Chapter 10: Mashed Potatoes And Ham
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Janet Price was gorgeous woman. Her cheekbones could cut glass, she took Tyler in a light hug. She smelled like an expensive perfume and she wore an expensive looking sweater with some black pants. She wore an apron over it and it had flour and some other ingredients splattered across it. "Oh, Maggie dear could your take this and keep stirring please?"
"Of course ma'am." Maggie said with a smile and a thick Irish accent.
"My son hasn't stopped talking about you since May. 'Oh mom I met someone, oh he's perfect.' He wasn't wrong, you're so handsome." She pinched Tylers cheek while complimenting him.
"Thank you." Tyler said blushing. She seemed so kind, her energy so motherly. It put Tyler at ease. Some of his nerves at meeting the parents now melting away. "Clark speaks very highly of you." Clark leaned over and side hugged him. Her eyes were beaming, Clark got his eyes from her. They were so deeply and beautifully green Tyler almost thought they were real gemstones.
"You'll have to forgive me and the mess all over me. I was just helping with the dinner prep. Here, let's walk. I'll take you to your father." She directed this to Clark and took her apron off, giving a few final instructions to the kitchen staff. "This way." She smiled, escorting them down a hall. "He's been with your Uncle and some business partners he invited to dinner tonight all morning." She rolled her eyes.
"He just can't take a day off." Clark joked.
"Must be where you get it." Tyler poked him in the rib, reminding him of the call this morning. He hip bumped back with a chuckle.
"Those are my boys. Hard workers, daughter too. My children seemed to have inherited their fathers work ethic." Janet continued leading them through the gorgeous house. "They got my bone structure though, my eyes too."
"I noticed." Tyler agreed.
"We don't know how Clark ended up so tall, however. Thought there was a mix up at the hospital for years. He didn't look like either side of the family. His father is only six foot, my father was a short and stout man. It was quite the conundrum." The three reached a door, Janet opened it and inside were several men laughing and holding glasses of liquor. "Abraham, would you mind." She motioned to one of them. An older, balding man chuckled deeply as he turned to his wife.
"Ah, you'll have to excuse me gentlemen. My son and his boyfriend have arrived. I've been looking forward to meeting him. Clark won't shut up about him." The man placed his glass down on a desk and started walking toward them. he was wearing a black sweater and khakis.
"I don't talk about you
that
much." Clark said to Tyler.
"I assure you Tyler, he does." Janet rolled her eyes at her son.
"Tyler!" Abraham boomed with a wide smile. "Nice to meet you!" He pulled him into a strong hug. He was handsome, and his body was older, but Tyler could tell he was at one point just as muscular as his son. He had the body and hands of a man who had spent his early years working. A hard-earned body, Tyler respected him.
Tyler took the sight of Abraham in, thinking to himself:
This is what Clark will look like in thirty years.
Tyler hadn't thought of the future with Clark with any real weight until the last week or so. Now he was being shown it. Tyler could see himself and Clark greeting their children's future partner in a similar way. Clark laughing with his business associates, Tyler helping the staff cook the dinner. Or vice versa. He looked up at Clark and took him in.
I truly
do
love him.
He thought.
"Tyler? Did you hear me?" Janet asked him, pulling him from his visions of the future.
"Sorry, Mrs. Price. I was just thinking. I'm a little nervous you see." Tyler apologized for ignoring her.
"Oh, please call me Janet." She waved him off. "And I was just asking what it was you did again?"
"I, um, am a shift manager at
Jacks Steakhouse
." Tyler told them.
"Oh, on South Lamar? We love that place. Took Clark there for his birthday earlier this year." Abraham said.
"Yes, that's actually where we met." Tyler laughed. "I also do stand up. I just signed with Miezel Management." Clark squeezed Tylers side and smiled down at him. He stood relaxed next to him, his hand in his pocket.
"Oh, we built Jasons summer home a few years back. What a small world." Janet said.
"Yeah," Tyler said, an odd feeling buzzed in the back of his head. "small world indeed." Then for a second, Tyler felt something pulse inside him. It was gone in an instant, but he'd felt something.
"Are you okay son?" Abraham asked. Tyler must've let something show on his face.
"Uhm yeah. I think I'm just a little tired from the drive maybe." He lied.
"Maybe we should go lay down?" Clark offered.
"Maybe you should. I need to get back to the kitchen anyway." Janet smiled. "It was so lovely to meet you Tyler. We'll talk more once you get rested." She squeezed his shoulders in a light hug.
"Of course, it was great to meet you too." He replied.
"Take him up to one of the guest rooms Clark." Abraham offered as Janet walked back towards the kitchen.
"Oh, I just figured we'd share my room tonight." He insisted.
"Don't tell your mother." Abraham threw his hands up. "It was nice to meet you young man." He pulled Tyler into a hug and he felt the strange pulse again. Stronger this time, and just a moment longer. "My son is quite taken with you." Abraham informed Tyler as he pulled back from the hug.
"You raised a perfect gentleman." Tyler told him. "A good man."