Tuesday 15th May
Spike and Darren
Part Thirteen
"Sorry, it's just...he was being an arse" I say, feeling the need to defend myself even though he's not asking me to. In fact, he nods his head in agreement, letting out another sigh of frustration as he drags his hands through his hair. "How've you put up with that for so long anyway? I mean, seriously, he's acting flaming mental". Darren spreads his hands in agreement and rolls his eyes, shaking his head in resignation.
"Welcome to my world mate!" He leans forward on the bar top, spearing his fingers through his hair as he holds his head in his hands. I can't help tilting my head to one side to get a better angle on his arse. What! I'm a gay man, sue me! What's not to like though? I mean, his jeans have pulled dead snug like across his backside and his polo shirt has come un-tucked, exposing a little bit of his lower back, the part just beneath the dip and above the curve that has the fine dusting of golden hairs covering it, not to mention, his arse is swaying slightly while he's leaning over the bar. There's about three different fantasies right there.
He stands suddenly, breaking me from the very nice daydream I was having about my cock meeting his arse and turns to look at me. His grey/blue eyes dart around suspiciously, then he leans in towards me, close enough that I can smell him, inclining his head for me to come nearer. Okay then, he twisted my arm, the one that can feel the hairs on his forearm brush against it when he moves, which he's doing a lot of seeing as he always seems to be restless. Pushing as many of my wayward thoughts to the back of my mind as possible, I tilt my head closer, feeling a couple of strands of blond hair tickle my cheek as his voice lowers to a nice, conspiratorial level.
"Hey, you were right about that diary though, I've just had a quick flick." He cranes his neck and checks around suspiciously, looking back over his shoulder just to make sure no one's listening, then hunches down further and leans in even closer, making the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stand on end. "If anything is gonna give me some answers, then it's gonna be that little beaut up there!"
"That's something at least. I didn't almost get my arse kicked by Bambi for nothing." Darren's brows furrow and I can't help laughing. It's not exactly hard to see the resemblance between Craig and the doe eyed Disney character. I flutter my eyelashes, ohh God why did I do that? But he seems to get the reference, silently mouthing 'ahh' and chuckling. Then he gives me a funny look and I feel like a right tool so I stop. "The sooner you find out what the hell's going on, the better if you ask me. It's like he's pushed the self destruct button and he's just waiting for it to go off." Actually, the way he was acting before, he's more like a ticking bomb on the verge of explosion.
"Well fear not!" Darren says quietly, breaking into my thoughts, "Chief Inspector Osborne is well and truly on the case!" He puts on this really daft 'important' voice and pretends to straighten his tie...a tie he isn't wearing, admittedly, but it's still cute. He's laughing at himself but then his eye catches mine and he stops suddenly, coughing awkwardly. Shit! Am I being obvious?
"Sorry." He scratches his head and clears his throat. " I uh...I suppose I should thank you really, I wouldn't have known about that diary if it weren't for you. So err, thanks." He smiles...awkwardly,lifting his hand to scratch beneath the collar of his shirt.
"You could always buy me a drink" I blurt out, closing my eyes and shaking my head, turning away for a second when I realise what I just said. When I turn around, Darren's scrubbing at the inside of the sink like his life depends on it. He glances up from the manic scouring, his eyes darting everywhere but at me.
"A... a drink? Err, yeah, yeah I suppose I could... do that, maybe." Hah, he said maybe. Ace.
"Yeah? Cool, it's sorted then...". He finally looks up from the glass, his eyes catching and holding mine for a second or two before darting away. Now that's not what I was expecting. He seems almost...shy? "Aww,...you look cute when you blush" I can't resist saying when I see the flush of pink make it's way up through the top of his collar, coming to land smack dab on his cheeks. John Paul's a blusher but where on him it seemed to highlight his innocence, on Darren it's just down right sexy. I wink at him when he chances another look but then he fumbles the glass he's messing with and almost drops it, the smile that had been on his face disappearing in a matter of seconds. Okay Spikey boy, don't push it too much or you'll scare him off, I tell myself, deciding it's time to back off a bit. After all, he is the boss and I don't want to get done for sexual harassment or anything. Right then, where were we before I bagged myself a date? Oh yeah.
"So it was useful then...enlightening? Any juicy gossip in there or raunchy bits 'cos I'm allears mate" I say, turning the conversation back to Craig's diary, trying to keep it light and ease the thick, heavy tension that seems to have surfaced. I chuckle to myself, trying to imagine what kind of things he's written in there.
Before Darren gets a chance to say anything more, Gina, one of the barmaids, comes in, talking a mile a minute as she takes her coat off and gets comfortable behind the bar. I smile and pass her the glass towel, raising my eyebrows at Darren as I incline my head towards the decks.
"I'd best get set up now then eh...? You can explain that...thing when you're sorted here, K?"
He nods his head, his eyes following me as I make my way over to the decks. Smiling to myself, I start setting up, my thoughts diverted between Craig and John Paul and this weird attraction I'm feeling towards Darren. Hmm, interesting...all of it.
I get finished setting up pretty quickly but the pub's got busier in the last half hour or so Darren's rushed off his feet again. His seven o'clock staff hasn't come in yet and neither has Craig come downstairs so I have to wait for a lull or someone to turn up before we can carry on our conversation from earlier. In the mean time, since Darren confirmed to me that Craig HAS been keeping a diary, I've gone through pretty much every scenario of what he might have read in there. My thoughts have gone from in depth descriptions of how Craig might kill me for being John Paul's boyfriend to vivid accounts of what he'd do to me if he did decide to explore his gay side...I'm sure he's got one, all blokes do really. Call me a perv, I don't care. After seeing Craig get all hot and bothered this afternoon, I seem to have developed another little crush. I don't like him but I'd fuck him, you know? He's got a nice ass and I've got to say, that temper of his is a bloody turn on.
Whatever, I'm allowed to fantasise aren't I? Which takes me back to the diary. I can't help wondering if he writes everything down or if he's one of these factual types, 'cos that's much more boring. I don't think so though. I get the impression he'll be as feisty in his writing as he is when he's arguing. I have to say, I'll be very disappointed if Darren says there's nothing juicy in there at all though, and I'm not talking about Craig/Sarah stuff...please.
I wasn't kidding when I told John Paul last night that I think there's something more going on with Craig and I don't agree with Darren that everything between them is platonic either. I've got a pretty good gay-dar and so far, it hasn't let me down. I mean, I know he'd be upset at losing his friend and so he should, the aggressive little twat, but I reckon if it was just that, he'd have swallowed his pride and sorted things out by now, not let everything drag on as long as it has.
Craig might be a bit of an enigma to me, I only know what I've seen and heard about him but even I know he isn't a quitter. John Paul told me, in one of his never ending one sided conversations about Craig, that his best mate was resitting to get better grades and that he got bullied when he first went back into the sixth form. Did he quit though? No, did he buggery. He just kept bouncing back like a fucking boomerang, sticking to John Paul like he's his conjoined twin or something.
I sound bitter again don't I? Fuck it, there's plenty more fish in the sea.
But yeah, back to Craig and John Paul. I definitely reckon those diary entries'd be an eye opener. There's no way he'd fly off the handle like he did with me unless he's jealous and no matter how much you like your mate, there's no way he'd be that jealous unless he fancies him rotten and wants what I have...had, I correct myself. Darren isn't exactly acting like he's just had a great epiphany though. He definitely looks like his mind's on other things, seeing as he's just handed Leo a glass of red wine and some snooty woman a pint but he's not flustering around like I'd expect him to if he'd just read Craig confessing his undying love for his best mate or some elaborate dream he's had where he and John Paul are fucking each others brains out.
No he looks, thoughtful, contemplative, definitely not freaking out like I might have expected him to.
Oh shit! He's just caught me staring at him again. I can tell because he's frowning but he's got that curious look back on his face. Crap, he's on his way over. I watch as he rounds the corner of the bar and grabs a couple of drinks from the tray on top. Help must've arrived when I wasn't looking then. Okay Spikey boy, calm the fuck down and act natural.
I follow Darren as he inclines his head towards the empty table behind the decks, sitting down across from him when he takes the seat facing the bar. Then I watch him as he takes a long pull from the bottle of lager and starts shredding one of the beer mats, his brows furrowed in thought as his fingers tear at the cardboard coaster, the stress he's feeling today clearly evident on his face. I know what always helps me easy my tensions.
"You could do with a damn good..." noo! Shut the fuck up. I stop myself, frowning, quickly looking away. I take a sip from my own drink and a deep breath, then lean forward, smiling at him as I remove the scraps of the beer mat from his fingers, careful not to touch him.
"So...what did you find then?" Good, good work., much better. Now all I need to do is push all those other thoughts from my mind and concentrate on what's important...Craig's diary.
"Well nothing concrete as such, I only had the chance to read a couple of pages... I'll tell you what I did find out though." I look at him expectantly, raising my eyebrows in query when he leans forward. "I found out why he doesn't like youall that much." Eh?
"Wha...!" I clear my throat, surprised I haven't smashed any glasses as my voice goes as high as a pre-pubescent teenager. How can he not like me, he doesn't even know me. Alright so, after today I get it but before that? "What? What're you talking about, I'm lovely me" I say patting my chest, ignoring Darren when he starts chuckling to himself.
"Yeah well, you can be as lovely as you like mate, it won't make no difference to Craig. I mean can you blame him after you stole from him like that?"
"You've totally lost me Darren. I never even knew Craig before I started working here and I can bloody well assure you I'm not a thief!" I stand up abruptly, almost knocking the drinks over in my haste to leave, my jaw clenching as I glare down at him sitting there with a sadistic grin on his face. He might be fit but he's acting like a tosser right now. Does he think I've been nicking stuff too?
"Woah, calm down Dorothy, I'm not talking about nicking a pair of under-crackers and a box of jelly beans here. I'm talking about John Paul!" he responds calmly, gesturing for me to sit back down. "Honestly, he never stops banging on about him in that diary, it's all 'John Paul this' and 'John Paul that' and 'John Paul smells like the most beautiful of Spring mornings'... erm, well, you get the idea" he looks rather sheepish as he finishes his little outburst.
"Oh, well yeah, I knew that. You'd have to be a flaming idiot not to see how jealous he is and I'm not talking about my stunning physique and stellar wit for a change...no offense" I add when I see him sit back in his seat and fold his arms, realising I just insulted Darren like crazy seeing as he didn't see it. "So, are you going to elaborate or is that it?"
"Well isn't it obvious? All Craig was bothered about back then was when he was gonna be seeing his mate again, never mind the fact he had a hot bit of arse waiting for him down the road. And then... then he started sticking pins into dolls heads when John Paul got it on with that Hannah. Seriously, talk about death-by-diary, poor cow." I snort out loud but try and cover the noise with a cough as an image of Craig springs to mind. I can just picture him as he was before, a raging, sexy little bundle of fury, whacking Hannah over the head with a two inch thick red book. Hmm, yeah, I like that image, she wasn't exactly nice to me. I break out of my reverie and focus my attention back on Darren as he starts speaking again.
"What I'm saying is, if he felt like that about Hannah, can you imagine how he feels about you?" Uh yeah, he hates my guts and wishes me dead. Great. "I'm telling you, if he ain't got a cauldron of curses with your name on it brewing up in that room then I shall eat my hat... my pimp daddy cool one, you know the one with the little zebra things and..." he frowns, becoming flustered, his cheeks turning pink beneath my scrutiny. "Anyway, yeah." He quickly grabs his bottle and necks some more of his drink.
"Well that's just flaming fantastic isn't it? Next time I feel pain, I'll know it's because that raging loony up there is having a good old poke". Darren's jaw drops and he starts snickering. "So you'd agree he fancies John Paul then? because there's no way he'd get so worked up over me and Hannah if he just thinks of JP as a mate...bestmate" I correct myself when Darren gives me that look.
"Hang on, I don't remember reading that chapter. I mean yeah he is jealous, but only cos you get to spend loads of time with John Paul and he doesn't. Besides I've already told you, Craig's as straight as a dye, I'd know if he wasn't." I roll my eyes and shake my head in disagreement. "I would know, alright?" he repeats, this time with more vehemence. I carry on shaking my head, this time in sympathy. Poor sod, he really can't see it? Darren finally throws up his hands in surrender, attempting not to let his mouth twist into a grin. "Oh for f... fine, so maybe I did think there might have been something a bit dodgy about it as I was reading, but it doesn't exactly prove anything now does it?" I decide against clasping my hands together in victory and gloating, instead opting for something a little more sincere.
"Thank you. All I'm saying is I think you should keep an open mind. We're not all raving scene queens and cross dressers you know. You might be right though, it doesn't prove anything and he might just miss John Paul's friendship." Darren inclines his head as affirmation. Well, much as I like him and hate to be the one to burst his little bubble, I feel I have no choice. "That wouldn't really explain why he came hurtling back inside like someone stuck a stick of dynamite up his arse." Darren sighs, dragging his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"And in other words..." he stands up and grabs the two empty glasses, "...we're still none the bloody wiser are we?" He curses, looking even more stressed than he looked when I saw him earlier as he heads back over to the bar.
"I think he saw John Paul" I tell him matter of factly, voicing what I've been thinking since I first saw Craig. I take a seat on one of the stools as Darren goes back behind the bar and starts loading glasses into the dishwasher, watching him closely to gauge his reaction. He stops what he's doing and looks at me, raising his brows in question. "Yeah" I continue, nodding in response to his none verbal query, "he came absolutely flying back in like he was being chased by a gonad eating bear" I tell him, watching his eyes widen, "he almost broke his bleeding neck, he was running that fast" I elaborate, getting a bit of a kick out of seeing the surprise on Darren's face. "There's only one thing I can think of that might have provoked that kind of reaction and that's him coming face to face with John Paul" I finish, pointing out what, to me, is screaming out more than an albino with sunburn.
"Well I suppose that would explain why he was desperate to get passed you then" he says, mulling it over. "Do you think I should check up on him, make sure he's alright?" he asks, sounding concerned. I'm just about to say he might be best leaving Craig to cool down a while longer when he changes his tune. "Having said that, there's every chance he's writing in that diary of his as we speak. I can't afford to miss out on an installment like that so, best we leave him to it, eh?" He winks at me, nodding his affirmation to himself as he goes to serve another customer.
"You're all heart, anyone ever tell you that?" I call out teasingly. He tosses his head to the side and grins in agreement. I think about what Darren said about Craig being desperate to pass me. It makes sense. If he is jealous, for whatever reason, he's hardly going to want to be around the guy that nabbed the best friend he had. When Darren comes back from serving and starts faffing with more glasses, I tell him.
"You probably are right...about that being why he hates my guts and it would explain why he was such a hot...uh, hot tempered little fucker earlier". Shit, that obvious huh? I can see Darren eyeing me up suspiciously. Best change the direction this is going then. "So, what are you going to do then? You can't exactly tell Craig you've been doing a Miss Marple and snooping through his diary. The way he was today, he'd be eating your balls for breakfast" I say maybe a bit too graphically because he winces, his hand automatically going to the front of his jeans in sympathy. He soon realises what he's doing and looks back at me, rolling his eyes.
"Well I'm not gonna do anything yet am I? I need to read me some more of that diary first." I raise my eyebrows at that, snickering lightly to myself when he shrugs. "Uh, before you say it, I know it's not exactly fair on him and all that. But he has been driving us all around the bend for months, so I think under the circumstances this is the least he owes us." He looks away then, ignoring the reproving looks I throw his way, raising his eyebrows back at me as if to say 'what?' when he sees me shaking my head. I've got to laugh.
"Gotta say Darren, I love the way you justify that" I say between sniggers, noting the sheepish expression coming into play on his face. "I can just imagine you explaining it to him now ...'I read your diary Craig but I was worried about you, sorry 'bout that, besides, you've been acting like a complete basket case and I fancied a laugh'. Smooth, real smooth." He frowns, rolling his eyes at the sarcasm.
"Oh you reckon? And how do you think he'll take it when I tell him 'Oooh by the way, it was all that Spike's idea to go rooting around in your privates Craig, I never would have done it had it not been for him insisting upon it'..." I snort at the ridiculous voice he uses but he's got a point. Seeing the mood Craig was in today, I wouldn't really relish being on the end of it again. Darren snaps his fingers and points at me, waggling his finger in my face when he sees the trepidation there.
"Yeah, exactly! So if I get caught doing this then I am bringing you right down with me mate" he says, leaning in so close that I can smell his aftershave again. nice. "Now THAT is what you call smooth" he finishes, grinning and flashing his eyebrows at me in what I'd class as a flirtatious manner as he takes hold of the empty glass in front of me and starts making his way over to the bar. I sit there stunned for a second, letting the butterflies going berserk in my stomach calm down before heading over to join him.
He looks at me expectantly as I make my way over, the smug expression on his face vanishing as I come to stand in front of him. I feel nervous but I can't let that one slip by, I just can't. Come on Spike, since when has flirting ever been so difficult? I clear my throat, then look at him intently, my head cocked to one side and my eyes narrowing as they lock on his.
"So if you're going down, I'm going down with you then? Sounds good enough to me" I say, punctuating my words with a salacious grin. Darren's eyes widen and his jaw drops perceptibly. Booya! I chuckle as he fumbles with the glass he's holding and quickly puts it on the bar before he drops it. Cute, totally fucking cute.
"I didn't mean down... I... well I did mean down, but not down down. I mean, err..." I cringe for him internally as he coughs nervously, then laughs to cover it. "I err... sorry, what?" I raise my eyebrows as he blatantly changes tack and pretends he hasn't a clue what I'm referring to but I see through his feigned innocent routine. He clears his throat then and turns his back for a second, glancing over his shoulder at me, looking away hastily again.
"What? What did you think I meant?" Oh God, this is so funny. He tenses up, his eyes flicking between me and the floor when he turns back around. Then I have to stop myself cracking up when he edges backwards so his bum's resting against the bottle fridge door, the towel he's holding dangling strategically right in front of the zip fly of his jeans. Oops. I think maybe I'd best leave him alone for a bit or he'll turn into a quivering wreck right before my eyes. It is amusing seeing him like this though and, kind of exciting too.
"So does that make me Watson to your Sherlock then? Cool". I decide to change the subject now before he does a runner upstairs to join Craig because the last thing I want is for him to disappear as well leaving just me and Gina to run the place. He smiles then, genuinely, the relief he's feeling etched across his face. Still, as I sit there watching him work, serving customers, sipping at the fresh glass of Coke he hands me, I can't help noticing the covert glances he sends my way. Maybe it's not such a lost cause after all. When it's just me and him at the bar again, he rests his head in his hands, his fingers ploughing through his hair as he sighs deeply.
"What've you got in mind then?" He looks at me in exasperation and groans. "What? I mean, are you going to see what the diary says and see if he'll talk to you or try and get him and John Paul talking or what? 'Cos it seems to me that's the root of the problem here".
"Oh does it really? Well that's a comfort to know, gee thanks Watson! Now why didn't I think of that eh?" I sit back smiling at him ruefully, waiting for the sarcastic little tantrum he's having to subside. When he's finished venting his frustrations on me, he heaves a sigh, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head dramatically. "Look, I don't know yet, I didn't even know the bloody thing existed 'til ten minutes back" he says resignedly. I don't say anything but as I watch him, I can almost see the cogs turning in his brain. Then it's like he gets this renewed confidence because he lifts his eyes to mine, a determined smile on his face.
"What I do know is that if there's anything in that diary that'll get those pair of idiots talking again, then I'm gonna damn well find it. And when I do, that tit upstairs can bloody well look out!"
Thank you for reading x