Breadbowl

by Jeff Baker

“Soup’s on!” Chuck said, pushing the door shut with a foot as he brought in the two boxes the kid had just delivered.

“Cool!” Dimitri said from the couch.

Chuck set the two boxes down on the small table in the corner of his apartment and opened the lids. Steam rose up from both of them.

“You want plates or just the boxes?” Chuck asked.

“Boxes are fine! Plastic forks and knives too!” Dimitri said, unwrapping the little plastic package that came with the box. “I’m hungry!”

“Yeah! Same here,” Chuck said, plopping down in the chair opposite Dimitri. “I been working too hard. We both have!”

“Pasta in breadbowls,” Dimitri said. “Perfect!”

Dimitri and Chuck had met at the day shift at the warehouse. After a couple of after-work beers they had agreed to officially “go out,” but had agreed to stay “just friends.” Dimitri was dark-haired, short and muscular. Chuck had long reddish-blonde hair and was lean like a soccer player.

“Mmmph!” Chuck said after his first bite of the pasta. “Almost forgot!” He jumped up and ducked into the kitchen, coming back with two bottles of zero-calorie tea.

“Cheers!” Chuck said, raising his bottle.

“What are we celebrating?” Dimitri asked.

“Uhhh, Easter!” Chuck said.

“That was last week,” Dimitri said. “Of course, the one my family celebrates is in May.”

“Yeah,” Chuck said. Chuck didn’t have any family left except for some cousins out of state. Dimitri’s parents and sisters lived in the Northwest.

“Which one did you get?” Dimitri asked.

“Pasta Primavera.” Chuck said. “You?”

“Same.”

The laughed and kept on eating.

“You realize we’re making small talk don’t you?” Chuck said. “Like we’re on a date.”

“A first date!” Dimitri laughed.

“You remember our first date?” Chuck asked.

Dimitri grimaced. “Oh, God yes!”

“First and only date!” Chuck laughed.

Dimitiri nodded and broke off part of his breadbowl and dipped it in his pasta.

“We’ve known each other, what? Four-and-a-half years now?” Dimitri asked.

“Something like that,” Chuck said. “You know, that’s longer than my Mom and Dad were married.”

Dimitri nodded.

The two of them ate more and glanced out the window at the early evening sky.

“Staying lighter a lot longer.”

“Uh huh,” Chuck said. They ate some more.

“You know, we’ve got a better relationship right now than a lot of couples I know,” Dinitri said, finishing the last of his pasta.

“Yeah,” Chuck said. “Hey, do you ever wonder what would have happened if we’d, you know?”

The two young men stared at each other for a moment, then broke into broad grins and laughed.

“This is better,” Chuck said.

“A lot better!” Dimitri said.

“Hey, what’s on TV?” Chuck said.

“Lot of old re-runs,” Dimitri said.

“Better than watching the news!” Chuck said.

—end—