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Sarah opened the door, her face brightening as she saw Charlie's parents. "Hi! Hello, thank you for coming."
Charlie's parents stepped in, looking round the house. He had never been particularly sensitive to the differences between him and Nick as far as how much money their families had, but he could see on his mum's face that she was. She looked round her avidly as she was led through the house.
Stephane and David were on their feet, the TV off, by the time Charlie's family came into the room. Handshakes and introductions were exchanged. Charlie didn't miss the way Tori looked at David. She'd been very quiet about Nick's brother, but he could tell she didn't like David much. And the feeling appeared to be mutual.
"Come in, come in," Sarah said, smiling. "Charlie laid the table for us already. Such a lovely boy," she said to his mum. "Such good manners."
"Thank you." It was his mum's chilly voice. She didn't like that he knew his way around well enough to lay the table. Although that was one of his chores at home, had been since he was small, so he didn't think it was surprising that he might take it on here as well.
"Have a seat, please." Sarah gestured to the table. She picked up the bottle of wine Charlie's dad had brought and handed it to Nick's dad. "Stephane, would you mind?"
"Not at all." He deftly uncorked the bottle.
"Dav—" But David had already seated himself. Sarah turned to Nick, instead. "Will you help me with the food?"
"Of course, Mum." Nick cast an annoyed glance at his brother over his shoulder.
They were all seated and served, and everything was very quiet at first. Then Charlie's dad asked Stephane about France, and apparently that was all he needed to get started.
"I grew up in the south of France. Near Narbonne."
"Oh, yeah, yeah. Very near Spain," Charlie's dad said. "My father's from the south of Spain. Almeria."
"Oh, yeah. But your surname—it's so English."
Ah, the Spring family history. There was little Charlie's dad liked better to talk about, although not as often with people he'd just met. "Yeah, well, um … He always said that we had a rather complicated family tree."
"It's a long story," Charlie's mum added, laughing. Her real laugh, which was a good sign. "Do you visit often, Stephane?"
"As much as I can. My job, it keeps me very busy."
Charlie focused on his plate, on cutting his food carefully and precisely. One bite, he told himself. But he couldn't help looking up at Stephane, feeling angry on Nick's behalf. How could someone who was part of Nick's life be so uninterested in what an amazing, generous, caring person he was?
"I'm in property development," Stephane continued.
"You should see some of the places Dad renovates," David put in. "Insane." He grinned across the table at Nick. A reminder, Charlie thought, that Nick had never seen those places. Although Charlie still wasn't clear on how much of that was Stephane's choice and how much Nick's.
Stephane looked down at his plate for a moment. "Work isn't everything, you know? Although the pay does help."
Into the silence that followed Stephane's joke, which wasn't really a joke, David spoke up. "Dad, has Nick told you how he met Charlie?"
"No, he hasn't."
Next to Charlie, Nick looked up at his brother, alarmed. Tori glared at David, who grinned challengingly at Nick.
"Um … we got sat together in school, and then Charlie joined the rugby team."
"Oh. You play rugby, Charlie?" Stephane asked.
Smiling, Charlie shook his head. "I'm not very good."
His mum made a disapproving noise at that. She never liked him not to be good at things. Of course, she'd never seen him play, so she probably thought he was better than he was.
David took another swig of his beer. "Nick was obsessed with getting Charlie to join. Wonder why."
Nick put his knife and fork down. Charlie could feel the tension increasing in him.
Tori looked at David. "What is your problem?"
But Stephane was oblivious. "I played rugby when I was in university. It's a very attractive sport to women."
Considering that none of the rugby lads had girlfriends, Charlie rather doubted that was universally true.
Then Stephane asked the inevitable question. "Have neither of you boys found girlfriends?"
Nick looked down at his plate.
Charlie jumped in, forcing a smile. "No. I guess not."
"Ah, well. There's still time."
Sarah gave them both an understanding look. She seemed as uncomfortable as Charlie felt.
David couldn't let such an opening go unremarked. "Yeah, I'm not sure Nick's too interested in looking for girlfriends, really."
Across the table, Charlie saw Tori clamp her hand down on David's arm, fingers digging into his skin. "Don't you dare." He was so grateful for her. He really needed to tell her that.
Quietly but firmly, Sarah said, "David, be respectful, please, at the table. We have guests."
Stephane looked from David to Sarah and back, clearly not sure what was going on. Charlie's parents both had their heads down, not wanting to get involved with this family drama.
Next to Charlie, Nick said quietly, exasperated, "Why do you always do this?"
"I'm just trying to help."
Nick's knife and fork clattered to his plate. "Sorry, this is ridiculous." As he took a deep breath, everyone around the table held very still, waiting for his next words. He looked at his father calmly. "Dad, Charlie's my boyfriend. Surprise. I'm bi, he's gay, and I was actually really stressed out about how I was going to tell you, but you know what? I don't care what you think about it anymore. 'Cause you don't care to even see us more than two times a year." Charlie could hear from the quaver in Nick's voice what a strain it was for him to keep himself so controlled as he said these things, not to let the deep hurt they came from show.
To his credit, Stephane nodded. He looked away, unable to hold his son's gaze.
"And, you know, every time I do see you, I always think 'this is it'. 'This is the time when you might actually take an interest in my life', but … you never do. So if you don't care, then … then I don't care, either." He turned to look at his brother, his voice rising. "And I don't know why you're acting like you are ten years old, but your bullying just doesn't affect me anymore because, quite simply, I do not care. I like who I am. I like my life."
Sarah looked at him, a small smile crossing her face.
"Maybe you should stay with Dad next time," Nick finished. He got to his feet, pushing back his chair. He dropped his napkin on his plate. "Sorry, Mum." And he left the table.
A silence followed, broken by David, who laughed. "Just gonna let him talk to us like that?"
"Oh, David, be quiet. We've heard quite enough from you, thank you," Sarah told him.
"It's Nick that's making a scene. He's always causing a fuss." He started cutting his food again, the only one who seemed to have an appetite left. He cast a glance at his father. "Dad agrees."
Stephane looked at him. Quietly, his voice thick, he said, "You have not grown up into the man I had hoped you would be, David."
Sarah stared at him. "As if you have any right to say that. You barely see your children."
Charlie looked at his father, who nodded slightly, and then he got up and went after Nick. Whatever might happen at the table, Nick was his concern.