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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: A Day in the Life
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos/James Rosewood/Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,716
Summary: A look into a normal weekend for Andrej.
Author’s Note: Written for the bingo challenge at 1_million_words. Even though it’s late, I still wanted to finish and post this. Chose the slice of life 3x3 card #2. Prompts used: busy day, free space (family dinner), package delivery, and lawn and garden.
He was wrist deep in the new soil when his phone pinged in his pocket. Frowning, Andrej wiped his hands on his gardening apron and retrieved his phone. Something had set off the Ring camera at their front door. As much as he disliked having a camera attached to his home, James had insisted, so he had relented. It wasn’t worth the argument.
Unlocking his phone, he checked the app. A handsome Filipino guy in a brown uniform stood smiling at the camera. He pushed to his feet and dusted off his fingers again. As far as he knew, no one was expecting a package, but UPS was at his door anyway. Andrej kicked off his lawn shoes and left them on the back porch before going inside. James and Zayne dragged enough dirt into his house, he didn’t need to add to it any.
“May I help you,” he asked the UPS driver, who was even more attractive in person. He was short, well-built, and had tattoos snaking up both arms and under the sleeves of his uniform shirt. Not really his type, but handsome all the same, he thought. Hilary would appreciate him, Andrej was sure.
“Just need a signature,” his driver said, holding out the electronic signature pad.
Andrej took the pad and signed his name as best as he was able. It never looked right, nor was it ever legible, but he had come to accept that was the way of these devices. He handed it back and thanked the driver when he presented the package.
Taking it inside, Andrej glanced at the label as he shut and locked the door behind him. It was addressed to him, but as Andy, not Andrej, which led him to believe that it had either come from one of the girls or James. Zayne would have either addressed it to his full name or simply to his last, there was no consistency with his partner.
He placed the box on the kitchen counter and retrieved his scissors, slicing the tape holding the box closed. Removing the packing material, he found a box labeled perishable. Another frown crossed his face, but he pulled the box out and opened it immediately, wondering what might be so fragile.
Inside, he found a net bag with two heads of garlic nestled inside. Confused, he set the garlic back into the box and removed the card that had been in the box. It named the garlic as Transylvanian softneck and gave planting instructions.
With a shake of his head, he set the card back into the box and picked up his phone again. He knew that this was a joke of sorts, but a thoughtful one. Whomever had sent the gift had been both teasing him as well as feeding his gardening addiction at the same time. Figuring the easiest way to find out who had sent this would be a group text, he opened his messing app.
I am not sure who sent the package, but I am both grateful and offended.
The responses started coming immediately.
It wasn’t me, James sent. What is it?
Then Zayne, You know it wasn’t me, baby. I’d have told you.
Hilary sent a series of question marks and Jake responded with a series of exclamation points. They really were a little too well suited for one another, he thought.
But when Trish sent a gif of a cartoon vampire pulling his cape across his body and hiding his face, he knew he’d found the culprit.
Mulțumesc, he texted the group, knowing that she’d get that it was directed at her. And added the garlic emoji to the end. It gave him a weird bit of joy to even have a garlic emoji, but he was sure that was the Romanian in him.
Cu plăcere, she responded, giving him a huge jolt of pride. Even learning that tiny bit of his native tongue showed that she really did care. Not only that, but she paid attention, too.
Exiting the group chat, he texted Trish privately.
They are going into the ground today, since they arrived while I was already working in the yard. Thank you.
Her response made him laugh. You’re welcome, but I expect some of that Dracula repellant you made for those homemade fries last month.
It wasn’t exactly date food, but he did love the stuff. I promise, he replied.
Grabbing the garlic, he went back out into the yard. It would be a long time before the garlic was ready to harvest, but he could still hit the grocery store later and have the sauce ready for Trish by Monday.
--
He was washing his hands in the kitchen sink when Zayne appeared behind him. “You okay, baby, you look a bit rough.”
Turning, he smiled at his boyfriend. “I am fine. I was out getting the garden ready for the winter, so I am sure I look a bit disheveled.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Zayne said, smoothing back Andrej’s hair. It sprang back up in disarray and Zayne grinned. “But this is a good look on you. And what was in the package,” he asked.
“Oh,” Andrej said, smiling. “Trish sent me some garlic.”
Zayne’s brows creased. “Why did she send you garlic? Couldn’t she have just gone to the store?”
“No,” he chuckled. “It’s for planting. That’s what else I was doing out there today.”
“Really?” Zayne still looked perplexed. “That’s not something I ever thought about growing.”
“My mama used to grow it, along with many other things, before we lost her.” His mouth turned down for a second before rebounding. “I kept her garden up until I left home, teaching my little sister, Alina, all she needed to know to keep it going.” And to keep his family fed, but he didn’t mention that part. He was pretty sure Zayne knew.
“Cool,” Zayne said, kissing Andrej’s cheek. “You have one hell of a green thumb, baby. And I love it.” He rubbed at a spot on Andrej’s face. “You might want to take a shower though; you have dirt on your face.”
Andrej’s fingers flew to where Zayne had touched him. “I have to finish the housework,” he said. “There is lots to do still, I will shower when I am through.”
“Man, and I was hoping we could cuddle a bit and watch a movie,” he said, sounding disappointed. “Tell me, what can I do to help?”
Shaking his head, Andrej said, “You can empty the dishwasher while I start the laundry, how does that sound?”
“Like something I can handle,” Zayne said. “Go, start the laundry so we can get a move on.” He winked at Andrej. “I have plans for our afternoon.”
Andrej laughed. “You are horrible, you know that, right?”
“I do,” Zayne agreed. “And you wouldn’t want me any other way.”
“That is debatable,” Andrej said, not meaning it. He rather enjoyed Zayne’s wicked streak.
--
“Bedrooms are all dusted and vacuumed,” Zayne said, coming into the kitchen and stopping. “What are you doing?”
“I am making rolls to go with dinner,” Andrej said. Pointing at a pot on the stove, he continued. “Jay requested some stew since it has been so cold out and I thought some homemade sourdough rolls would be a nice addition.”
“You got all this done while I was dusting?”
“No,” Andrej said, chuckling. “I started the dough before I went into the garden this morning. I did get the stew started while you were in the back of the house, however. But that was mostly prepped already.”
“Okay, whew,” Zayne said, lifting the lid on the stew pot, giving it a stir. “I was worried that I was even slower than I thought.”
“No, I am no fast, I am just more organized.”
“Well, hell, I think we all know that,” Zayne agreed. “What next?”
“I am going to shape the rolls so that they can rise one more time.” He thought for a moment, his fingers resting lightly on the dough. “Do you think you can put the clothes in the washer into the dryer and then start a new load? All that is left are the towels, so I do not think you can do much harm.”
Zayne flipped him off. “One time,” he muttered, walking towards the laundry room. “I missed one piece of colored clothing with the whites one time.”
Andrej grinned at the dough. At least he’d noticed that everything had turned pale blue before he threw it all into the dryer and had been able to save everything, minus one pair of socks that were still blue. But it was good to keep Zayne humble – and ensuring he paid attention to what he was doing.
--
“Hey cowboy,” James said, kissing Zayne on the cheek. “Where’s Andy?”
“He’s in the shower, gingerbread,” Zayne said, patting James’ unshaven cheek. “Ought to be out in a few.”
Zayne’s phone rang and he glanced at the screen. “Hey, Hil, everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, “I think so anyway. Andy invited Jake, Trish, and I to dinner tonight, but he’s not answering his phone. Is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” Zayne said. “He’s in the shower though, so he’ll probably call you back as soon as he’s dry. Might not even get dressed first.”
Hilary cackled. “Sounds about right. Okay, Jake wanted to get a bottle of wine but we didn’t know what kind of stew he was making.”
“Beef and some weird grain, I can’t remember what he called it.”
“Barley,” James offered.
“No, not that,” Zayne said. “I think he said it was Italian?”
“Farro,” Hilary offered. “I think that’s what he said he was buying at the store yesterday. And it’d work in place of barley.”
“Yes,” Zayne said, excited. “Farro. Thanks. You’ll be here soon then?”
“In about twenty, depending on how long it takes Jake to choose his wine.”
“Rollins is with you,” he asked.
“No, she’s meeting us there, but she’ll probably beat us, so be nice, Reyes.” She paused for a second. “And tell the narco to be nice, too, since this is all for him.”
“We’ll be on our best behavior, I promise,” he said. “Drive safe.”
“Always,” Hilary said before ending the call.
“Who was that,” Andrej asked, hair still wet.
“Hilary,” Zayne said. “Wanted to know what kind of wine to bring.”
“Red,” Andrej said. “It is what goes with beef. I will call her.”
“Don’t bother,” James said, greeting Andrej with a hug. “Hansen is quite good with wine pairings. His aunt is a sommelier.”
“Interesting,” Andrej said. “I must pick his brain sometime.”
“I am sure he will love it,” James said. “He likes to talk about wine, but I only want to drink it.”
“Ditto,” Zayne joked. “Help me set the table?”
“You’ve got it,” James said.
--
Andrej was just pulling the rolls out of the oven when he heard Trish’s voice.
“Anything I can do,” she asked, poking her head into the kitchen.
He held out a pastry brush. “You can put the garlic butter on the top of the rolls. It is in the measuring cup in front of you.”
She took the brush and started basting the rolls. “These things smell heavenly,” she said. “You made them, didn’t you?”
He nodded and put some fresh parsley on the cutting board. Chopping quickly, he added, “Nothing is better than fresh baked bread, although I have been known to buy rolls in the past. But if I have the time, I will make them myself.”
“Of course you will,” she mock teased him. “And we all appreciate it, you know.”
Looking up from his herbs, he smiled at her. “I do.”
“Dear god,” Zayne said, seeing the amount of butter Trish was bathing the rolls in. “Please tell me that those are ready because I think I could down four of them right now.”
Sighing, Andrej sprinkled a bit of fresh parsley on the rolls, saving the rest for the stew. “Please take those out to the table, Trish,” he said. “Before Zayne face plants into the dish.”
Chuckling, she grabbed the pot holders and removed the rolls from Zayne’s sight.
“Can I help,” Zayne asked. “And yes, I’m only asking because I am starving.”
“I do not care what your reasons are, as long as you help,” Andrej told him, handing his partner a stack of bowls. “Ask Jay to come get the utensils while I bring out the soup.”
Generally speaking, he wouldn’t serve the stew in the pot he’d cooked it in, but he’d been gifted a very nice enameled cast iron Dutch oven. A very expensive one, at that, he’d discovered. However, he was not about to turn down something so useful, no matter it’s expense.
“Cowboy told me you needed help?” James had materialized in the kitchen.
“Yes,” Andrej said, sprinkling the remaining parsley onto the stew. “Please take the utensils to the table for me, please. They are on the counter.” He inclined his head towards where he’d left the spoons and knives.
“And me,” Jake asked, appearing with a bottle of wine in his hand.
“You have done enough with the wine,” Andrej said. “However, you could take the butter to the table, if you are so inclined.”
“As it happens,” Jake said, smiling. “I am so inclined. Just as long as you promise you didn’t churn it yourself.”
“Nah,” Zayne said, reappearing and taking the butter from Jake. “We’d have put a stop to that shit. I like homemade just as much as the next guy, but there are limits.”
“I will not tell him that the last time he used the last of my butter and did not tell me, I had to make my own.” He shook his head. “He is just lucky I had cream on hand and a stand mixer, otherwise, he would have been out of luck.”
“I’d love to say I’m surprised but…” Jake shrugged.
“Back home,” Andrej said, trying not to sound like he missed it, “it was something we did often. However,” and here he smiled again, if a little sadly, “we did not own an electric mixer.”
“So, you do know how to churn butter?” Jake’s eyes were wide. “That’s honestly kind of cool.”
“I can milk a cow, as well,” he added, watching Jake’s face brighten with the news. “And a goat. It was a different world then.”
“But not now?”
He shook his head. “A lot has changed in my homeland since 1989.” He grimaced, then shook it off. “But that is what happens when your leader is brought before a firing squad and executed.”
“I’ll say,” Jake muttered.
“I am sorry,” he said, feeling bad for dredging up such an awful subject. “I did not mean to say any of that.”
“It’s okay,” Jake said, patting Andrej on the back. “I forget that you lived through that shit sometimes. It’s good to be reminded that as bad as it seems now, it could be worse.”
Like what his parents lived through before he was born, Andrej thought. “You are very correct. And thank you for the wine. Let me put this on the table and I will get the wine glasses.”
“Did I hear wine,” Hilary said, poking her head into the kitchen. “Of course I did, I helped Jake pick it out.” She squeezed past her boyfriend and kissed Andrej’s cheek. “I’ll get the glasses. You get that soup out there before Reyes and Rosewood start gnawing on the table.”
“This is one of those situations where it could be so much worse,” Jake deadpanned. “God only knows what they might have otherwise gnawed on.”
“Jesus, Jake,” Hilary spluttered. “Take that damn wine to the table.”
Snickering, Jake left the kitchen.
“I’d apologize for him,” she said, “But I’ve known them both long enough to know he’s not wrong.”
“Especially Zayne when he is hungry,” Andrej agreed. “Come, let’s have dinner.”
She carried the wine glasses out into the dining room and Andrej paused for a moment, taking in his full table. Full of good food, as well as good friends. Even if said friends were a bit rowdy and uncontrollable at times, they were still good.
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos/James Rosewood/Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,716
Summary: A look into a normal weekend for Andrej.
Author’s Note: Written for the bingo challenge at 1_million_words. Even though it’s late, I still wanted to finish and post this. Chose the slice of life 3x3 card #2. Prompts used: busy day, free space (family dinner), package delivery, and lawn and garden.
He was wrist deep in the new soil when his phone pinged in his pocket. Frowning, Andrej wiped his hands on his gardening apron and retrieved his phone. Something had set off the Ring camera at their front door. As much as he disliked having a camera attached to his home, James had insisted, so he had relented. It wasn’t worth the argument.
Unlocking his phone, he checked the app. A handsome Filipino guy in a brown uniform stood smiling at the camera. He pushed to his feet and dusted off his fingers again. As far as he knew, no one was expecting a package, but UPS was at his door anyway. Andrej kicked off his lawn shoes and left them on the back porch before going inside. James and Zayne dragged enough dirt into his house, he didn’t need to add to it any.
“May I help you,” he asked the UPS driver, who was even more attractive in person. He was short, well-built, and had tattoos snaking up both arms and under the sleeves of his uniform shirt. Not really his type, but handsome all the same, he thought. Hilary would appreciate him, Andrej was sure.
“Just need a signature,” his driver said, holding out the electronic signature pad.
Andrej took the pad and signed his name as best as he was able. It never looked right, nor was it ever legible, but he had come to accept that was the way of these devices. He handed it back and thanked the driver when he presented the package.
Taking it inside, Andrej glanced at the label as he shut and locked the door behind him. It was addressed to him, but as Andy, not Andrej, which led him to believe that it had either come from one of the girls or James. Zayne would have either addressed it to his full name or simply to his last, there was no consistency with his partner.
He placed the box on the kitchen counter and retrieved his scissors, slicing the tape holding the box closed. Removing the packing material, he found a box labeled perishable. Another frown crossed his face, but he pulled the box out and opened it immediately, wondering what might be so fragile.
Inside, he found a net bag with two heads of garlic nestled inside. Confused, he set the garlic back into the box and removed the card that had been in the box. It named the garlic as Transylvanian softneck and gave planting instructions.
With a shake of his head, he set the card back into the box and picked up his phone again. He knew that this was a joke of sorts, but a thoughtful one. Whomever had sent the gift had been both teasing him as well as feeding his gardening addiction at the same time. Figuring the easiest way to find out who had sent this would be a group text, he opened his messing app.
I am not sure who sent the package, but I am both grateful and offended.
The responses started coming immediately.
It wasn’t me, James sent. What is it?
Then Zayne, You know it wasn’t me, baby. I’d have told you.
Hilary sent a series of question marks and Jake responded with a series of exclamation points. They really were a little too well suited for one another, he thought.
But when Trish sent a gif of a cartoon vampire pulling his cape across his body and hiding his face, he knew he’d found the culprit.
Mulțumesc, he texted the group, knowing that she’d get that it was directed at her. And added the garlic emoji to the end. It gave him a weird bit of joy to even have a garlic emoji, but he was sure that was the Romanian in him.
Cu plăcere, she responded, giving him a huge jolt of pride. Even learning that tiny bit of his native tongue showed that she really did care. Not only that, but she paid attention, too.
Exiting the group chat, he texted Trish privately.
They are going into the ground today, since they arrived while I was already working in the yard. Thank you.
Her response made him laugh. You’re welcome, but I expect some of that Dracula repellant you made for those homemade fries last month.
It wasn’t exactly date food, but he did love the stuff. I promise, he replied.
Grabbing the garlic, he went back out into the yard. It would be a long time before the garlic was ready to harvest, but he could still hit the grocery store later and have the sauce ready for Trish by Monday.
--
He was washing his hands in the kitchen sink when Zayne appeared behind him. “You okay, baby, you look a bit rough.”
Turning, he smiled at his boyfriend. “I am fine. I was out getting the garden ready for the winter, so I am sure I look a bit disheveled.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Zayne said, smoothing back Andrej’s hair. It sprang back up in disarray and Zayne grinned. “But this is a good look on you. And what was in the package,” he asked.
“Oh,” Andrej said, smiling. “Trish sent me some garlic.”
Zayne’s brows creased. “Why did she send you garlic? Couldn’t she have just gone to the store?”
“No,” he chuckled. “It’s for planting. That’s what else I was doing out there today.”
“Really?” Zayne still looked perplexed. “That’s not something I ever thought about growing.”
“My mama used to grow it, along with many other things, before we lost her.” His mouth turned down for a second before rebounding. “I kept her garden up until I left home, teaching my little sister, Alina, all she needed to know to keep it going.” And to keep his family fed, but he didn’t mention that part. He was pretty sure Zayne knew.
“Cool,” Zayne said, kissing Andrej’s cheek. “You have one hell of a green thumb, baby. And I love it.” He rubbed at a spot on Andrej’s face. “You might want to take a shower though; you have dirt on your face.”
Andrej’s fingers flew to where Zayne had touched him. “I have to finish the housework,” he said. “There is lots to do still, I will shower when I am through.”
“Man, and I was hoping we could cuddle a bit and watch a movie,” he said, sounding disappointed. “Tell me, what can I do to help?”
Shaking his head, Andrej said, “You can empty the dishwasher while I start the laundry, how does that sound?”
“Like something I can handle,” Zayne said. “Go, start the laundry so we can get a move on.” He winked at Andrej. “I have plans for our afternoon.”
Andrej laughed. “You are horrible, you know that, right?”
“I do,” Zayne agreed. “And you wouldn’t want me any other way.”
“That is debatable,” Andrej said, not meaning it. He rather enjoyed Zayne’s wicked streak.
--
“Bedrooms are all dusted and vacuumed,” Zayne said, coming into the kitchen and stopping. “What are you doing?”
“I am making rolls to go with dinner,” Andrej said. Pointing at a pot on the stove, he continued. “Jay requested some stew since it has been so cold out and I thought some homemade sourdough rolls would be a nice addition.”
“You got all this done while I was dusting?”
“No,” Andrej said, chuckling. “I started the dough before I went into the garden this morning. I did get the stew started while you were in the back of the house, however. But that was mostly prepped already.”
“Okay, whew,” Zayne said, lifting the lid on the stew pot, giving it a stir. “I was worried that I was even slower than I thought.”
“No, I am no fast, I am just more organized.”
“Well, hell, I think we all know that,” Zayne agreed. “What next?”
“I am going to shape the rolls so that they can rise one more time.” He thought for a moment, his fingers resting lightly on the dough. “Do you think you can put the clothes in the washer into the dryer and then start a new load? All that is left are the towels, so I do not think you can do much harm.”
Zayne flipped him off. “One time,” he muttered, walking towards the laundry room. “I missed one piece of colored clothing with the whites one time.”
Andrej grinned at the dough. At least he’d noticed that everything had turned pale blue before he threw it all into the dryer and had been able to save everything, minus one pair of socks that were still blue. But it was good to keep Zayne humble – and ensuring he paid attention to what he was doing.
--
“Hey cowboy,” James said, kissing Zayne on the cheek. “Where’s Andy?”
“He’s in the shower, gingerbread,” Zayne said, patting James’ unshaven cheek. “Ought to be out in a few.”
Zayne’s phone rang and he glanced at the screen. “Hey, Hil, everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, “I think so anyway. Andy invited Jake, Trish, and I to dinner tonight, but he’s not answering his phone. Is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” Zayne said. “He’s in the shower though, so he’ll probably call you back as soon as he’s dry. Might not even get dressed first.”
Hilary cackled. “Sounds about right. Okay, Jake wanted to get a bottle of wine but we didn’t know what kind of stew he was making.”
“Beef and some weird grain, I can’t remember what he called it.”
“Barley,” James offered.
“No, not that,” Zayne said. “I think he said it was Italian?”
“Farro,” Hilary offered. “I think that’s what he said he was buying at the store yesterday. And it’d work in place of barley.”
“Yes,” Zayne said, excited. “Farro. Thanks. You’ll be here soon then?”
“In about twenty, depending on how long it takes Jake to choose his wine.”
“Rollins is with you,” he asked.
“No, she’s meeting us there, but she’ll probably beat us, so be nice, Reyes.” She paused for a second. “And tell the narco to be nice, too, since this is all for him.”
“We’ll be on our best behavior, I promise,” he said. “Drive safe.”
“Always,” Hilary said before ending the call.
“Who was that,” Andrej asked, hair still wet.
“Hilary,” Zayne said. “Wanted to know what kind of wine to bring.”
“Red,” Andrej said. “It is what goes with beef. I will call her.”
“Don’t bother,” James said, greeting Andrej with a hug. “Hansen is quite good with wine pairings. His aunt is a sommelier.”
“Interesting,” Andrej said. “I must pick his brain sometime.”
“I am sure he will love it,” James said. “He likes to talk about wine, but I only want to drink it.”
“Ditto,” Zayne joked. “Help me set the table?”
“You’ve got it,” James said.
--
Andrej was just pulling the rolls out of the oven when he heard Trish’s voice.
“Anything I can do,” she asked, poking her head into the kitchen.
He held out a pastry brush. “You can put the garlic butter on the top of the rolls. It is in the measuring cup in front of you.”
She took the brush and started basting the rolls. “These things smell heavenly,” she said. “You made them, didn’t you?”
He nodded and put some fresh parsley on the cutting board. Chopping quickly, he added, “Nothing is better than fresh baked bread, although I have been known to buy rolls in the past. But if I have the time, I will make them myself.”
“Of course you will,” she mock teased him. “And we all appreciate it, you know.”
Looking up from his herbs, he smiled at her. “I do.”
“Dear god,” Zayne said, seeing the amount of butter Trish was bathing the rolls in. “Please tell me that those are ready because I think I could down four of them right now.”
Sighing, Andrej sprinkled a bit of fresh parsley on the rolls, saving the rest for the stew. “Please take those out to the table, Trish,” he said. “Before Zayne face plants into the dish.”
Chuckling, she grabbed the pot holders and removed the rolls from Zayne’s sight.
“Can I help,” Zayne asked. “And yes, I’m only asking because I am starving.”
“I do not care what your reasons are, as long as you help,” Andrej told him, handing his partner a stack of bowls. “Ask Jay to come get the utensils while I bring out the soup.”
Generally speaking, he wouldn’t serve the stew in the pot he’d cooked it in, but he’d been gifted a very nice enameled cast iron Dutch oven. A very expensive one, at that, he’d discovered. However, he was not about to turn down something so useful, no matter it’s expense.
“Cowboy told me you needed help?” James had materialized in the kitchen.
“Yes,” Andrej said, sprinkling the remaining parsley onto the stew. “Please take the utensils to the table for me, please. They are on the counter.” He inclined his head towards where he’d left the spoons and knives.
“And me,” Jake asked, appearing with a bottle of wine in his hand.
“You have done enough with the wine,” Andrej said. “However, you could take the butter to the table, if you are so inclined.”
“As it happens,” Jake said, smiling. “I am so inclined. Just as long as you promise you didn’t churn it yourself.”
“Nah,” Zayne said, reappearing and taking the butter from Jake. “We’d have put a stop to that shit. I like homemade just as much as the next guy, but there are limits.”
“I will not tell him that the last time he used the last of my butter and did not tell me, I had to make my own.” He shook his head. “He is just lucky I had cream on hand and a stand mixer, otherwise, he would have been out of luck.”
“I’d love to say I’m surprised but…” Jake shrugged.
“Back home,” Andrej said, trying not to sound like he missed it, “it was something we did often. However,” and here he smiled again, if a little sadly, “we did not own an electric mixer.”
“So, you do know how to churn butter?” Jake’s eyes were wide. “That’s honestly kind of cool.”
“I can milk a cow, as well,” he added, watching Jake’s face brighten with the news. “And a goat. It was a different world then.”
“But not now?”
He shook his head. “A lot has changed in my homeland since 1989.” He grimaced, then shook it off. “But that is what happens when your leader is brought before a firing squad and executed.”
“I’ll say,” Jake muttered.
“I am sorry,” he said, feeling bad for dredging up such an awful subject. “I did not mean to say any of that.”
“It’s okay,” Jake said, patting Andrej on the back. “I forget that you lived through that shit sometimes. It’s good to be reminded that as bad as it seems now, it could be worse.”
Like what his parents lived through before he was born, Andrej thought. “You are very correct. And thank you for the wine. Let me put this on the table and I will get the wine glasses.”
“Did I hear wine,” Hilary said, poking her head into the kitchen. “Of course I did, I helped Jake pick it out.” She squeezed past her boyfriend and kissed Andrej’s cheek. “I’ll get the glasses. You get that soup out there before Reyes and Rosewood start gnawing on the table.”
“This is one of those situations where it could be so much worse,” Jake deadpanned. “God only knows what they might have otherwise gnawed on.”
“Jesus, Jake,” Hilary spluttered. “Take that damn wine to the table.”
Snickering, Jake left the kitchen.
“I’d apologize for him,” she said, “But I’ve known them both long enough to know he’s not wrong.”
“Especially Zayne when he is hungry,” Andrej agreed. “Come, let’s have dinner.”
She carried the wine glasses out into the dining room and Andrej paused for a moment, taking in his full table. Full of good food, as well as good friends. Even if said friends were a bit rowdy and uncontrollable at times, they were still good.
