“Hello, Barion. May I introduce you to Sammy?” Dre put Sammy on his feet while his brother approached them with a broad smile, showing all his gleaming teeth.
“Hello, Sammy. It’s so good to meet you. I’ve never seen Dre so happy. I’m so glad you’re putting up with him.” Barion grabbed Sammy’s hand and shook it violently.
“Hello, Barion. Nice to meet you too. And I’m not sure who is putting up with who. Dre is simply perfect.”
“Aww, young love. You two are so sweet. Come on. Dinner is ready.” Barion hadn’t let go of Sammy’s hand and was now dragging him toward a doorway to the left.
“You cooked?” Dre didn’t sound impressed, rather frightened if Sammy thought about it.
“Don’t worry, big bro, I didn’t do it myself. I learned my lesson, though I do want to emphasize that it wasn’t solely my fault. There was something wrong with the recipe.”
“Barion, we had to burn down the kitchen!”
“How was I supposed to know that sugar could explode?” Barion sounded defensive, while Dre just rolled his eyes.
“I have a friend you simply have to meet. Just promise me not to enter a kitchen with her.” Sammy smiled. He loved the playful banter between the brothers.
“So where did you get the food?” They had reached a dining room with a huge round wooden table and heavy wooden chairs with thick, lime-green upholstery. While Sammy was busy staring at the stag skull that was plastered with what appeared to be emeralds and rubies, Dre turned to his brother.
“I can’t tell you my sources, big bro. You should know that.”
“Barion, who made the food? I’m not going to let Sammy eat something when I don’t know where you got it.”
Barion made a face. “Fine, Mr. Overbearing. I went to Zenobia. Happy now?”
Sammy saw Dre nodding and used the short silence to ask Barion about the stag skull. “Are those real gems?” He gestured toward the thing on the wall. Barion grinned.
“Oh yes. I did that myself. I saw this piece by Damian Hirst, the human skull with the diamonds? Are you familiar with it?”
When Sammy nodded, Barion went on. “When I moved here, I found this bag of emerald and ruby splinters and I thought it would fit perfectly to put them on the stag then hang him in the dining room. Very bohemian.”
“It is.” Sammy nodded. It wasn’t something he would want to have in his own home, or Dre’s quaint little cottage, come to think of it, but it fit perfectly in this place. “I like the chairs.”
Barion puffed his chest. “Also my idea. They used to be a boring red, you know—that brocade red that screams set of The Tudors without Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a counterweight to the feeling of moth balls. Don’t get me wrong, I like preserving the old, and I did a really good job with this building, even if I do say so myself, but when the old gets too boring or suffocating, it has to be dragged into the twenty-first century—kicking and screaming if necessary.”
“Did you just quote Lord Vetinari from Discworld, albeit in a roundabout fashion?” When Sammy saw the confused look on Barion’s face, he had his answer.
“I told you that Barion isn’t much of a reader. His forte is gaming—and TV series. He’s kind of an addict.” Dre winked at his brother.
“Hence The Tudors reference.” Sammy grinned. “I have to admit that I’m not an expert in TV series, but I think I know my way around.”
Barion pulled out one of the lime-green chairs. Sammy sat down and admired the perfectly set table with two different glasses, rows of gleaming cutlery and plates of the finest, pure-white china. “What’s your favorite series then?”
Sammy thought about it while Dre sat down next to him and Barion vanished through yet another door into what had to be the kitchen. When Barion came back with a bowl of steaming Spaghetti Vongole and a small pot with what seemed to be the same green spread they had had on their first date in Rome, Sammy smiled happily while Dre handed him a piece of fresh ciabatta.
“So, your favorite series?” Barion poured them water and red wine before he sat down. Sammy started putting some of the spread on his ciabatta.
“There are a few, actually. My favorite feel-good series is Gilmore Girls.”
Barion laughed. “I’m with you on that one. You gotta love women who watch an automatic vacuum at the same time in two different places. Something we should try sometime, big bro.”
Dre made a face. “Is there a deeper meaning to it or is it just the sheer craziness of the idea itself?”
“Hey, I like that idea.” Sammy glared at Dre. “Don’t go dissing Lorelai and Rory. They rock!”
“Yeah, Sammy, show Dre who’s boss.” Barion grinned broadly while he took the spaghetti tongs and started serving them. “What other series do you like?”
“The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon is a riot. Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, but without the season with Glory. That just wasn’t my cup of tea.”
Barion shook his head. “I loved Buffy through seasons one to four. The rest I only watched because of Spike.”
“Oh yes, Spike. I remember your strange obsession with him.” Dre chuckled. Barion shot him a nasty look.
“Spike was great. That British accent paired with that platinum-blond hair and those cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass? I would have loved to get acquainted with him.”
“You mean you would have loved fucking him through the mattress, little brother.”
“Details, details.” Barion twirled some spaghetti with his fork. “What else, Sammy? So far, I want to praise you for your good taste.”
Sammy grinned. “Let’s hope it stays that way. American Gods. I loved the book and I can’t decide who’s sexier, Ian McShane or Ricky Whittle.”
“Is there something you want to tell me, mo grah thu?” Dre stole a mussel from Sammy’s plate. Sammy grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Do not worry, my demon in shining red. None of them can hold a candle to you.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear, mo grah thu.”
“Bah, could you please stop with the sweetness? I’m trying to keep my meal down.” Barion’s voice was teasing, but when Sammy looked in his direction, he saw the pure longing in the demon’s eyes. His heart hurt for Barion, so he tried to distract him.
“I’ve told you my favorite series. What are yours?”
Barion shoved a fork of spaghetti into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “I’m a bit of a swing watcher and a sucker for everything fantasy or historical. So Game of Thrones and The Shannara Chronicles are high on my list, as well as Dr. Who. I can’t wait to see what Jodie Whittaker is going to do with the role.”
“Yes, her taking over the role was quite the surprise.” Sammy nodded and saw Dre rolling his eyes. Dr. Who was so far one of the few things where they didn’t see eye-to-eye. Dre found the series terrible, while Sammy liked it well enough. And what would a relationship be without some friction here and there?
They finished the delicious meal with easy chatter about TV series, games and actors, and Sammy was getting completely relaxed around Barion. Meeting the family wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.