PART SEVENTY
JOHN PAUL
Okay so it wasn't so bad. We spent an hour or so reacquainting ourselves with the group and playing pool. It was definitely cooler outside today, hence the pool instead of sitting in the beer garden. Aside from a few initially discreet glances from Dean and co they, thankfully, didn't bring up the other night at all. I could see them watching Craig though, especially Kelly who, to be honest, was acting a bit like she fancied him. She was watching him as he bent over the table, looking back at me telling me to wish him luck, which i did, before he took his shot. She had this funny expression on her face like she was enjoying a joke but there was only her that knew the punchline. I looked over at Laura, after all they were supposed to be together but she didn't seem phased by any of it, she just kept talking to Dean about the parade.
Dean, on the other hand, was the epitome of discretion. He sat through the match Craig was playing with Ollie, his arms folded, nodding every now and then at what Laura was saying, occasionally glancing in her direction but he never really took his focus off Craig. I don't think he was even aware that, as he watched Craig like a hawk watches it's prey, i was watching him. Every so often he'd raise his eyebrows or tilt his head at something Craig was doing but for the life of me, i couldn't figure out what was so damned interesting.
Like the time Craig was stood in front of me getting ready to take his shot. He took his cardigan off and passed it to me so it didn't get in his way, making sure i wished him luck again before turning back to the balls. Then he bent over, eyeing up the line the white ball needed to take, before hitching his knee onto the edge of the table and leaning across it to take his shot. Personally, i would have gone for the easy double in the middle pocket but Craig no doubt wanted the challenge so, fair play to him. Now for some reason, Dean could barely keep his face straight. He had the biggest grin imaginable and his eyebrows almost left the top of his forehead as Craig's jeans pulled firm across his backside and his shirt rode up his back slightly, showing off a glimpse of his supple, tanned flesh.
Now, correct me if i'm wrong but Dean was here with his long term boyfriend and really shouldn't be watching Craig like that. What the hell he found so bloody amusing though, i honestly couldn't say. Fair enough, i couldn't keep my eyes off his arse either, especially as it was only a couple of feet from my face but really....have a bit of self respect man.
Ollie approached the pool table so Craig came over and sat beside me, his knee nudging against my leg. He turned towards me and frowned, biting his lip as he reached up to my forehead and ran his fingers through my hair. I pulled back and looked at him quizzically.
"You had something in your hair" he said by way of an explanation.
"Oh, did you get it?". I looked at his fingers, seeing what he found but he brushed them against his jeans before i had chance.
"Just a bit of fluff" he smiled, the big brown orbs pulling me in.
"Your turn". Ollie's voice only just registered as i felt myself being sucked in. I blinked and Craig drew back, getting to his feet and approaching the table. I sat back and folded my arms wondering how the hell i was ever going to move on from Craig.
I was brought out of my odd musings when Dean called over to me, inclining his head towards the bar.
"Hey! John Paul. I think that bloke over there has his eye on you". I turned to see who he was talking about . There were a few men stood over at the bar, chatting to the barmaid and generally having a laugh but i couldn't make out one in particular that seemed interested in us. A couple of them looked over and nodded when they saw us looking but....nothing i could pick up on.
Craig came over and sat down next to me as he waited for Ollie to take his shot. He leaned in closely and i felt his breath tickle my neck as he spoke.
"Ignore him....you can do better than any of them....Anyway, they're too old if you ask me". My gaze flicked over each of them. He was right, they did look old...well....older, at least thirty. Any way, none of them sent my heart racing like Craig.
I heard Dean snort and look over at Kelly, the two of them exchanging some sort of non verbal secret.
Craig got back up and went around the other side of the table, lining up the easy black over the middle pocket.
"He just winked at you" said Kelly. I took my eyes off the ball as Craig's winning shot went wild, missing the hole by an inch, and looked in the same direction she was to see who she meant. I heard Craig sigh as he plonked himself back down next to me.
"Never mind, better luck next time" i consoled him. He nodded and shrugged. He didn't seem too bothered for a change that he'd lost, he just sat there a bit morose, watching as Dean took his place at the table.
Kelly took the seat next to Laura that had just been vacated. They leaned in together whispering and i noticed Laura look over at Craig as Kelly said something. I knew the girls had only met a few days ago and that both of them considered themselves bisexual, they weren't in a serious relationship or anything but the glances he was getting were unnerving to say the least. Both were attractive girls, anyone could see that but i hoped that the tentative friendship we'd all established would prevent Kelly from making any kind of move.
My focus was taken off them as Craig nudged me, his elbow digging into my ribs.
"Who do you reckon's going to win?" I turned my attention back to the match playing out before us between Dean and Ollie.
"Dunno, looks like it could be anyone's game". Dean made his way around the table, twirling his cue, his cocky swagger oozing confidence. Ollie on the other hand was quieter but weighed up his options more thoroughly. Overall, it was going to be a well fought game.
I heard Laura giggling and looked towards them, feeling Craig shift next to me and glance over also, trying to see what was so funny.. The girls heads were touching and they were facing each other, not us, so we couldn't tell what was amusing them so much.
"Women!" Craig was watching them still, a curious smile on his lips. I wanted to pull his face to mine, turn it away from the direction of the attractive females that held his attention and bring his focus back to me. He grinned as they looked over and i was sure i must be shooting daggers at Kelly, the jealousy i kept trying to suppress rearing it's ugly head again.
I couldn't help wondering if he fancied her too. Kelly was one of those girls who you instantly like. She's bubbly and quirky and chatty, the type of girl who gets on with both men and women. She made some sort of gesture and a wink and i felt Craig laughing next to me before i even heard him.
"She fancies you". Craig turned his attention back to me, his face registering surprise and denial.
"No, she's just trying to get a reaction, that's all". He settled back next to me, leaning back on the bench, resuming his earlier position.
I really liked this, the closeness we shared and the way we could just sit together with nothing much going on. I knew we were probably being a bit rude, alienating ourselves from the others but i couldn't risk it. It only needed one of them to get a bit tipsy and the secret i'd been keeping from Craig for months now could come crashing down around my ears.
As far as i was concerned it was absolutely imperative that he not find out how much i love him because, as much as i'm sure he'd handle it okay, there would be no going back this time, no taking back my words as a mistake and certainly no way of carrying on as best friends. Yes, i watched the girls and knew i had to keep my distance.
DEAN
Leaning over to take a shot, i watched the exchange that was going on between John Paul and Craig. They were like a proper couple, whispering in each others ears and sharing intimate little jokes. This whole hour had been like watching a train wreck about to happen, you just couldn't take your eyes off it. It was hilarious and exciting but painful, if that's even possible.
After John Paul explained everything to us the other night, the relationship between him and Craig had become clearer but at the same time foggy. When we met them, one of the first things i thought was 'these guys know each other like the backs of their hands'. Then as the night wore on, i noticed the odd idiosyncrasies between them. They finished off each others sentences, flirted and poked fun at each other and yet, when they were up on the stage and had to pick an option as an answer, it seemed to take them ages to reply to a question that, if you were a couple, you'd have known what to say in seconds. As the night wore on, it became clear to me that they were the best of friends, not romantically attached and yet, in many ways, more in tune with each other than real lovers, soul mates if you will.
John Paul looked at Craig as though he was an angel fallen from the sky. If i hadn't seen the interactions between them for myself i would have called it hero worship and yet...i couldn't, he simply looked at him with all the love he felt for his brown eyed friend, radiating through his very being. He loved and adored Craig with every action, every word he spoke and every look he gave and somehow Craig hadn't fully picked up on that.
Speaking of Craig, the rest of us had all pretty much picked up on the sexual tension between these guys from the very beginning. At first, i figured they must just be permanently horny for each other, until i worked out they weren't a couple. By that time it became obvious that the tension we were all aware of was brought on by the fact that these guys fancied the pants off each other and hadn't got around to doing anything about it yet.
Craig had been an enigma at first. He stood up for all of us when that bloke started having a go and yet it turned out, that out of all of us, Craig was the one who should have been least offended. Heck, even i thought of him as a knight in shining armour, wading in there to defend our honour. Ollie had certainly been impressed with the way he handled it, especially as it meant i kept my mouth shut for a change. Yes, Craig was definitely different than the rest of us. I hadn't picked up any other vibes from my 'gaydar' except those that were centred around his best friend.
The way he touched John Paul without really realising it and the way he leaned in close when they spoke, his lips almost connecting with John Paul's neck as his friend listened intently. He watched him all the time too. Initially, after working out the true extent of their relationship, i thought it was one sided. Then John Paul had gone to the toilets and Craig had been looking up constantly, until he'd come back in and been cornered by that Spike dude. He'd looked like he was going to march over there and punch the blokes smug face until John Paul moved away and came back over. Of course Craig had wanted to know what was going on and hadn't been best pleased when John Paul wouldn't elaborate.
I'd felt almost sorry for him later. He'd agreed to come back to our flat and yet, his mind was obviously elsewhere, things seemed to be getting a bit much for him and i could tell he was finding it difficult focusing on what was going on around him. I told Ollie later that maybe being in the quiz with John Paul had made him face up to things regarding the two of them and he'd agreed. He'd had this kind of bewildered expression on his face as he sat on the arm of a chair, nursing a beer and i'd known the exact moment he was going to bolt, like a deer caught in the headlights.
I got the impression he was going through the biggest mind fuck of his life and realistically...who was he going to turn to? His main companion was the reason for his turmoil so he couldn't go to him and from what he'd said of his family, he had a step brother who was as camp as a national park full of hikers, a brother who was shacked up with his ex wifes younger sister and a mum and sister that were away with the fairies, so i figured he didn't really have anyone else to turn to. I wanted to go after him but Ollie had stopped me, whispering that he needed time to himself to get his thoughts straight.
By the looks of things, he'd decided to embrace his attraction to his best friend and was going all out to get John Paul's attention. He certainly had it but not so he would realise. Seriously, the pair of them need their heads banging together.
To be fair, Craig was making an effort....no strike that, he was waging all out war, doing pretty much everything to get John Paul to notice him. If i wasn't with Ollie and Craig and John Paul weren't so besotted with each other, some of Craig's moves tonight may even have swayed me to give him a good seeing to. He seemed to have it in his head to be as blatant with John Paul as possible. Unfortunately, everything he was doing was going way over the attractive blond mans head.
I haven't a clue what's happened since we last saw them two nights ago but Craig is sporting a bit of a shiner and the way he's behaving towards John Paul, i'd say he's decided to embrace his new found sexuality and try his best to send his mate to an early grave by giving him a heart attack.
When he was playing pool before and he decided to take the risky shot instead of the easy red to the middle pocket, i wondered what he was playing at, as there was no way he'd get the ball in. Then i saw him hike his leg up onto the table, waving his pert little arse in John Paul's face and i realised exactly what he was up to. He'd decided to use his gorgeous bod to get his friends attention.
The only problem was, as his friend told us days earlier, John Paul had no inkling what so ever that Craig might be inclined to go down that route. That's when i decided that maybe Craig needed a helping hand or four to get John Paul to notice, otherwise, by the end of the night Craig's ego would have shrunk to the size of a peanut and they'd be no nearer to knowing each others true feelings.
"Hey! John Paul. I think that bloke over there has his eye on you". That made him look up and it certainly got Craig's attention too. He wasted no time going over and sitting as close to John Paul as was possible without him actually ending up in his lap. I hoped the latter would look and see the look of pure unadulterated jealousy that was covering Craig's face, unfortunately, even when i saw Craig whisper to him, he didn't notice.
I glanced over and noticed Kelly had seen the not so subtle exchange too. She rolled her eyes at the pair of them but seemed to understand what i was trying to do, raising her eyebrows. I grinned back, great minds think alike and all that.
Craig got up to take the shot that could win him the game, all he had to do was tap the black ball on it's right hand side and it would fall straight in the pocket. John Paul was watching avidly as he got ready to take it.
"He just winked at you". Kelly picked the exact right moment to make the comment, watching as Craig miss cued and sent the white into the black ball at the completely wrong angle. I didn't know which of them to watch so my head was going back and forth from one to the other like i was on centre court at Wimbledon. John Paul looked over at the bar and as Craig faced John Paul, his shoulders slumping as he saw his friends attention was diverted. As soon as they were sat back together i saw John Paul trying to console him on his defeat.
I got up to play against Ollie but i was still watching the interactions play out. The girls were laughing, no doubt Kelly filling Laura in on our unspoken plan and as they kept passing furtive looks at the boys, i could almost see John Paul seething with jealousy. Now all we needed was for one of them to act on it. If we played our cards right, this night could be unforgettable.
KELLY
If this didn't make them see sense then i'm not sure what would. I told Laura what the score was with these two and we decided we needed to divide and conquer in order to get the guys to admit their feelings and act on them. It's not like we wanted to watch them making out or anything it's just....when two people belong together, it breaks my heart to see them so unhappy. Actually, they didn't look unhappy, they seemed quite content but i knew from my own experiences that content is not what living is all about.
As soon as it was Craig and John Paul's turn to play each other, we sat the other two down and explained the plan. Me and Ollie would take Craig on whilst Laura and Dean tackled John Paul.
The plan was for us to convince Craig that if he just makes the first move with John Paul then his efforts would definitely be rewarded. The problem was, we really had to try and do this without actually breaking the confidance that John Paul had bestowed upon us two days ago.
Personally, i think the other two have a far more difficult task to achieve. They have to somehow convince John Paul that all these little things that Craig keeps doing to get his attention are in the hope of getting him to notice that his feeling towards his friend have changed. With the way that John Paul has been thinking and from what he told us, he thinks there is no way his straight, good looking, brilliant best friend could ever see him like that. They just had to convince him otherwise. When it came to thinking you were worthless, John Paul was in a league of his own.
Of course, first we had to make sure we were right, otherwise we could be screwing up the best friendship there ever was. I had butterflies in anticipation of what could go off tonight. If all went well, this could be a night they may never forget.
CRAIG
It was just before nine when we agreed to make the move to the Horseshoe Bar, where we had tickets to watch Ken Webster, the Hypnotist. We made our way there, together but in pairs. Me and John Paul were discussing what kind of an idiot would let themselves get taken up on stage and made a fool out of. Of course, we realised at the same time, that's exactly what we did the other night, with the exact same people around us and then couldn't stop laughing.
Kelly and Laura were practically skipping as they walked ahead of us and lagging behind were Dean and Ollie. They still hadn't let me live it down that i'd missed the black ball earlier. My protestations of 'i was distracted' fell on deaf ears, especially when i refused to explain why that was. I could hardly just blurt out that i was jealous when i heard them say someone was giving JP the once over, could i?
Speaking of John Paul, he was all over the place tonight. One minute he was having a laugh and joining in and the next he had this almighty scowl on his face like he wished he was anywhere but here. He hadn't really sat down with the others though, so i figured, once we got to the venue, he might chill out a little bit. I hoped so anyway, otherwise, i could be in for a really long night.
We followed a big group of people in and managed to find a table fairly close to the stage. It was really well located actually because it was next to the aisle and the bar. I sat on the end nearest the stage across from Ollie and next to JP. Dean was sandwiched between his boyfriend and Laura and across from her, next to John Paul was Kelly. I was pretty satisfied actually because it gave me a full view of the stage area and i was able to stretch out my legs if i turned my back to JP just a little.
Everyone seemed really pleased that they'd come out for the night and i have to admit, i was too. I don't know why....but i had the feeling this was a night i would remember for a long time to come.
JOHN PAUL
We managed to get some good seats and i was able to sit myself between Craig and Kelly, which i was grateful for. As much as i want him to be happy, i certainly don't want to see him being flirted with all night...a guy has limits, you know?
It probably sounds really selfish but i kind of just wish we'd come here on our own, just the two of us. When we walked over from the pub it was great, everyone was in their couples, well and me with Craig, and we chatted about nothing. For one of the first times today i felt like we were back on form, nothing unusual going on between us except talking and being mates. He still seemed to have something on his mind but i figured if it was anything i could help with, he'd let me know soon enough.
I knew i was being paranoid but i had this constant feeling of being watched. I felt like i was the lead circus act and they were just waiting for me to slip up and make a complete dick of myself, which is horrible right? but i couldn't help it.
Craig was getting on with the group really well, in Kelly's case maybe too well, and he didn't seem uncomfortable at all. In fact he seemed really cheery and alive, his brown eyes dancing and animated as he talked. It was strange because i felt out of place, unsure about the situation i was in and he was acting as though he'd known this group of friends all our lives. Most of the time i felt like i had his undivided attention, it was just every now and then that it wavered in someone else's direction and it made me feel insecure and envious.
I was also a bag of nerves because of the other night. Jesus, i'd bared my soul to these people who i hardly knew and now the simplicity of my future lay in their hands. I was sure, like 99% sure that none of them would bring it up....but that other 1% kept niggling away at me and it wouldn't go away. What if Kelly got absolutely wrecked again and spilled her guts to Craig about what i'd told them all. There was no way i'd be able to live it down.
So anyway, that's why less than two minutes later i was a bundle of nerves. Craig asked who wanted a drink and ended up going to the bar with Kelly. This was shaping up to be, quite possibly, a night i wouldn't want to remember.