“Yes, Nate. Still gay.”
“Good,” Nathaniel replied, immediately.
Brooke might not know him anymore, but she knew the look on his face. He had always seemed to be the more rebellious of the two of them. As a child, he was more willing to steal a cookie before dinner, he would come home with B’s and even C’s on his schoolwork with a shrug and an ambivalence that Brooke couldn’t even imagine. It was almost funny how things had turned out.
“Here’s the thing. I don’t care. That is to say, I don’t mind. You can love who you want. I just want to know you. And I want you happy and healthy, and preferably in my life. We’re adults now. Fuck mother and fuck father, too.”
Brooke’s eyes did water over then. She wiped at her tears aggressively with the backs of her hands.“Nathaniel, I just don’t know.”
“Look, if you’ve got a girlfriend or wife or partner or lover or person that you hook up with on Tuesdays, I want you to bring her too. And wear a tux. If you’re into that. If you prefer dresses, obviously, wear a dress.” He took a deep breath, cutting off his own ramble.“I’m trying to say: I wantyouthere, B. I don’t want a version of you that mother and father can tolerate for a few days. I want to know you. I want you to know Mel. B, I… I want you to know me.” Nathaniel sighed, long and heavy.“I’ve grown up without you, B. I don’t want to know you’re out there and just not know you. Not any longer.”
A small sob escaped Brooke’s throat. It was everything she had craved hearing from her family for so long. She took a moment to compose herself. Nathaniel waited patiently, the silence not awkward, but thoughtful. Another kindness shown by her brother this morning.“Does mother know you’re inviting me?”
“I’ll deal with mother,” Nate said, his voice firm and grown. When he had been a small boy, Brooke would always take the blame for his misdoings. Whether it was breaking a lamp whilst playing football in the house or the time he traded a priceless artifact for a bag of crisps because he was hungry at school and he had taken the artifact for show and tell at the last moment when he had forgotten to prepare anything.
“Can I consider it? Or do you need a firm answer now?” Brooke really needed to think about this. This whole conversation was in need of a good mental and emotional processing.
“You can consider it, of course. I can text you all of the information. You can check flights and all that. Of course when you’re here, you’ll be more than welcome to stay with us. We have plenty of room.” He was rambling again. Just like he always did. Brooke was so glad that hadn’t changed.“Oh, and B?”
“Yes, Nate?”
“Please bring your partner. I want to know all of you, seriously.”
Brooke didn’t have it in her to correct him right now. He didn’t need to know she was single and had been for a long time. He didn’t need to know that she had been pining over the same woman for almost a year and could still barely form a complete sentence around her. She should just go alone. Or maybe she could just ask her best friend, Vivienne, to go with her. Sure they had known each other since boarding school, but maybe they could play it off as childhood friends to lovers. She would just have to approach the subject tomorrow at their weekly dinner.
“Thank you for calling me, Nathaniel.” Brooke’s breath caught, fear slicing right back through her, but she pushed on and asked the question she needed to ask.“Can we please keep in touch?”
“Oh, B, please brace yourself for weekly calls and daily texts. Even if you can’t make it to the wedding. I meant it, I want you in my life.”
Brooke hadn’t smiled this fully in a long time.“Thank you, little brother.”
Nate laughed.“Of course, sister.” An unsteady silence rolled in like a heavy fog.“I love you, B. Happy Sunday.”
“I love you, too, Nate.” The call ended and immediately, the dam that was holding back Brooke’s emotions burst.
Brooke was the first to arrive for her weekly dinner with her two best friends at their favorite restaurant, La Fourchette. She had seen an article in the Sunday paper about the restaurant just over a year ago. The accompanying photo spread was one that showed off several dishes as well as the rather stunning owner and head chef, Anna Fourchette. She was classically beautiful, like Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The black and white newspaper photos did nothing but help accentuate that fact. When Brooke had realized that the name of the restaurant was clever word play on the very attractive owner’s last name, she had been all the more enticed to try it out. She hadn’t expected Ms. Fourchette to be so active in serving the customers herself. She also hadn’t expected Anna to have a smile that lit up the whole building. Brooke was gone from the second their eyes had met. Fortunately, the food had also been incredible and it hadn’t taken any convincing on her part to get her friends to agree to return every week.
“Brooke, hi,” Anna called out from behind the counter. The restaurant had an open kitchen concept. Anna had told them once that it was so she could remain involved with the guests, even while she was cooking.
Brooke just loved that that meant she got to watch Anna cook. She blushed, as she did every Monday. Anna greeting her was the highlight of her week. She could hardly manage to hold a conversation with her, but she loved the way her name sounded in Anna’s voice.“Hello, Anna.” Brooke managed.
Brooke was a computer engineer and worked from home for the most part, but on Monday’s she always tried to dress to impress. Today was no different. She had worn her nicest navy dress pants and a freshly ironed white button down. She had pulled her long dark hair back into a bun, her trademark style. She should really learn how to do something else with it.
Anna scanned the restaurant, clearly looking for one of her employees. Brooke followed her gaze. The bus boy was busy clearing a different table. So, Anna quickly moved to clear Brooke’s usual spot–the table closest to the kitchen. Not for any particular reason or anything. Anna smiled, a wide beautiful smile as she gestured for Brooke to take her normal seat.
Brooke waited for Anna to move back around to the other side of the half wall that separated the seating area from the kitchen, before she sat down. She watched as Anna deposited the previous patrons' dishes by the dish washer’s station and then washed her hands before coming back over to where Brooke was seated.
“How’s your Monday going?” Anna asked, leaning down and resting her weight on her forearms. She looked a little tired, if Brooke was honest. Her usually bright eyes were a little subdued today.
Brooke refused to let her eyes drop. Anna was particularly well endowed in the chestal region, and Brooke always did everything in her power to not look. She smiled, a small, nervous, tight lipped smile.“It’s fine. And you?” She hoped Anna would tell her what was really on her mind, but Brooke had never given her a real reason to open up.
Anna smiled at her. She had gotten a haircut, Brooke noticed. Her long dark waves were now cut into a long-bob. It was brilliant. It framed her face perfectly, highlighting her high cheekbones and full lips.“Good, it’s always a good day when my favorite customer comes in.”
Brooke’s blush was probably painfully obvious. She didn’t let her eyes leave Anna’s, too afraid of where they might drift.“You’ve cut your hair,” she said softly. It was probably the longest sentence she had ever managed.
She couldn’t help but notice the way that a subtle blush crept across Anna’s cheeks, the way her long eyelashes practically fluttered.“I did. You’re the first person to notice.” Anna’s deep brown eyes carried a softness about them. She reached out and let her hand give a gentle squeeze to Brooke’s forearm.“What do you think?” she asked, removing her hand and using it to flip her shorter hair at the ends.
Brooke swallowed nervously, but she nodded.“It suits you.”
