The Grump

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

Brad’s friends, Michael and Alistair, a couple who had been together since meeting at university, helped him move in, all under the watchful eye of Douglas Owens, standing at his door.

“It’s going to be like living with your dad,” said Michael as they reached the top of the stairs with Brad’s couch.

Brad almost had a conniption. “Jeez,” he hissed, rolling his eyes. “He’ll hear you!”

With a great deal of difficulty and a lot of huffing and puffing, they manoeuvred the couch around the top banister and onto the landing.

“Watch the walls, for God’s sake,” said Brad, ever mindful of Douglas’s presence.

The couch only just fitted through the door, and even then it required a good deal of brute strength. It was the bed, however, that required the most skilful manoeuvring. After lugging it up the stairs, it took all three of them to get it into the room. Finally, after forty minutes of going back and forth to the rented truck, the worst of it was behind them.

“Thank God that’s over and done with,” said Michael, flopping onto the couch that had given them so much trouble. “At least we won’t have to go to the gym today.”

“It’s a pity you can’t have parties,” said Alistair. “Though I see what you mean about noise. Floorboards are notoriously bad. Be good to put some rubber underlay beneath them to muffle the sound.”

“You should ask the miserable bastard to fork out for some,” said Michael. “Make your life easier.”

“Everything all right?” asked Douglas from the open doorway.

Michael started chewing his bottom lip, as he always did when nervous, or terrified; his wide eyes on Brad.

“Yes,” said Brad, standing. He took a single step forward. “Thanks Mr…Douglas.”

“Hope you were careful. Don’t want any marks on my walls.”

Alistair, sitting with his back to the door, rolled his eyes. Brad did his best not to laugh.

“I was very careful. I made sure nothing was scratched or damaged.”

Douglas, ever frowning, nodded. “Got the rent?”

Brad fished his wallet out of his back pocket. “Here you go.” He handed Douglas a wad of notes. “One month, wasn’t it?”

Douglas gave a single nod. “All right, then,” he said, pulling a key out of his jeans pocket and dropping it into Brad’s hand. “I’ll leave you boys alone. Keep the noise down.”

Brad watched him walk to the landing and descend the stairs. He waited until his head had disappeared before closing the door.

“Do you reckon he heard me?” asked Michael.

“Who gives a f**k?” said Alistair. “He is a miserable bastard.”

“I don’t know how you’re going to put up with him,” said Michael. “I couldn’t.”

Brad sat on his bed. “I don’t plan on seeing him much. Got my own key. I’m on a totally different floor to him. If I keep the noise down, I’ll only have to see him once a week to give him the rent.”

“It won’t be forever, anyway,” said Michael. “If you don’t like it here, you can tell him where to go and find somewhere else.”

All three of them broke into laughter.

* * * *

A short time later, after they’d had drinks, Michael stood. “We’d better get that truck back.”

“Hang on,” said Brad. “I’ll just get the fridge plugged in. Doubt I’ll be able to bend over, though, after lugging everything up those stairs.”

Alistair picked up the empty beer cans and put them on the sink. “Unlike you not to be able to bend over.”

Brad laughed. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“We’ll take the truck back,” said Michael. “You’ve got enough to do here, sorting this lot out.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.” Michael wrapped his arm around Alistair’s waist. “All that lifting and carrying has got me worked up. I want to get this one home and sexually molest him.”

Alistair kissed Michael on the cheek.

Brad sighed.

It was sweet the way they interacted. In the four years they’d been together, their affection for each other had never dulled. Neither of them could keep their hands off each other, and they were constantly showing their love for each other with kisses, strokes, and pats. And while Brad was as happy as he could be for them, he wished he could find someone that rocked his world like that. Someone who would touch him, kiss him, and care for him the way Michael and Alistair cared for each other.

“Only if you’re sure,” said Brad. “I don’t mind coming with you. Won’t take me long to get all this sorted.”

Alistair hugged Brad. “‘Course I’m sure. And remember, lift with your legs and not your back.”

Brad chuckled. “Yeah, thanks, Dad.”

Then it was Michael’s turn to hug him goodbye. “We can find our own way out. Just hope the grump isn’t down there waiting to pounce on us for rubbing up against his walls.”

“He looks like he could take a leg off,” added Alistair. “Better than a guard dog.”

“Okay, guys. Very funny.” He waved as they began descending the stairs. “See you later. And thanks heaps for helping me out. I appreciate it.”

“Later,” said Alistair.

He waited until his friends had reached the bottom of the stairs before returning to his room to start cleaning. Only when he knew the whole place had been scrubbed, bleached, and washed would he start putting things away, a trait passed onto him from his equally fastidious mother.