Trials, Temptation and Triumph Chapter 5.1 (Charlie/Shark, NC-17)
In which the Paces and the Murphys meet, prior to Liam's wedding.
For introduction and warnings see here.
Part 5 - Crisis
5.1 Meetings and Greetings
Wednesday 6th November 2002
After months of preparation and several days of frantic negotiation, the Paces and the Murphys finally met for the first time at Meg's house, a few days before Liam's wedding. Meg had allowed Karen's family a day to get over their jet lag, but then insisted that they come over for a roast dinner and get introduced to the family.
Rory came directly from work and found Charlie helping his mother with some last-minute preparations.
"Hi, love," said Charlie, leaning forward to kiss him while trying not to upset the tray of glasses he was carrying. "How was work?"
Rory shrugged. "Not so bad."
"Do you want a drink? You might as well - you're not going to be driving for a while."
"Aye, though it depends on what your father's got in."
Charlie's eyes twinkled. "Karen says her father drinks whisky so I made sure he got a decent malt."
Rory looked at the bottle on the sideboard and raised an eyebrow. He and Mike got on reasonably well, after a fashion, but he couldn't see Mike ever buying an eighteen-year-old Glenmorangie for himself or his son's boyfriend. He must really want to impress Mr Murphy. Still, Rory wasn't one to let an opportunity pass by, so he poured himself a generous measure and wandered through to the kitchen to see if there was anything he could do to help Meg.
"No, love, everything's under control," said Meg with a warm smile. "They should be here any minute, so the best thing you can do is go and sit down. You too Charlie."
"What about the gravy?"
"Biddy can do that as soon as she gets downstairs. Shoo, now. And no snogging on the sofa or your father'll have a heart attack." She wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing to protect her dress and started counting plates again.
Charlie grinned and gave Rory another quick kiss. "You hear that, love? No snogging on the sofa. I guess we'll just have to use the armchair."
"It's all right, Meg," said Rory. "I’ll keep him under control."
At that moment, Mike came into the kitchen, buttoning his cuffs. He looked up suspiciously, but Charlie gave him a look of limpid innocence and brushed past him into the living room, saying, "I'll pour you a drink, Dad."
Rory nodded a greeting and followed his lover out of the kitchen. Charlie took his father a glass of whisky and hurried back, throwing his arms around Rory and resting his head on his shoulder. "Hey, there," murmured Rory, wrapping his free arm around him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just missed you."
"Has your dad been giving you any grief?"
"Nothing more than usual. I can handle it."
"Are you sure?" Rory looked at him keenly.
"I'm sure." Charlie risked yet another kiss and Rory couldn't help holding him close, just for a few seconds.
A long-suffering sigh from the door brought him to his senses and he hurriedly released Charlie, looking up to see Bridget rolling her eyes as she walked into the room.
"Honestly, you two," she chided. "Can't you keep your hands off each other for a couple of hours?"
"Nope," said Charlie with a cheeky grin, giving Rory's backside a fondle, but he disentangled himself and was re-arranging the glasses on the sideboard by the time Mike walked back in, pulling on his shirt collar and looking rather uncomfortable.
"Are you going to put a tie on?" he asked Charlie.
"No," Charlie replied promptly. "They're Australian, they won't care. I've got a jacket on, that's all I need."
"Mr Murphy's a business man, he'll expect a little more formality."
"I doubt it."
"Liam will be in a tie," Mike added, obviously in the mistaken belief that Charlie would actually care what Liam was wearing.
"So? He can suck up to the old man if he likes. I'm not the one who's going to be working for him."
"Your … Rory's in a tie."
"Only because I came straight from work," Rory butted in. "It's no big deal, Mike. I honestly doubt that Mr Murphy will care one way or the other."
Mike grunted.
The doorbell rang, heralding Liam and Karen, with baby Megan in a carry cot. Liam was wearing a suit and tie, and Rory twitched his lips at the venomous look Mike gave Charlie when confronted with this further evidence of Charlie's deviant nature. Honestly, Rory was tempted to rip his own tie off then and there, but it would look a bit odd, he knew, and would only serve to set Mike's back up even more. All he could do was hope that Mr Murphy arrived in an open-necked shirt - that would show them.
The baby was sleeping peacefully in her carry cot, and looked positively angelic with her blonde hair and rosebud lips. Charlie cooed over her for a while, brushing her hair and skin with the lightest of touches, and Rory thought that it was just as well that men couldn't get pregnant because he'd never seen anyone as broody as Charlie with a baby. He was also glad that Liam and his family would be leaving for Australia in a week - Rory was in hourly dread of Charlie suggesting adoption.
Liam and Rory kept to opposite ends of the room, as was their habit, and not even Meg's exhortations could get them to acknowledge each other's presence by more than a nod.
"Where's Kevin?" asked Liam. "I thought he'd be here."
Meg took the glass of wine that Charlie had poured for her and took a sip before replying. "Well, he had football practice, and didn't want to miss it, so I said he could stay with the Murrays for the night."
"So my brother gets booted out to make room for Charlie's boyfriend, is that it?"
"Liam!" she exclaimed, angrily. "It's not like that at all. He didn't want to be here and he didn't want to miss his football practice. He's only twelve, love, you can't expect him to be interested in a whole evening of adult conversation."
"I expected him to meet his new relatives."
"He'll meet them on Saturday. Besides, Tess isn't here either, so it's not as if the Murphys would be meeting the whole family, is it?"
"When's she coming up?"
"Friday," Karen spoke up. "She's leaving just after lunch, so she'll be here in the afternoon. We've got rehearsal at 6, then we're having a bit of a hen's night."
"A hen's night?" repeated Liam in surprise. "I didn't know anything about a hen's night."
"Relax, love," said Karen, patting his knee. "It's nothing. We're not going out on the town or anything. We're just going to go to the hotel and have a bit of a natter and make sure all the last-minute things are done."
"Would you like me to look after Megan for you?" asked Meg.
"Oh no, thanks. It's very kind of you, but honestly, we're not going to get up to any mischief. The baby will be fine."
The doorbell rang again, and this time it was the Murphy family. Mike hurried out to answer the door, and Rory listened to the usual hubbub from the hall as coats were removed, and then the three of them came into the lounge and everyone got to their feet.
"Welcome to Manchester, Mr Murphy," said Meg, stepping forward.
Karen's father was a large man, his face tanned and weathered and his manner a curious mix of laconic and enthusiastic. Rory noted with annoyance that he was wearing a tie - a rather flamboyant paisley, admittedly, but a tie nonetheless.
"Thank you, but call me Wayne," said Mr Murphy, his accent sounding strange and harsh in the small room. "This is my wife, Jana, and my younger daughter, Samantha."
Jana was a good-looking woman in her forties, much quieter but no less friendly, with perfectly-tinted hair and the trace of a European accent. Samantha was a quiet girl of nineteen, with blonde hair like her sister's but not quite as pretty.
"Pleased to meet you," said Meg, shaking hands with Wayne and kissing Jana and Samantha on the cheek. "We've spoken on the phone, of course, but it's so nice to see you in person."
"It's lovely to meet you at last," echoed Jana.
Mike had followed the Murphys in, and took over as Meg returned to the kitchen to check on the meal. "Now I see where Karen got her looks," he nodded to Jana, who smiled back. "She's a credit to you both."
Charlie rolled his eyes at his father's lame comment, but no one except Rory was looking at him, so it went unnoticed. Karen gave her parents a hug, and the Mike introduced the rest of the family.
"You met Liam yesterday, I understand. This is Charlie, my second son, and his friend Rory."
Charlie bristled at the suggestion that Rory was just a "friend" and opened his mouth to correct this blatant lie. Rory forestalled him with a kick to the ankle and a meaningful look. He had no idea how the Murphys viewed homosexuality, and there was no sense in antagonising them unnecessarily. They were only going to be here for a few days, after all, and if it suited them to pretend that he and Charlie were just friends, he could live with that.
Mike had moved on, oblivious to the interchange. "Our youngest boy, Kevin, is staying over at a friend's place tonight but you'll meet him on Saturday."
Biddy appeared at the door, and Mike pulled her into the room with a broad smile. "And this is Biddy - Bridget, our younger daughter. She's reading languages at Lady Margaret Hall, in Oxford." The pride in his voice was unmistakable. Well, Rory couldn't fault him for that - Bridget was fearsomely bright, and had worked solidly on her A-levels so that she would have the marks to get to Oxford. Rory had no doubt at all that she was going to go far in her life.
The Murphys looked suitably impressed. Jana asked her which languages she was studying.
"French, German, and Russian, mainly," answered Biddy, "but I'm also trying to keep up my Italian and Spanish - not really studying them, just conversation classes."
"That's a lot of work," Jana commented. "What sort of job are you looking for when you finish?"
"I want to get into with interpreting and translation work - at the UN, possibly, or one of the other big multi-national organisations, or maybe a publishing house. There's always a demand for translators."
"Yes, there is. I did some translation work myself, before I married - I was born in Croatia, you know, when it was still part of Yugoslavia. It can be very interesting."
"Yes, I love trying to work out how to express the same idea in a completely different language."
"Now then, Biddy," Mike interrupted before the two of them could settle into a conversation on the nuances of translation work, "let the Murphys sit down and relax. Would you care for a drink? I hear that you like a whisky, Wayne."
"Yes, I do, though I'll have to take it easy - I'm driving back."
"And what about you, Jana?"
"A gin and tonic, please."
Mike nodded to Charlie, who was standing near the drinks tray. Charlie sighed, but set to work preparing the drinks.
"And what bout you, young lady?" he asked Samantha.
"Do you have any Diet Coke?" she asked.
Mike looked at Charlie in consternation. "Do we have that, Charlie?"
"Yeah, there's some in the fridge. I'll get it in a moment."
Charlie disappeared into the kitchen, returning with Jana's gin and tonic and Samantha's Coke, then he handed Wayne his whisky and retreated back to Rory's side.
There was a short, slightly uncomfortable silence as everyone sipped their drinks and tried to think of something to say.
"Whereabouts are you staying?" Mike asked, eventually.
"We've got a serviced apartment in the city," answered Wayne. "I thought it was easier than a hotel, and it has secure parking too."
"Very convenient."
"Yes. We thought we'd use it as a base after the wedding, see a bit of the countryside. Jana has an interest in cathedrals, so we thought we'd pop over to York and Durham, and then visit Oxford."
"I'd be happy to show you around my college," Biddy said. "Just let me know which day you're going to be there."
"Thank you," Jana said with a grateful smile. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble?"
"Not at all. It's not a very old college, and it's a little way out of the city centre, but it's lovely."
Wayne took another swallow of his whisky, and asked, "Is young Tessa here?"
"No," replied Mike. "She has classes on tomorrow that she really can't miss, but she'll be here on Friday. Isn't that right, love?" he asked as Meg appeared.
"That's right," confirmed Meg. "I know she's looking forward to seeing you both again. She spoke very fondly of the hospitality you showed her when she was in Australia." She smiled warmly. "And now dinner's ready, so Mike will show you to the dining room."
With the extra leaf set into the dining table it was difficult to get around to the far side, but at least they managed to sit in relative comfort. Meg's seating plan had placed Rory between Karen and Biddy, and opposite Charlie, who was between Jana and Samantha. Rory was pleased with that - not that he was going to grope Charlie under the table, but it was reassuring to be in a position where he could catch his eye before he got bored and said something outrageous. Wayne was to Biddy's left, with Liam opposite, allowing Liam the chance to try and impress his future father-in-law and employer with his social skills. Rory had no doubt that Liam would be at his smarmy best, and wondered how long it would take the down-to-earth Wayne to discover that his son-in-law was about as genuine as a three-pound note.
Conversation was intermittent during the meal. Samantha was good deal less lively than Karen, but she seemed a nice enough girl. She appeared to be awestruck by being in the presence of two of the members of DriveShaft, and could barely string three words together. Rory and Charlie tried to tease some conversation out of her, but it was an uphill struggle. She did tell him that she had finished training as an enrolled nurse earlier that year, and had been working at an aged-care facility but didn't like it. He father had offered to pay her HECS fees if she wanted to go to university, but she didn't want to go back to full-time study, so she was looking around for another job… or something. Rory caught her looking at Charlie from the corner of her eye and realised exactly where her thoughts were heading. It gave him some wry amusement to know that her efforts were bound to be fruitless, especially as Charlie seemed not even to notice her interest.
At least the meal was good. Meg had produced a succulent roast beef with vegetables, preceded by a thick mushroom soup and followed by apple pie and clotted cream. Not particularly adventurous, perhaps, but it was tasty and filling, and the Murphys showed their appreciation by leaving nothing on their plates. Wayne went so far as to take a second serving of the pie, saying it was one of the best he'd ever had. It was extravagant praise, perhaps, but Meg - used to her husband's more moderate approbation - beamed at him and served him another generous portion.
They moved back into the lounge for coffee. Rory, Charlie and Samantha were the last three out of the dining room, and Rory made a rare exception to his rule against public displays of affection by dropping a kiss onto his lover's cheek in passing. Charlie's smile nearly blinded him, and Rory couldn't help but smile back, even though he knew they were being watched. Samantha looked away in confusion, and Rory's smile broadened with the knowledge of having nipped one more problem in the bud.
After another half hour of desultory conversation, baby Megan's fussing brought the evening to an early finish, with Wayne and Jana pleading jet lag and opting to leave at the same time as Karen and Liam. Rory and Charlie made their farewells not long after that, and were back in their own flat by half-past ten.
"Come on, sleepy head," said Rory to a yawning Charlie. "Let's have an early night ourselves."
"It's not even eleven o'clock yet," protested Charlie.
Rory grinned and pushed him against the wall. "I didn’t say I wanted to sleep," he pointed out, sliding his hands underneath Charlie's shirt.
"No?"
"No. No sleeping for you for quite a while."
Charlie relaxed and put his arms around Rory's waist. "In that case, I think an early night is exactly what I need."
Chapter 5.2
For introduction and warnings see here.
Part 5 - Crisis
5.1 Meetings and Greetings
Wednesday 6th November 2002
After months of preparation and several days of frantic negotiation, the Paces and the Murphys finally met for the first time at Meg's house, a few days before Liam's wedding. Meg had allowed Karen's family a day to get over their jet lag, but then insisted that they come over for a roast dinner and get introduced to the family.
Rory came directly from work and found Charlie helping his mother with some last-minute preparations.
"Hi, love," said Charlie, leaning forward to kiss him while trying not to upset the tray of glasses he was carrying. "How was work?"
Rory shrugged. "Not so bad."
"Do you want a drink? You might as well - you're not going to be driving for a while."
"Aye, though it depends on what your father's got in."
Charlie's eyes twinkled. "Karen says her father drinks whisky so I made sure he got a decent malt."
Rory looked at the bottle on the sideboard and raised an eyebrow. He and Mike got on reasonably well, after a fashion, but he couldn't see Mike ever buying an eighteen-year-old Glenmorangie for himself or his son's boyfriend. He must really want to impress Mr Murphy. Still, Rory wasn't one to let an opportunity pass by, so he poured himself a generous measure and wandered through to the kitchen to see if there was anything he could do to help Meg.
"No, love, everything's under control," said Meg with a warm smile. "They should be here any minute, so the best thing you can do is go and sit down. You too Charlie."
"What about the gravy?"
"Biddy can do that as soon as she gets downstairs. Shoo, now. And no snogging on the sofa or your father'll have a heart attack." She wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing to protect her dress and started counting plates again.
Charlie grinned and gave Rory another quick kiss. "You hear that, love? No snogging on the sofa. I guess we'll just have to use the armchair."
"It's all right, Meg," said Rory. "I’ll keep him under control."
At that moment, Mike came into the kitchen, buttoning his cuffs. He looked up suspiciously, but Charlie gave him a look of limpid innocence and brushed past him into the living room, saying, "I'll pour you a drink, Dad."
Rory nodded a greeting and followed his lover out of the kitchen. Charlie took his father a glass of whisky and hurried back, throwing his arms around Rory and resting his head on his shoulder. "Hey, there," murmured Rory, wrapping his free arm around him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just missed you."
"Has your dad been giving you any grief?"
"Nothing more than usual. I can handle it."
"Are you sure?" Rory looked at him keenly.
"I'm sure." Charlie risked yet another kiss and Rory couldn't help holding him close, just for a few seconds.
A long-suffering sigh from the door brought him to his senses and he hurriedly released Charlie, looking up to see Bridget rolling her eyes as she walked into the room.
"Honestly, you two," she chided. "Can't you keep your hands off each other for a couple of hours?"
"Nope," said Charlie with a cheeky grin, giving Rory's backside a fondle, but he disentangled himself and was re-arranging the glasses on the sideboard by the time Mike walked back in, pulling on his shirt collar and looking rather uncomfortable.
"Are you going to put a tie on?" he asked Charlie.
"No," Charlie replied promptly. "They're Australian, they won't care. I've got a jacket on, that's all I need."
"Mr Murphy's a business man, he'll expect a little more formality."
"I doubt it."
"Liam will be in a tie," Mike added, obviously in the mistaken belief that Charlie would actually care what Liam was wearing.
"So? He can suck up to the old man if he likes. I'm not the one who's going to be working for him."
"Your … Rory's in a tie."
"Only because I came straight from work," Rory butted in. "It's no big deal, Mike. I honestly doubt that Mr Murphy will care one way or the other."
Mike grunted.
The doorbell rang, heralding Liam and Karen, with baby Megan in a carry cot. Liam was wearing a suit and tie, and Rory twitched his lips at the venomous look Mike gave Charlie when confronted with this further evidence of Charlie's deviant nature. Honestly, Rory was tempted to rip his own tie off then and there, but it would look a bit odd, he knew, and would only serve to set Mike's back up even more. All he could do was hope that Mr Murphy arrived in an open-necked shirt - that would show them.
The baby was sleeping peacefully in her carry cot, and looked positively angelic with her blonde hair and rosebud lips. Charlie cooed over her for a while, brushing her hair and skin with the lightest of touches, and Rory thought that it was just as well that men couldn't get pregnant because he'd never seen anyone as broody as Charlie with a baby. He was also glad that Liam and his family would be leaving for Australia in a week - Rory was in hourly dread of Charlie suggesting adoption.
Liam and Rory kept to opposite ends of the room, as was their habit, and not even Meg's exhortations could get them to acknowledge each other's presence by more than a nod.
"Where's Kevin?" asked Liam. "I thought he'd be here."
Meg took the glass of wine that Charlie had poured for her and took a sip before replying. "Well, he had football practice, and didn't want to miss it, so I said he could stay with the Murrays for the night."
"So my brother gets booted out to make room for Charlie's boyfriend, is that it?"
"Liam!" she exclaimed, angrily. "It's not like that at all. He didn't want to be here and he didn't want to miss his football practice. He's only twelve, love, you can't expect him to be interested in a whole evening of adult conversation."
"I expected him to meet his new relatives."
"He'll meet them on Saturday. Besides, Tess isn't here either, so it's not as if the Murphys would be meeting the whole family, is it?"
"When's she coming up?"
"Friday," Karen spoke up. "She's leaving just after lunch, so she'll be here in the afternoon. We've got rehearsal at 6, then we're having a bit of a hen's night."
"A hen's night?" repeated Liam in surprise. "I didn't know anything about a hen's night."
"Relax, love," said Karen, patting his knee. "It's nothing. We're not going out on the town or anything. We're just going to go to the hotel and have a bit of a natter and make sure all the last-minute things are done."
"Would you like me to look after Megan for you?" asked Meg.
"Oh no, thanks. It's very kind of you, but honestly, we're not going to get up to any mischief. The baby will be fine."
The doorbell rang again, and this time it was the Murphy family. Mike hurried out to answer the door, and Rory listened to the usual hubbub from the hall as coats were removed, and then the three of them came into the lounge and everyone got to their feet.
"Welcome to Manchester, Mr Murphy," said Meg, stepping forward.
Karen's father was a large man, his face tanned and weathered and his manner a curious mix of laconic and enthusiastic. Rory noted with annoyance that he was wearing a tie - a rather flamboyant paisley, admittedly, but a tie nonetheless.
"Thank you, but call me Wayne," said Mr Murphy, his accent sounding strange and harsh in the small room. "This is my wife, Jana, and my younger daughter, Samantha."
Jana was a good-looking woman in her forties, much quieter but no less friendly, with perfectly-tinted hair and the trace of a European accent. Samantha was a quiet girl of nineteen, with blonde hair like her sister's but not quite as pretty.
"Pleased to meet you," said Meg, shaking hands with Wayne and kissing Jana and Samantha on the cheek. "We've spoken on the phone, of course, but it's so nice to see you in person."
"It's lovely to meet you at last," echoed Jana.
Mike had followed the Murphys in, and took over as Meg returned to the kitchen to check on the meal. "Now I see where Karen got her looks," he nodded to Jana, who smiled back. "She's a credit to you both."
Charlie rolled his eyes at his father's lame comment, but no one except Rory was looking at him, so it went unnoticed. Karen gave her parents a hug, and the Mike introduced the rest of the family.
"You met Liam yesterday, I understand. This is Charlie, my second son, and his friend Rory."
Charlie bristled at the suggestion that Rory was just a "friend" and opened his mouth to correct this blatant lie. Rory forestalled him with a kick to the ankle and a meaningful look. He had no idea how the Murphys viewed homosexuality, and there was no sense in antagonising them unnecessarily. They were only going to be here for a few days, after all, and if it suited them to pretend that he and Charlie were just friends, he could live with that.
Mike had moved on, oblivious to the interchange. "Our youngest boy, Kevin, is staying over at a friend's place tonight but you'll meet him on Saturday."
Biddy appeared at the door, and Mike pulled her into the room with a broad smile. "And this is Biddy - Bridget, our younger daughter. She's reading languages at Lady Margaret Hall, in Oxford." The pride in his voice was unmistakable. Well, Rory couldn't fault him for that - Bridget was fearsomely bright, and had worked solidly on her A-levels so that she would have the marks to get to Oxford. Rory had no doubt at all that she was going to go far in her life.
The Murphys looked suitably impressed. Jana asked her which languages she was studying.
"French, German, and Russian, mainly," answered Biddy, "but I'm also trying to keep up my Italian and Spanish - not really studying them, just conversation classes."
"That's a lot of work," Jana commented. "What sort of job are you looking for when you finish?"
"I want to get into with interpreting and translation work - at the UN, possibly, or one of the other big multi-national organisations, or maybe a publishing house. There's always a demand for translators."
"Yes, there is. I did some translation work myself, before I married - I was born in Croatia, you know, when it was still part of Yugoslavia. It can be very interesting."
"Yes, I love trying to work out how to express the same idea in a completely different language."
"Now then, Biddy," Mike interrupted before the two of them could settle into a conversation on the nuances of translation work, "let the Murphys sit down and relax. Would you care for a drink? I hear that you like a whisky, Wayne."
"Yes, I do, though I'll have to take it easy - I'm driving back."
"And what about you, Jana?"
"A gin and tonic, please."
Mike nodded to Charlie, who was standing near the drinks tray. Charlie sighed, but set to work preparing the drinks.
"And what bout you, young lady?" he asked Samantha.
"Do you have any Diet Coke?" she asked.
Mike looked at Charlie in consternation. "Do we have that, Charlie?"
"Yeah, there's some in the fridge. I'll get it in a moment."
Charlie disappeared into the kitchen, returning with Jana's gin and tonic and Samantha's Coke, then he handed Wayne his whisky and retreated back to Rory's side.
There was a short, slightly uncomfortable silence as everyone sipped their drinks and tried to think of something to say.
"Whereabouts are you staying?" Mike asked, eventually.
"We've got a serviced apartment in the city," answered Wayne. "I thought it was easier than a hotel, and it has secure parking too."
"Very convenient."
"Yes. We thought we'd use it as a base after the wedding, see a bit of the countryside. Jana has an interest in cathedrals, so we thought we'd pop over to York and Durham, and then visit Oxford."
"I'd be happy to show you around my college," Biddy said. "Just let me know which day you're going to be there."
"Thank you," Jana said with a grateful smile. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble?"
"Not at all. It's not a very old college, and it's a little way out of the city centre, but it's lovely."
Wayne took another swallow of his whisky, and asked, "Is young Tessa here?"
"No," replied Mike. "She has classes on tomorrow that she really can't miss, but she'll be here on Friday. Isn't that right, love?" he asked as Meg appeared.
"That's right," confirmed Meg. "I know she's looking forward to seeing you both again. She spoke very fondly of the hospitality you showed her when she was in Australia." She smiled warmly. "And now dinner's ready, so Mike will show you to the dining room."
With the extra leaf set into the dining table it was difficult to get around to the far side, but at least they managed to sit in relative comfort. Meg's seating plan had placed Rory between Karen and Biddy, and opposite Charlie, who was between Jana and Samantha. Rory was pleased with that - not that he was going to grope Charlie under the table, but it was reassuring to be in a position where he could catch his eye before he got bored and said something outrageous. Wayne was to Biddy's left, with Liam opposite, allowing Liam the chance to try and impress his future father-in-law and employer with his social skills. Rory had no doubt that Liam would be at his smarmy best, and wondered how long it would take the down-to-earth Wayne to discover that his son-in-law was about as genuine as a three-pound note.
Conversation was intermittent during the meal. Samantha was good deal less lively than Karen, but she seemed a nice enough girl. She appeared to be awestruck by being in the presence of two of the members of DriveShaft, and could barely string three words together. Rory and Charlie tried to tease some conversation out of her, but it was an uphill struggle. She did tell him that she had finished training as an enrolled nurse earlier that year, and had been working at an aged-care facility but didn't like it. He father had offered to pay her HECS fees if she wanted to go to university, but she didn't want to go back to full-time study, so she was looking around for another job… or something. Rory caught her looking at Charlie from the corner of her eye and realised exactly where her thoughts were heading. It gave him some wry amusement to know that her efforts were bound to be fruitless, especially as Charlie seemed not even to notice her interest.
At least the meal was good. Meg had produced a succulent roast beef with vegetables, preceded by a thick mushroom soup and followed by apple pie and clotted cream. Not particularly adventurous, perhaps, but it was tasty and filling, and the Murphys showed their appreciation by leaving nothing on their plates. Wayne went so far as to take a second serving of the pie, saying it was one of the best he'd ever had. It was extravagant praise, perhaps, but Meg - used to her husband's more moderate approbation - beamed at him and served him another generous portion.
They moved back into the lounge for coffee. Rory, Charlie and Samantha were the last three out of the dining room, and Rory made a rare exception to his rule against public displays of affection by dropping a kiss onto his lover's cheek in passing. Charlie's smile nearly blinded him, and Rory couldn't help but smile back, even though he knew they were being watched. Samantha looked away in confusion, and Rory's smile broadened with the knowledge of having nipped one more problem in the bud.
After another half hour of desultory conversation, baby Megan's fussing brought the evening to an early finish, with Wayne and Jana pleading jet lag and opting to leave at the same time as Karen and Liam. Rory and Charlie made their farewells not long after that, and were back in their own flat by half-past ten.
"Come on, sleepy head," said Rory to a yawning Charlie. "Let's have an early night ourselves."
"It's not even eleven o'clock yet," protested Charlie.
Rory grinned and pushed him against the wall. "I didn’t say I wanted to sleep," he pointed out, sliding his hands underneath Charlie's shirt.
"No?"
"No. No sleeping for you for quite a while."
Charlie relaxed and put his arms around Rory's waist. "In that case, I think an early night is exactly what I need."
Chapter 5.2