Coming Back Home

Chapter 8: Nasty Green Stuff

NASTY GREEN STUFF

Roughly a week later, another man dropped by Charlie's apartment. She could swear that after her break-up with Mario, she became a guy-magnet.

The guy at the door identified himself as Tristan. Tristan Denvard, Blurin's psychologist.

Charlie was stunned when she saw him. Though she wouldn't admit, he looks so much like a piece of garnished bacon. His brown hair was slicked back in a professional fashion and he wore a casual outfit. His eyes were small and calculating and his smile was necessary and clipped.

Surely, Charlie had stuttered a little before she got the hang of actually communicating with him without embarrassing herself.

Charlie had almost called Deedah out of panic to ask for advice on how to be not so... Stupid. She is still clutching her phone as she ushers Tristan in.

He drops his overnight bag close to the door. He nods politely at Charlie before his eyes glance around until it lands on the bulky figure on Charlie's couch.

Tristan's eyes narrow before he storms over to where he sits and smacks him on his shoulder... Hard. Charlie stifles a laugh as Bulky yelps loudly before turning around.

"Pensé que te dije que llamaras cuando estés a punto de irte?!" (I thought I told you to call me when you're about to leave?)

It's like his voice just turned sexier. Tristan's face scrunches up in distress as he yells profanities in Spanish. Blurin just sits there and shrugs slightly.

"Olvidé." (I forgot.)

Tristan slaps his shoulder again and Charlie winces. A psychologist shouldn't be slapping his patients like that. Friends? Best-friends? Maybe?

"¡No lo olvidaste, maldito gigante!" (You didn't forget, you giant f**k!)

Okay, that's it! Charlie shakes her head before running to the kitchen to start on with dinner. Thinking of a light dinner, she pulls out a full chicken and starts getting to work. She can still hear the smacks and bicker from her living room and she just giggles calmly.

It didn't take quite long before she dishes the meal. She wipes the tiny sweat off her forehead before she walks out of out the kitchen.

"Um, hey guys," Two heads turn to her direction, "Are you hungry? Lunch is ready! Tristan?"

Tristan nods his head in thanks before shooting a not-so-suble glare at Blurin who scrunches up his nose when he hears "Lunch"

"No go, Tris. Nasty green stuff," Blurin says, petrified.

Charlie blinks before she bursts out laughing. It was so sudden that Tristan had to jump a little. Anytime the topic of food always came up, Blurin had always made sure to throw an "adult-sized" tantrum, where he'd scrunch up his nose and pretend like he isn't hungry.

Tristan coughs a little once Charlie's laughter dies down, "Excuse me, what's he talking about?"

"Oh! He's talking about the broccoli and kale that I sneak into his food. Initially, it was to bring down his fever but along the line, it became a cycle, I guess?"

Tristan chuckles in amusement. So, Blu had been eating his vegetables, eh? Through his peripheral vision, he watches as Blu peaks to the kitchen with a dreamy look.

"Did you put any this time?"

Charlie bites her lip before shaking her head.

"¡Ven aquí, saco! Ella no le puso verduras." (Come here, you sack! She didn't put any veggies in it.) He rolls his eyes before strolling into the kitchen.

As Blurin walks past Charlie, he passes her a small smile before taking a seat where one plate of the food is positioned.

During lunch, Charlie had enough time to think about living arrangements. Tristan isn't going to travel back soon, obviously.

According to him, he needs to ease Blurin back into his schedule to resume therapy... Also, he has to tell me how he ended up in my backyard.

So, let's say for two weeks, the doctor will be living in her house, with another stranger-turn-acquaintance. There is no extra rooms and she's so sure the doctor wouldn't be pleased to sleep in the tiny bathroom closet.

He must be jet-lagged. He can't sleep on the couch!

Clearing her throat, Charlie drops her plate in the sink.

"Tristan?"

"Yes, Jordan? Is it alright to call you that?"

Charlie laughs a little, "That's my family name. Call me Charlie."

Tristan nods apologetically. A tiny tint of red dusts his cheeks before it immediately washes away.

"Okay, as I was about to say, the house isn't really big and I don't have any other extra room. Blurin occupies one and another is the bathroom closet...so, Uh, is it possible for you to fi—"

Blurin looks up from his plate, "Oh. He sleeps with me,"

"Or, that works too!" Charlie laughs and walks away from the sink. She moves swiftly as she grabs Tristan's plate, not giving him room to argue.

Before she could take Blurin's, the bulky man was already at the sink, dousing his plate into the soapy water and grabbing the loofah.

She knows arguing with him is futile; she's tried that before. One day, Blurin had threatened to feed her the nasty green stuff if she doesn't allow him do the dishes. Charlie didn't even wait to picture how Blurin's fingers will grab her head and she was already hightailing it out of the kitchen.

Now isn't any different, with a nervous smile, she drops Tristan's plate beside hers and mutters a little 'Thank you' before walking to meet Tristan in the living room.

"Thank you for the meal, Charlie."

"Yeah, it's okay."

"I guess there's a lot of explaining to do," Charlie nods, "But can I do that tomorrow? I can feel my eyes closing in," The worry lines on his forehead clears off immediately as he begins to chuckle.

"It's fine, Tristan. We'll talk tomorrow,"

"Yes. Yes. Thank you for letting me stay the night and many more nights to come,"

Charlie grins bashfully before tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's fine, seriously."

She notices how his eyes droop and how his eyelashes fan his cheeks almost teasingly. Even in his slumber, he still looks like a p**n god.

Charlie didn't have the time to watch him sleep because Blurin walks in, "I'll take him in now,"

She watches as he lifts Tristan over his shoulder and gather his bags with the other hand. She doesn't even notice she's staring at the space where he once sat till her phone ding with a text.

She grabs her phone and walks to the kitchen with her back facing the living room. She reads through Dee's 18+ text before she feels it. The soft tap on her shoulder.

She jolts before turning around to see Blurin standing there with a bashful smile.

"Thank you, Ly." He says, not above a whisper.

Ly? Charlie blinks. This is the first time that Blurin has acknowledged her using her name... Or any other name. Most times, he'd just walk up to her to catch her attention. As if the ripped bod of a 6'5" bulky man is hard to ignore.

She realizes, once she'd opened and closed her mouth sixteen times, that she's not given a reply. Not even a nod of apprehension.

Charlie scratches her right cheek and sputters gibberish before she clears her throat and finally gives her wise reply.

"Do you want to read? Should I go get your book now? I'll go get your book now!"

All this while, her voice? High-pitched. Her cheeks? An embarrassed shade of "I am blushing."