I nod. My coworker Aaron and his girlfriend are hosting at her place, and Aaron invited us to come. It meant a lot to me that he included Charlie in the invitation because I wouldn’t have gone without him, and Charlie was thrilled at the idea. It will be good for us both to get out. Charlie hasn’t met my coworkers yet, and as long as he’s staying I want him to feel like he’s a part of my life, and he deserves to be involved in whatever events I have taking place. Besides that, I want him to get to know my friends. He’s important to me and I want them to know that.
“Ready?” I say. He nods.
We arrive twenty minutes later at Aaron’s girlfriend’s apartment, who I've learned is named Stephanie. It’s dark outside as we make our way up the stairs. The outside of the door is decorated in skeletons and pumpkins and the music is loud enough you can hear it from the hallway. Voices come from the other side of the door and I recognize Aaron’s before I see his face.
“Hey, you made it,” he says, a wide smile on his face. He’s dressed as a cop and I smile. It suits him. He looks me over and frowns. “Nice costume.”
“He’s going for the grumpy old man with a cat look,” Charlie pipes up, then holds his hand out for Aaron to shake. “I’m Charlie.”
Aaron smiles and takes Charlie’s hand. “And you would be the cat?”
Charlie smiles widely and nods. “Don’t be too jealous, darling. We can’t all be this magnificent.”
Aaron laughs and I smile as he waves us inside. “Come on, you have to officially meet Stephanie. And Carlos is here with his wife and son. You should introduce them to Charlie.”
Stephanie blushes when she meets me and apologizes for ogling me in the bar, but I smile and wave it off. She’s clearly got heart eyes for Aaron and it makes me happy to see. They look good together. I tell her I like her costume and she gives me a big grin. I never would have pegged her for a geek but she’s dressed as Princess Leia and she’s the spitting image of her, bun head and all.
My gaze moves around the apartment and can’t help but be reminded of Rachel with all the decorations. She loved switching out the decor in our house for the different holidays. Stephanie's place looks amazing. There’s paper ghosts, witches, skeletons, and pumpkins hanging from the ceiling and attached to the walls, and window clings on the sliding glass door. Halloween themed candy dishes sit on the counter tops and side tables. They really went all out. There’s even a pot of “witch's brew” which is actually punch, on the counter in a cauldron. All the snacks and treats are Halloween themed. There’s spider cookies, ghost pretzels, and eyeball cake pops. Damn, this girl can throw a party.
I turn to see that Charlie is nowhere in sight, but then I spot him across the room talking to Carlos’s son, Diego, who is dressed as a ninja. They’re laughing and seem to have hit it off already. I smile. Diego is a senior in high school and I’m hoping he and Charlie can be friends. He’s a good kid.
“Paul?” I hear and turn to see the last person I expected to see here tonight.
“Rachel?” I don’t hold in my surprise. “What are you doing here?” She’s dressed as an angel, complete with the halo and wings. I’m sure Colin is the devil, but I can’t find him.
“Stephanie was a recent client of mine. We got to be friends.”
“Where’s Colin?”
“Getting a drink.”
I nod. “Well, I think I’ll go find something to drink myself.” I take a step away but she grabs my arm.
“Wait, Paul, please.” My gaze meets hers and I shove my hands in my pockets. “I wanted to apologize for how I behaved at the restaurant last week. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was caught off guard. It wasn’t just the age difference that threw me, it was hearing that you were with a man, period, and I know I should be more accepting of that, and I’m trying. I’ve come a long way after everything that happened with Trey, you know that. In general I am okay with it, but I think it was so much more of a shock because it was you. Hearing that the man I was married to for almost twenty years is suddenly with a guy was kind of a lot to process, and then hearing two seconds later that the guy he’s with is nineteen, just kind of…” she takes a deep breath and lets it out. “I’m sorry, though, Paul. It doesn’t matter who you are with. Only that you are happy. It’s your life and your choices and I have to respect that. And you don’t owe me an explanation. And you were right, about what you said about Charlie. I should never have passed judgment on the two of you without having even met him. I’m still learning and growing but I’m trying to be better and do better.”
A knot that I hadn't realized I’d been carrying in my stomach unfurls and I wrap my arms round her in a tight embrace. “Thank you,” I say. “I understand how that news could have been hard for you.” I pull away and she’s smiling. “To be perfectly honest, I’m still trying to process it myself. It was never something I was keeping from you, I want you to know that, Rach. Charlie is the first man I have ever found myself being attracted to, and I can’t explain it, I just know it’s real.”
She rests her hand on my arm. “I’d really love to meet him, if that’s okay?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Be nice?”
“I’ll be the perfect angel.” She grins at me. I take her hand and lead her across the room to where Charlie is laughing with Diego still.
“Hey, Diego,” I say. “Good to see you again.”
“You, too, Paul,” he says.
“I see you’ve met Charlie.”
“Yeah, he’s been telling me about living with you. Sounds like torture.” He grins at me and I shake my head.
“You know my ex-wife, Rachel,” I say, and he nods and shakes her hand. I see Charlie’s eyes widen, and he swallows, standing up straighter. I chuckle. Somehow it amuses me that he and Rachel are the same height.
“Charlie, sweetheart, this is Rachel. She wanted to meet you.”
“Hello,” he says, holding out his hand. She takes it and smiles warmly.
“It’s nice to meet you, Charlie. I’m glad you could come tonight.”
