Page 9 of Charlie Sunshine
“You have a new sofa?” Aidan says. “Well, that’s good news. Last time I sat on that steel and leather contraption I lost all feeling in my legs.”
“That was a very expensive piece of designer furniture,” Misha says in a resigned tone of voice.
Aidan laughs. “They totally saw you coming.”
“That’s great,” my dad says, clapping his hands. “Let’s have some tea.” He pauses. “Oh, does Misha’s kitchen now have tea?” he whispers to me.
“Yes, Misha’s kitchen does have tea. I do have food and stuff in there, you know,” Misha says crossly.
“Only because we went to Sainsbury’s last night and did a food shop after buying the sofa,” I say.
Aidan laughs. “I can actually see your coolness vanishing right in front of me, Misha. If I put out my hands, I could almost touch it as it sails out of the door.”
Misha shakes his head.
My dad nudges me. “Go and get dressed while I make the tea,” he instructs me, and I skedaddle to do as I’m told.
MISHA
After watching Charlie head down the corridor, I turn to the two men behind me. Charlie’s dad gestures towards the kitchen, and I follow them. Aidan immediately bustles around making tea and Sam settles down on a chair. I eye them both affectionately. They’ve been so good to my family and me over the years, and I love them like they’re my own kin, but it can’t be denied that they’re both lookers.
Charlie gets his looks from his dad, as his mum is slender and red-haired. Sam is stunning. I’ve seen pictures of when he and Aidan got together, and he glowed in them. All blond hair and long legs and a big smile. Even now in his fifties, although the youthful glow has gone, he’s very handsome. His hair is greyer and there are wrinkles around his eyes, but he’s still fit and charismatic with a wide smile. However, at the moment that smile is missing in action.
“Charlie looks terrible,” he whispers.
I sigh, feeling all the worry that had lifted briefly settle in my stomach again. “I know. He’s getting thinner, and he looks like he hasn’t slept for years.”
“Has he?”
I shrug. “He fell asleep on the sofa last night halfway through a TV programme. Sleep’s not the problem. It’s the seizures.”
Sam winces, and Aidan squeezes his shoulder. “How many is he having a day?” he asks. His voice has lost its usual humour and now has the firm edge I’ve heard at the hospital when he’s ordering everyone around.
I shake my head. “I don’t know.” I feel disloyal talking about Charlie,but these men are his family, and we all want the same thing—Charlie happy and healthy. “He had one that I know of yesterday,” I say slowly. I hate those fucking things and what they do to him more than I’ve ever hated anyone or anything in my life.
Aidan tsks. “They’d stopped altogether. Why start again?” he muses.
“I don’t know, and you know what else?” I lean forward and whisper. “Iwon’tknow because he refuses to talk about it.” I sit down at the table and sigh. “I know they’re bad and seem to last longer than they did before.”
“Maybe we should talk to Harry?” Sam says in a doubtful voice. “He might know more.”
I shake my head dismissively as soon as they mention Charlie’s boyfriend. “The only time he’d notice a seizure would be if it happens while Charlie’s on his arm in public or when he’s naked.” I shrug. “Those are about the only things he’s interested in.”
I grimace at the thought of my work colleague, Harry. Charlie’s been going out with him since he met him at an office party four months ago. I’d taken Charlie as my plus one, and Harry had taken one look at him and made a beeline towards him. Then I’d had to watch as Charlie fell under his spell.
I tap my fingers on the table. I’ve always disliked Harry, and the feeling is entirely mutual. He’s arrogant and a complete wanker and when I got the job we both went for, it had cemented the mutual mistrust. My dislike has been made worse because he’s such a tosser towards Charlie.
He’s in love with Charlie’s looks and parades him around like he’s the latest diamond-encrusted Rolex, not to mention the way he puts him down and makes sly jokes about how much he earns. And Charlie makes so many excuses for him: Harry is too tired from work; he’s had a bad day. It drives me fucking mad, and Charlie and I actually fell out over it a month ago. That led to Charlie not talking to me for a week which upset me badly because I can’t bear him to be angry with me. So I’ve backed off for the time being.
“When was Charlie’s last epilepsy review?” Aidan asks, bringing me out of my thoughts. “This should have been picked up at that.”
“Who knows?” I shake my head. “He never mentions them and won’t talk about it.”
Aidan straightens. “We should talk to him.”
“That won’t work because he won’t tell you anything,” Sam says, surety in his voice. “He’s so set on telling everyone that he’s fine, he won’t admit to any problems.” He looks at me. “And you know that too.”
I nod. “Of course I do.”
