Charthur: Part II

Susan nodded. ”We would’ve! Those are the types of friends I need in my life!” She said. She glanced at her brother when Olivia responded to the party video, wagging her finger and teasing him by implying she wouldn’t have been as nice.

Arthur flushed, darkly. He could remember the party, still, even though he tried to pretend he couldn’t. He didn’t know why he let himself make out with her of all people at the time. And Amy had recorded it. Fucking Amy. When his sister saw it Arthur felt he was going to die but when Chardonnay’s father saw it he wanted to kill himself. It was so embarrassing and his cheeks were now a full shade of red. ”I – yeah,” he mumbled, dreading what would’ve happened had Olivia been there as well. Thomas had actually taken it in stride – which shocked Arthur – but if she’d have been worse? Arthur would have been shocked.

Though when she complimented him and said he had a good head on his shoulder and that they had been adults he felt his ears begin to join his face. He hid behind his coffee, giving Olivia a small nod. Right. How far they’d come from making out on the couch at some idiot’s frat party. Thomas saw the good in him then? Arthur took a long sip of his coffee. Well. They’d done far more than kiss in the latter years, for ten years, and had kept it from the two of them. While it was no one’s decision but their own, he did feel somewhat bad that they’d been fooling around without any commitment or promise.

But… hadn’t they had that? A commitment, an unspoken one? They didn’t go in public but they didn’t see anyone else. They took care of each other, when they had to or were down. It was a very weird relationship for those ten years.

He decided to listen to Olivia’s story to district himself with that. He didn’t really know Chardonnay’s parents that well, but he liked the way Olivia talked about her husband. It was sweet, there was real love there. He wondered how Chardonnay was the way she was, so reluctant to love, when she had such an idea example of it in front of her. His lips tilted into a smile, and Susan beside him looked like she was proud, giggling at all the right parts of Olivia’s story.

”He’s a good man. You know what they say! When you find a good man, keep him!” Susan said, wishing she’d had good luck finding one of those. She looked at the ring on Olivia’s finger, happy for her friend, but also a little envious. ”I wish I could’ve gotten married. It would’ve been so much fun! But all the good men my age are taken or gay,” she sighed. ”In my youth I had so many boyfriends!”

Susan hummed. ”Oh, yes! It’s not, but sometimes it really feels like it is! My daughter’s in High School now. High School! But thank you! I think I look quite lovely for my age – many of my students have crushes on me, or so I hear.”

She laughed when Olivia mentioned finding her soulmate in college, and caught the look she flashed Arthur. She glanced at her brother as well, who looked startled at the wink before he blushed completely red and looked down into his coffee, his brows twitching together. It was a hard expression to read but Susan could tell he was squirming.

Maybe they would work out. Though, from what Arthur had told her lately, she didn’t know. But then the way they’d parted at the hospital made her think – hope – that maybe they’d work out. She could tell her brother cared about Chardonnay, she could see it in the way he worried and talked about her. She didn’t want her brother to get his heart broken, leaving him with only a child. It would be a cruel twist of fate if that happened to the both of them.

Fortunately for Arthur the waitress returned then and he gave his order, and the subject of college soulmates dropped. He still couldn’t help but think about it, though, even as Olivia mentioned Susan’s dating history.

He had never liked the concept of soulmates, really. As much as he loved romance – and had always been a romantic – he thought there were different forms of love. You could grow to love someone based on instance, not necessarily some mysterious string of fate bringing you together. Though some would argue about he and Chardonnay’s relationship involving a lot of coincidence and intervention, he knew that they’d both wanted it. They’d both made the conscious decision to hook up, repeatedly. So was it fate? He didn’t know; he hoped that he’d be with Chardonnay for a while.

But when he pictured the future, he couldn’t really see her wanting motherhood, a marriage, a family. He didn’t know where the future would go, or if she’d remain in his. Maybe she’d be in their daughter’s life, but not his.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Susan’s loud laughter. He glanced between Olivia and Susan.

”Oh, hardly! Arthur’s always been overprotective of me. Like a little guard puppy. You should’ve seen him at 10! Oh my Gosh, when I’d bring my boyfriends home, he hated them! This one man he bullied so much, he got him to buy a nice steak dinner for Arthur before he threw it all into the trash just to spite him! What a little brat he was!”

”That guy was trying to buy his way into your pants. I only feel bad about wasting the chef’s time making the meal.” Arthur grumbled. Susan snorted.

”And he was never very nice to Kasper, either.” Susan’s laugh faded to a sigh, and Arthur stiffened. ”Though in the end, maybe he was the worst of the lot. But he didn’t deserve Arthur’s hatred at first.” Susan grinned at Olivia. ”I was quite the little flirt in school, too, I think I had a new boyfriend every month. They got so boring after a while. Most men don’t keep my attention!”

Arthur shrugged, and Susan giggled.

”Yup. He’s always been like a little guard dog. It got to the point I just stopped introducing him to my boyfriends.” She laughed, remembering the look on her brother’s face when, years later, he found out she’d still be dating around after all. Arthur glanced at Olivia.

”Well, it’s not uncommon for brothers to be protective,” He said, clearly he was a big example. Susan nodded when Olivia said she was better off without Kasper, smiling. It still stung to think about sometimes, but she felt that she was mostly over it. She felt more sorrowful for her daughter, growing up without her father, than she felt for herself by this point.

Susan laughed and leaned back. ”I was just so bored by all the boys! It was never any fun to go out with them. I need someone wild, athletic, and at peace with nature!” When Susan implied a saucy evening with said man, she waggled her brows. ”Ooooh, now that’s a camping trip I’d want to go on.”

”Ew.” Arthur deadpanned, clamping his hands over his ears childishly. ”I do not want to hear about you having sex.”

”Oh, stop being a big baby Arthur, you’re almost thirty,” Susan stuck her tongue out at him. ”He acts so mature but he’s such a brat. Going back to sex under the stars, now that is a perfect honeymoon idea! Or an anniversary date idea!”

Susan beamed. ”Oh, I hope so! I hope I can find a cute man somewhere! All anyone on Tinder wants is sex, and all the people on those match sites are boring and so sheltered! I just want to meet someone wild!” She said.

At Arthur’s comment and Olivia’s retort, Susan snorted. Arthur flushed even darker, knowing he couldn’t deny anything or say anything to that. It was so difficult to be teased about having sex by the mother of the woman he had sex with Especially when they’d been hiding it for a decade. It was so weird.

”Yeah, I have, and I know you both have, but it’s not really something I want to discuss over dinner. It’s just… that’s my sister. It’s basically the equivalent to talking about my mom having sex.” Arthur said. Susan smirked, shrugging her shoulders.

”Yes, I want to have some intense camping sex! That sounds more my alley than these boring guys on Tinder.” She said. She stuck her tongue out at Arthur. ”Yes, it is natural! Grow up, Artie!”

Ignoring Arthur’s plea to dismiss the discussion, Susan turned towards Olivia. ”I tried Tinder for a while, and Match.com. But all the people on there are either really antisocial or desperate for a quick match of sex. And I’m not looking to fool around with anyone. I just want something real, long term, and that makes me happy. I joke about a rich man, but he doesn’t have to be rich. I just want him to love me!”

”Oooh! That’s so cute! I love it! Just sneaking away to be together after college graduation? That’s so relationship goals if I’ve ever heard them!” Susan said brightly. She remembered the boyfriend she’d had before their parents died; he’d been the closest to a long-term man she’d ever had, though he wasn’t prepared to help her raise a young boy or give up the ability to see his girlfriend more than once a week. She shifted slightly, folding her legs a different way.

”I get that! It’s so much easier in the city because then you can meet up somewhere public. Like at a café or park. Believe me, a lot of people don’t quite match up to their photographs.” She said. When Olivia told her that the other guys didn’t deserve her and nodded. ”Exactly! Ooooh, yes! Send those hot boys my way! As long as they’re sweethearts with a good job, that is! I don’t want to date a scrub!”

Arthur hid behind the dessert menu, checking his phone quickly. He saw no texts and sighed, turning to look at the kitchen. He saw their waitress plaiting what looked like their meals, and sat up straighter.

”I think she’s coming over with our food.” He said. Susan perked up and hummed, seeing the delicious plate of steak and eggs she’d ordered.

Susan agreed to go on a double date if she ever got a boyfriend – she even suggested (though she was shout down by Arthur) – a triple date with he and Chardonnay. Arthur shook his head at Susan’s pout, though it a short-lived because she was distracted by the food. She had gotten the steak and eggs over easy, and Arthur had gotten a plate of the 4-dollar pancakes with some bacon on the side. The conversation subsided into easier topics between bites of food. No dessert was ordered, and when it came time to pay, Arthur tried to take the check before Olivia offered. He tried to insist, but since Olivia already had her payment ready when the server returned, he lost. Arthur always hated being treated by others when he could treat them but he took it in stride, thanking Olivia. Susan put up much less of a fight, and giggled at Arthur trying to pay.

”For someone so cheap, you sure want to treat people a lot,” she pointed out, which granted her a gentle kick to the shin. Arthur stacked his dishes then stood up, checking his phone. It was nearly 7. Almost time for visiting hours.

He put his hands into his pockets, thanking Olivia for dinner, as Susan nodded. ”I’ll just stop by the bathroom really quickly! I’ll meet you at the car. Don’t you dare drive away!” She grabbed her purse and headed towards the restroom. Arthur held the door for Olivia when she followed him outside, and unlocked his car. Once outside, with Susan away, Arthur felt a guilt nagging in his brain.

Why didn’t either of you ask me, he had said, Don’t you know your own goddamned daughter?!


”…hey, Mrs. Nicholas,” He spoke up, fiddling with his keys. He’d yet to open his door. He could remember her face, now that the anxiety had passed. She’d been angry, hurt, and concerned for Chardonnay. Just as he had been, and yet, he’d screamed at her. ”I uh… I know it’s… well.” He cleared his throat and looked at the hood of his car. ”I’m sorry for yelling at you after I showed up yesterday. I know you know her better than I do, I shouldn’t’ve implied you didn’t. I just… lost my temper.”

Arthur glanced over at Olivia when she began to speak, thankful she wasn’t still mad or dwelling on that. He knew he was right – that they shouldn’t have done this – but he couldn’t blame them.

”It’s… not that what you did was bad or something grandmothers shouldn’t do, but Chardonnay, she…” he trailed off, touching his arm quickly. ”She likes to do things by herself. She doesn’t like to let people in. It’s frustrating. But she’s not the most happy about this. In fact, she’s just frustrated and miserable and trying to get closer to her is… difficult.”

He glanced at his door, his hand on the handle. Hearing her mother’s words made him happy, in part, though he didn’t know how mutual the feeling was. Though when he doubted it he tried to remember how she’d acted when he came and found her. She felt bad for holding him back, for the kid – that was a form of care? And she could have ended things, he had said he’d support her regardless. ”But I don’t think she wants to hurt the kid. I think she does care, she just doesn’t know how to deal with it. I don’t know. It’s different than me, I’ve always wanted kids and a relationship, but…” he trailed off, guilt hitting him again, and he shook his head.

When she mentioned being far away, Arthur finally looked over at her. That was always a thing he worried about when they were just friends-with-benefits – everyone who she could rely on was so far away. Except for him. ”She really does love you two,” he said, catching the wave of sadness in Olivia’s expression. ”I know you’re far away, but you’re the most important people to her.”