"Oh come on, seriously?" He moaned as Jodie's suggestion was heard by those around them.
Kat nudged Jodie's arm behind the bar and began a chant. "Off! Off! Off!..." Slowly others began and Christian just kept shaking his head and his shoulders slumped in resignation.
He waved his hands to get everyone to stop, and as the chanting tapered off he shouted out, "The bet is that I do what Syed tells me, not what you lot want."
Everyone looked at Syed, who slowly grinned and shrugged his shoulders. He looked around himself and then with Kat's help, he started the chanting again. "Off! Off! Off!"
Christian couldn't stop the smile from spreading over his lips and he laughed and punched Syed in the arm for putting him through it. "Okay, okay..."He said underneath the din of the crowd and then made a show of taking his snuggly jumper off over his head. A round of applause went up as he did so, and then he pulled off the vest he was wearing as well. "Happy now?" He exclaimed, his arms out to the sides and Jodie and Kat came running around the bar to get a feel of his biceps.
"Oh, give us a hug." Jodie proclaimed and pulled Christian's arms around herself and cozied in.
"You don't get that at home, do you. Join the club." Kat rolled her eyes over the bar at Alfie.
"Hey now, I could look like that if I wanted, I'm just too busy, you know. Got a pub to run." Alfie shouted back over.
"I do love Darren but a girl likes to be held by a strong man at time." Jodie kept herself nestled in and Christian winked at Syed over her head.
"Alright, you've had enough of him it's my turn now." Kat pulled Jodie's sleeve and Christian dropped his arms, only for Kat to manhandle him back into a position with him now hugging her from behind.
"What is this? I didn't know you wanted to have a 'hug a gay' night in here." Christian leaned his chin on Kat's shoulder.
"Now there's a thought..." Kat mused.
"Ahem." Syed interjected. "I hate to say this to you, Kat, but hands off my boyfriend."
"Oh alright, fine." She let go of Christian's wrists and allowed him to let go. "I need to help out the old man anyway. I think I need you to go to work on him though, Christian. A bit of muscle on him might even give him some more stamina. Ha!"
Syed slid his hand into Christian's back pocket and kept close to him. He was just as happy as everyone else with the view, his only problem was that hint of jealousy and possessiveness as various women in the room kept looking at Christian's chest. Not to mention him recollecting fantasies they'd both had about taking being 'out in the open' a step further and the exhibitionist hidden deep, deep down inside him wanted to come out to play. He'd never act on it, ever. But the thought was pretty damned hot. Instead, he put a hand over Christian's chest to complete a loose hug of him from the side and he felt Christian put his arm around Syed in response.
As Michael finished trying to impress Roxy on the karaoke and a scattering of claps rang out for him he called into the microphone for Christian. "Come on, mate... get your arse up here and give us a song!"
"I can't. Unless Syed says he wants me to, and I don't think he does." Christian shook his head.
"Now, now, don't be putting words in my mouth..." Syed responded. "I want to hear you sing."
"Oh god, Sy! Singing is one thing but you want me to get up there in front of everyone with no top on."
Syed leaned up and spoke in Christian's ear, "It'll really turn me on..."
"That might not be wise in public..." Christian whispered back.
Syed pulled back, took his hands back from where they were on Christian and started clapping too. He whooped as he ordered Christian to get up and sing.
"I don't know what to pick." Christian said as he looked at the size of the choices.
"Wait!" Syed said as he made his way past a few people. "It should be something you really hate."
"Oh no, that's not fair."
"No, but it's highly entertaining for all of us." Syed put in, loudly enough for everyone else to hear. He flicked through the book and then let out a loud "Ha!" And pointed at a song.
"No, that song lives in the 90s and it should stay there."
"I don't care, you're doing it. Put the microphone in the stand. You've got to do the actions too!" Syed manhandled Christian into position and then put the song on and the familiar beginning of the 'macarena' began. Although some in the audience groaned at the choice, most could tell what Syed was doing and laughed as Christian began by halfheartedly doing the movements everyone remembered all too well.
Christian watched as Big Mo began moving around the pub again, still taking bets on whether or not Christian would hold up for the whole night before folding. It seemed that as some handed her more money, he could just tell they were betting against him. They expected him to bail and that spurred him on. He didn't even know the odds but he decided to throw himself into this part with abandon.
