Connected To Him (ManxMan)

Part 2: Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Award-Winning Potatoes

Ethan tried to relax while watching his show but he kept a constant eye on the clock above the TV, ever aware of each minute that passed. He had potatoes in the oven and felt immense pressure to get them just right. On the screen, a little girl told the story of how her father passed. For a moment, Ethan was able to forget about the food and focus instead on how she was able to overcome such tragedy. So, when Ethan looked at the clock again and saw that it was five minutes after he was supposed to take out the potatoes. He shot off the couch and ran for the oven. The tray of roasted potatoes looked perfect when he pulled them out and one sample confirmed it.

Ethan cooked quite often, so the bake of the potatoes shouldn't have stressed him so much. However, tonight was a potluck sort of dinner party at Aiden and Aaron's. They were handling the main part of the meal—the chicken—and tasked everyone else with adding to the meal. Ethan decided to claim a side, the potatoes, because he was confident in his cooking and frankly wanted to show off to Chris a little bit. A month or so had passed since that semi-awkward brunch with Chris and their friends. Since then, they've gone out with the four of them or with Meaghan about once a week. It felt like he was back in high school which made it all the more comfortable.

Ethan had joked to Chris numerous times about his prowess in the kitchen, making these potatoes the most important potatoes he's ever made in his life. These potatoes could make or break his credibility. So Ethan was a happy guy as he took the subway to Aiden's house.

Fall in Toronto was a baby version of winter so every muscle in Ethan's body was tensed against the cold air. A particularly chilly breeze pushed against Ethan's feet and swept up into his jacket as he came to their house. Aaron and Aiden's place was the sort of house one saw in design magazines. It was modern with enough glass windows and silver lining to having it confused for a greenhouse. Just about any point that was symmetrical on a typical house was asymmetrical on theirs. Ethan loved it and hoped to get one just like it soon.

They were close enough that Ethan just opened the front door instead of knocking. "Honey, I'm home!" was as good of a greeting as any. Aiden came up to greet Ethan first, awkwardly hugging him around the potatoes in his right hand then taking the food to the kitchen. Hands now empty, Ethan had to properly hug Aaron.

"How are you, Ethan?" the taller man asked. "Everything okay with work?"

"Yup, it's just peachy."

Aaron didn't seem fully convinced, finding something strange in Ethan's response. Ethan tried to abate his concern.

"Things are great, I promise," Ethan insisted, walking past Aaron and stepping into their living room. "We can talk about it more later."

Aaron and Ethan were peers, pretty close in age and positions in life, but Aaron always felt like an older brother figure to Ethan. At first, their friendship was distant at best, with their mutual friends being the only things that linked them.

Then, Aaron began coming to Ethan when he had questions, concerns, or complaints about Aiden. Ethan began to turn to Aaron for advice too. Talking with Aiden was and is great but they'd known each other forever and somehow, Ethan found that he didn't feel like bringing up certain things to him. Between the two of them, Aiden and Aaron knew just about every secret, issue, or concern Ethan had in his life.

Chris turned to look at him when Ethan entered the room, his stoic expression opening up into a smile.

Well, maybe he hadn't told them every secret.