ODDS OF LOVE : SEASON TEN

Episode 120

" Your grandmother is..... unique," Richard said as he shared a " lunch date" with his husband. Of course he was eating a healthy chef's salad at his desk at the office and Nigel was enjoying a bowl of chicken noodle soup in their kitchen since he hadn't felt up to going into the restaurant that day and they were communicating via FaceTime on their phones.

Nigel laughed and crumbled oyster crackers in the soup. " Yea. You don't know the half of it. I love knowing I have a granny. I always envied others who grew up knowing their own grandparents. But.... I don't know if I will be inviting her to meet all our family and friends. Does that make me a bloody pompous twat ? "

Richard crunched on a piece of lettuce before answering," I don't think so. But then again my own grandmother was a very reserved woman. She did a lot of good charity work. Well she chaired a lot of committees and wrote a lot of checks. Like me. That was my mother's mother. We never spent much time with Dad's family. Is she really that bad ? "

Nigel took a healthy spoonful of soup and then a taste of tea before he answered. " I wouldn't say bad. Interesting. She smokes a cigar. A cigar ! I almost had an asthma attack. Don't worry. Had me inhaler on me whole time. I learned from last time. She said she and my granddad had sixteen kids. Sixteen ! Apparently they were Catholic. And they enjoyed sex. A lot. Didn't particularly want to hear all that from the woman. "

Richard looked at his husband in wide-eyed horror as he pictured the old woman in his head. He swallowed and pushed his salad away from him. Suddenly he had lost his appetite. " I understand that. We don't really discuss sex in my family. Not with people like my grandparents. The Van Burdens are a repressed lot. "

Nigel smiled at him. " You might be repressed, sir , but you are very good at it. No wonder you married so much. "

Richard smiled back. " Thank you. You as well. "

Nigel laughed out loud. " Recovering rent boys live to please. Although I only want to please one man now. How is work? You looked stressed when I rang you up. "

Richard's smile slipped from his face as he said," I'm dealing with a very troubling case that may affect someone we know. And that's all I am telling you. That I can tell you. Except to say it is my first criminal defense case. And.... I have to say I am quite enjoying it. The criminal defense aspect not the details. I never thought I would be good at criminal defense. "

" You're good at everything you do. "

Richard returned to smiling at his husband. " I love your faith in me. But we will see just how good I am at it. "