ODAAT: Volume 2, Chapter 13

 

New Additions

We were out at the bar when Crystal and Charlie got in from the airport. I open the front door, greeted by the smell of something divine. It's five in the morning, but Charlie is at the stove.

“Welcome home.” He greets, looking over his shoulder. I throw my coat towards the living room, walking further into the house.

“Don't make a mess.” Jared whines from behind me. I look over at him and shake my head. I look around when I get to the kitchen. Charlie has pots and pans everywhere and he's cooking.

“Are you making dinner?” I ask, groggily. He nods, looking over at me. I notice his eyes widen slightly when he looks past me. He's looking at the man closing the front door.

“Um.” He mutters, looking back to the stove. Crystal flies off the stool she was sitting on and towards the front door. Her arms wrap around Frankie's neck and she starts kissing all over his face.

“Why are you making dinner this early in the morning?” I ask Charlie, trying to figure out what I'm smelling.

“Well, I'm used to the other time zone. It's dinner time in Australia. And, I knew the two of you would be getting home from work.” He answers loosely. I had told Crystal over the phone that Jared was working at Reggie's now too. It gave him something productive to do with his spare time. Charlie still looks out of place, watching Crystal all over this man he's yet to meet.

“Charlie, this is Frankie. Frankie, Crystal's boyfriend.” I introduce, loosely motioning between them. Charlie lets out a deep breath. Apparently, he had been holding one in. He nods, smiling.

“Ah, you're the homeowner.” He comments. I nod, letting my head fall onto the top of the counter. Frankie only came to the bar for a drink, but there were so many people there. It was exhausting. Jared feels the same, I can tell. He's pulled out a stool and sat down beside me. His elbow is pressed into the top of the island, with his head resting on his hand. But his eyes are fluttering closed, like he's struggling to stay awake right now. Crystal takes Frankie's hand and leads him into the kitchen. She pauses, looking at Jared. She looks from him, back to Frankie, seeming confused.

“You're still here.” She observes, now letting her eyes fall on Jared. He laughs, shaking his head.

“No. No I'm not. I'm a figment of your imagination. In fact, we all are.” He argues. I push his shoulder, but the sudden movement causes his elbow to slip. He catches himself and looks over at me.

“No existential crisis. It's too early in the morning for that shit.” I remind him. He nods, but doesn't bother trying to say anything else. He's too tired for words. I look back at Charlie.

“What is that?” I ask, finally tired of the guessing game. He holds the frying pan in my direction. There's a delicious looking mixture and the smell instantly wakes me up. He's made tricolor spiral pasta with a homemade pesto sauce. I can see red and yellow peppers in the mix, as well as broccoli. There's a delicious smell of cheese, too.

“The chicken is still in the oven. But I'll be adding it in once it's finished cooking.” He explains, motioning down to the light. I nod.

“It smells so good.” I purr, watching him take the frying pan away. He laughs, shaking his head.

“It'll be ready soon. Don't worry.” He assures, briefly looking over. He puts the pan back on the stove and wipes his hands on the apron he's now wearing. We didn't have an apron. It's his. It says his name on the front. No doubt, a gift from his mother. She spends most of her time sewing, now that she's retired.

“It's nice to meet you.” He offers his hand in Frankie's direction. Frankie nods, shaking his head. He moves up on his toes and reaches into the cupboard above the fridge.

“There she is. Ah, what a beauty.” He sounds excited, pulling down a bottle of wine. I raise my eyebrow.

“When the fuck did you stash wine in the cupboard and why didn't I know about it?” I ask. He motions around the kitchen, placing the bottle in the middle of the island.

“The Realtor stored this here, as a welcome home. But, I never got here. And I didn't want to crack it without my girls.” He motions to Crystal. I nod, picking up the bottle. It's a bottle of red, Dominus Estate. It isn't aged long, but I think the Realtor picked something popular, not something vintage. He looks around the cupboards for wine glasses, but I start laughing.

“Frank, we don't have any glasses. We've barely settled in.” I remind him, motioning to the paper plates that Charlie is separating. Frank laughs, reaching past Charlie for the Styrofoam cups.

“It'll do.” He insists, lining the glasses in a row. He pours the wine into each cup, filling them halfway. Then he hands the glasses out to everyone, leaving the last one for Charlie.

“I'd like to propose a toast.” He starts, looking around the room. We nod, holding our glasses up. Charlie ignores his glass, instead taking the chicken out of the oven.

“To the upcoming New Additions tour.” He starts. I raise my eyebrow, looking over at Crystal. Her eyes have lit up brighter than I've ever seen and now she's bouncing in her seat.

“Are you saying what I think you're saying?” Her voice cracks as she asks. Frankie pauses, looking around the room. Charlie is cutting up the chicken and throwing it into the frying pan with the pasta. I watch him stir it all together, then he starts pouring the combination onto the plates. He hands each of them out, returning to the island with his wine glass. Frankie waits until everyone is sitting down, glasses in hand, before nodding in Crystal's direction.

“Oh my God.” She squeaks, clapping her hands together. I look to Jared, who seems just as confused.

“What is going on?” I ask, letting my tone convey how tired I feel. Frankie lifts his glass, without answering. We raise ours up to his and drink, then he finally says,

“We're expanding.” I'm not amused, crossing my arms.

“What exactly does that mean?” I repeat. Frankie shrugs.

“I said I wanted you on the album.” He volunteers and I nod.

“And Crystal seems to love the lifestyle.” He adds. I nod again. Crystal puts one of her hands on Charlie's lap, now that he's sitting beside her at the island. She's still bouncing in her seat.

“And?” I question.

“Well, you didn't expect that Crystal was going to stay here, did you?” He finally asks. I shake my head.

“No. I thought it was a given that she'd be coming on the tour. But, that's not what this is about.” I accuse, motioning around the table with a fork in my hand. Jared has been sitting quietly, just poking at the food on the plate in front of him. I think he's too tired to function and his brain shut off around three. But he wants to entertain the conversation and attempt to eat.

“And Jared wants to get back into music, I've heard.” He continues, pausing as Jared looks up from his plate.

“Am I coming?” He asks, suddenly tuning into the conversation. Frankie shrugs, leaning forward.

“If you want to, the option will be there for you.” He answers loosely. I nod, then my brain turns on.

“You mean we're already a part of the contract.” I guess. Frankie nods and Crystal squeaks again. Jared puts his fork down on his plate. I reach over and put my hand on his leg and he jumps slightly.

“You mean the girls are a part of the contract, or?” He asks softly. Frankie motions towards him.

“You too.” He corrects. Jared shakes his head, then starts laughing.

“You put me in your contract?” He asks, still needing clarification. Frankie nods, raising his glass again.

“Like I said, the New Additions.”