Love breaks chains - English version

Chapter four

It's Friday evening and I'm annoyed. I am at my parents' house. This fact in itself is not bad. My sister is here and so is her boyfriend. My parents, of course, and a man I don't know just enters the dining room. He heads straight for me and pulls me into a hug.
"Hi I'm Jonathan. You're Alec right?"
I nod and blush abruptly. Fuck who is this? Why is he hugging me so fiercely and how does he know my name?

"Nice. You've already met", my father says beaming with joy and my head gets redder and redder.
"I'm your dad's new colleague", this guy says with a grin and looks deep into my eyes. I lower my gaze and greet him quietly. My voice is barely audible and I feel a little uncomfortable. He can't take his eyes off me. I don't like being stared at.

"Dad?", I ask quietly.
"Can we talk for a minute?" My father nods and I push past this Jonathan. As I do, my hand touches his and a cold shiver runs down my spine. I have a hunch why Dad is bringing a colleague to dinner.
"What's wrong Alec?", dad asks quietly as we stand in the kitchen and I knead my hands in embarrassment.
"Why did you bring a co-worker? You never do that usually? Mum invited me to dinner because we haven't seen each other in a while."

The words quickly leave my mouth and I see Dad trying to follow me.
"He's new. He's nice. He's gay", he says, presenting me with his innocent smile. I raise an eyebrow and Dad smirks.
"Is that how he introduced himself? Hello I'm the new guy and gay?", I ask and Dad gently touches my forearm.
"Oh come on Alec. It's about time you fell in love again", he replies and it's hard for me to be mad at him. He only means well. Just like Izzy and my mom.

Shaking my head, I leave the kitchen and go into the bathroom. I can understand him, after all. My family is worried. They are worried that I will be alone with my cat forever.
I look in the mirror and try to collect myself for a moment. At the thought of spending an entire evening with this man, I suddenly feel hot. He's not my type at all. Sure, he's nice. But he has red hair and green eyes. I prefer black hair and brown eyes. Only my parents don't know that.

Andrew was blond. That's why Izzy used to drag blond men for me in the beginning. Until I told her they didn't fit my scheme. After the failed relationship with Andrew, I found that my focus was on a different type of man. My phone vibrates and from the message tone I recognize who has written to me. Copperfield. He had not responded to my last message. I spent the rest of the evening wondering why. And when today in the course of the day still no answer came, my mood fell further and further into the cellar.

Copperfield
I am so so so so sorry. So sorry. My dear RobinHood. It never happened once in our time together that I was late in responding to a message from you. After finally getting a cab and driving home through the rain, I fell asleep after only a few minutes. The cab driver woke me up a bit rudely. That he saw me drooling on my coat was very uncomfortable for me. No that is the wrong word. It was just embarrassing. So embarrassing.

I was greeted by a family of penguins in my apartment. The heater was out and the icicles on the ceiling didn't match my style. So I went to a good friend's house. And collapsed dead tired on her sofa. And three guesses how I woke up this morning. Did you say drooling? You're right on the money with that one. Embarrassing again.

And because there's still not enough embarrassment, here's my final excuse. I just got out of the debriefing meeting regarding Chicago. I hope you don't think I'm all too batty and think it's all a cheap excuse. Now I could say, ask my friend. He can confirm that I have not slept at home. But since there is no partner at my side at the moment, you will have to trust me blindly. I don't even have a cat you could ask. I am too often on the road for that. He would starve miserably or live with my neighbor. The good one is already over eighty, so I don't want to burden her with a ball of fur. But I love cats.

Grinning, I put my phone on the small shelf next to the mirror. He has written boyfriend. Not girlfriend. He lives alone. He's apparently single. My mood lifts. As it always does when I get a message from him. I leave the bathroom and promptly run into my sister.
"Not so stormy big brother", says Izzy laughing.
"Yourself", I reply. Izzy digs her finger into my chest. What happened?

"Jonathan is really nice." I roll my eyes and she lightly slaps my forearm.
"Ow. Are you crazy?", I scold. She doesn't like it when I roll my eyes and I don't like it when she always hits me because of it.
"At least try", she says forcefully.
"Izzy. He's not my type. Pretty sure he's nice. But Izzy, I don't want to meet anyone."

With those words, I gently push Izzy aside and she disappears into the bathroom. Dinner goes as expected. Everyone is talking and laughing with each other, except me. My answers are curt and quiet. Jonathan sits next to me and many a time his knee touches mine. An escape is not possible, because I have already slipped to the end of the table. This is as far as I can go. Every time he wants to know something from me, my head takes on this beautiful bright red color.

My thoughts aren't even on Jonathan or this family dinner. They are with Copperfield and the book of the little wolf with the golden eyes. I have already taken it out of the big bookshelf in the living room and put it in my backpack. Of course I read a few pages and thought of my grandparents. I hope he is happy about this surprise.

Deep in thought and with a smile on my face, I don't notice that the conversation has died down. Only when I hear my name and feel a hand on mine I look up. All present look at me expectantly. Jonathan strokes the back of my hand and I pull my hand aside in panic. I don't want him to touch me. He is a stranger. I don't know him.

"Alec Sweetie, where were you with your thoughts? Izyy asked you something?" Mum puts her hand to my cheek and smiles lovingly. Her hands are always warm and soft and give off a slight smell of lavender. This gesture always soothed me as a child.
"What's wrong Izzy?", I ask softly, starting to sweat. I am in no way prepared for her next words and they hit me like lightning striking the ground. Hard and loud.
"Who's Copperfield?"