
Christian watched Syed's retreating figure and looked back to Roxy, who was bouncing up and down chanting; 'club, club, club, club, club.'
It was like having the choice between a good night out or an argument and his alcohol-addled mind could only see one reasonable outcome. He turned to Roxy grinned and joined in her chanting.
'Club, club, club, club, club, club!'
'Find him?' Kelly asked, when she heard someone come through the door. She looked up and saw Syed's face, covered in tears. The man looked broken. 'Are you alright?' she asked and she was genuinely concerned.
'I'm fine,' Syed sighed. 'It's just sometimes…. Sometimes, I think me and Christian are too different to really make this work.'
'Well, yeah,' Kelly nodded. 'He's a club-boy, he likes to go out and get drunk and crazy and you like to eat pizza and watch television.'
'I didn't think it would matter,' Syed continued, as though he hadn't heard her. 'I thought he'd choose me over clubbing, like I chose him over my family. But….' He shook his head firmly. 'I'm going to bed,' he muttered.
'Night,' Kelly called after him.
She'd won. She knew she'd won but it was strange, because seeing Syed so upset didn't really feel like a victory. She felt cold inside and she didn't understand it. She'd broken her mother's relationships up in the past when she didn't like the guy her mother was planning to make her forth or was it fifth husband and never had she seen either person involved look as upset as Syed had then. For a moment, she wondered if she was doing the right thing trying to rid him from Christian's life. After all, hadn't Roxy said something about giving up everything for each other but then she really thought about it and she knew that they'd both be over it soon enough and Christian would have a new fiancé soon enough, maybe this one would have the sense to leave her alone.
Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading :)
