Chapter 5: The Bar Crawl part 2
3 Months, 2 Weeks and 2 days till deadline.
Connor tapped his foot as he wait impatiently for one of the boys to open their front door.
"What took you so long?" Connor demanded when Andy opened the front door.
"Woo are you ok?" Andy asked.
Connor took a deep breath. He had no reason to be mad at Andy he was just pissed because Katie had been giving him the cold shoulder all day and all because he wanted to go out with his little brother and his friends.
"Sorry, just having a bad day." Connor reasoned.
Andy nodded his head.
"It's cool, come in and I will get you a beer." Andy suggested.
Connor followed Andy into the apartment.
"Where's Tommy?" Connor asked.
"He is still get ready." Andy replied.
Connor nodded his head. He really shouldn't be surprised unless it was to do with the arrow or work related Tommy was always late.
Andy hand Connor a beer. Connor nodded his thanks.
"Of course he is." Connor muttered.
"What about the girls?" Connor questioned.
"They're on their way." Andy replied.
Of course they were. Sara hated to be late to anything, even going out with friends.
"I'm just going to change my shirt be right back." Andy said.
Connor nodded and made his way over to the sofa. The coffee table was covered in paper.
Connor frowned as he looked down at him. He knew it was wrong to read it but curiosity was getting the better of him. It was his brother's messy writing.
25 things to do before I die.
15 things left- deadline 4 months.
1. Go skinny dipping- I was thinking this could be done at the same time as number 8 or 9.
2. Get a tattoo- the tattoo parlour down town it's clean and fresh and very welcoming. Hopefully Jess won't freak out to much.
3. Bungee jumping-
4. Learning to pole dance- already taking classes with Sara.
5. Learning another language- dad teaching Jess Russian.
6. Ride a horse- Thinking of visiting Captain Lance down at his farm she should be comfortable there.
7. Bar Crawl- I knew my brother wouldn't let me down. Starting at the hare of the dog, before moving onto the cube, Rubies, The ice box before closing Vendetta. Aunt Thea is letting us close the club, Jess is going to have the best time. No matter what.
8. Spend a weekend at the beach- Thinking of asking the others to come with us but not sure how to get the time off without telling anyone. God I wish she would let me tell people it would make this some much easier.
9. Go camping- now that I think about it number 1 should go with number 8 and number 9 should go with number 15, it gives us a better chance of getting everything done by the deadline.
10. Gamble in Vegas- Need to plan ASAP.
11. Ride a mechanical bull- Found a club just outside of town that has a mechanical bull will take Jess on her next night off.
12. Hot air balloon- Found a place in Central city have to book some time off with Uncle Dig, maybe we can stay with Uncle Barry.
13. Ride a motor bike- got to talk dad into letting me borrow his bike.
14. Spend at night at the circus with Uncle Roy- Still can't find a place yet but I still have at least three months.
15. Make love under the stars- No idea.
"Oh hey your here." Tommy voice called bringing Connor out of his thoughts.
"What the hell is all this?" Connor demanded.
25 things to do before I die. Before time runs out. I still have at least three months. What the hell was going on and why did it all involve Jess.
"What's wrong with Jess?" Connor asked fearing the worst.
"What?" Tommy frowned walking over to him.
Tommy followed his eye-line to his paper on the coffee table.
"Oh it's not what you think." Tommy stated grabbing the paper and dropping them into his room.
"25 things to do before I die, how can it not be what I think?" Connor demanded.
Tommy sighed.
"Look you've got wrong, promise me you will keep this to yourself." Connor ordered.
If Jess was sick he would not be keeping it to himself.
"As long as it's not life threatening." Connor argued.
"I told you it's not what you think." Tommy reminded him.
"What is it then?" Connor demanded.
Tommy sighed and sat down.
"Jess found a box of Sins stuff when she was moving out." Tommy started.
Connor took a seat across from his brother and waited for him to continue.
"In this box was a bunch of pictures and this journal that said 25 things to do before I die." Tommy explained.
Connor froze the others were so young when Sin died that they might not have remembered much about her but he did. He remembered Sins playful side, he remembered her babysitting him while his parents were on arrow business and how every day different. Every day he spent with Sin was filled with fun.
"But Sin never got to finish the list and Jess can't seem to let it go." Tommy told him.
Connor nodded he could understand that. If it had been his mum or even Felicity, Connor was sure he would feel the same.
"So she wants to finish the list?" Connor guessed and Tommy nodded.
"What's all this about a deadline though?" Connor questioned remembering still have three months left.
"Jess wants to complete the list by her 25 birthday otherwise she thinks she won't do it." Tommy replied.
Connor took a deep breath that didn't leave them a lot of time.
The door bell ringing brought Connor out of his thoughts.
"I'll get it." Andy called as he came out of his bedroom.
"Look you can't tell anyone about this." his brother begged.
Connor looked at Tommy. What was wrong with other people knowing?
"Why not?" Connor asked.
"Jess is worried how our parents will react when they find out." Tommy reasoned.
Connor agreed reluctantly. He knew that everyone had taken it hard when Sin died but they would want to help Jess finish the list he was sure of it.
"Hey boys." Sara called grabbing their attention.
Connor looked at her, Sara looked beautiful in a long sleeve sliver dress that hugged her curves and ended just above her knee. Her dark hair was straighten and her make up floorless.
Sara hugged them both.
"Where's Jess?" Tommy asked.
Sara smiled pointed behind her. Connor and Tommy followed her finger. Jess looked so different.
"Close your mouth Tommy, your catch flies." Sara added happily.
Connor looked at his brother his mouth hung open in complete surprise and he was looking over at Jess as if he had never seen her before.
"I knew tonight would be interesting." Sara mumbled from beside him and Connor couldn't help but agree.
Tommy couldn't believe what he was seeing. Jess had always been pretty but right now Jess looked stunning. She wore a royal blue sleeveless dress with a sweetheart neckline and a jewelled waist. The dress was longer at the back then the front, falling just above the knee at the front, which showed her curves nicely. Her short dark brown hair hung in lose curls around her shoulders.
Tommy cleared his throat, he wasn't even aware that Jess had curves.
"Close your mouth Tommy, your catch flies." Sara ordered, her voice filled with laughter.
Tommy closed his mouth and eyes and took a deep breath. Jess was nothing more than his best friend.
"Hey Connor, hey Tommy." Jess said making her way over to them.
She wore a pair of sliver fuck me heels that made Tommy's trouser feel two sizes too small as he imagined her heels digging into his back as he made love to her on the nearest solid service.
Tommy shook his head. He didn't make love he had sex and he would never think about Jess in that way.
"Hey Jess." Connor said.
Jess hugged his brother before she turned to him.
"You look good." she said with a beautiful smile that lit up her whole face.
Jess hugged him tightly and Tommy tried not to think about how nice her breasts felt being pressed into his chest. He tried not to imagine what it would feel like to have her naked breasts against his bare chest.
He didn't do relationship and she was his best friend, she deserved much more than just sex with him. Not that anything like that would happen.
"You ok?" She asked as she pulled away.
Concern covered her beautiful face and Tommy swallowed hard.
He would not bother her was his sudden need to have her.
He smiled. Ignoring her concern and his inability to control his desires.
"You look beautiful." He told her honestly.
She smiled that beautiful smile again before turning on her heel.
"Let's get this show on the road." Jess suggested happily swaying her hips.
Tommy took a swig of his beer, this was going to be a long night.
Jess made her way through the crowed to the bar, Sara following closely behind. They were in the second club and Jess could already feel the alcohol in her system.
"Are you having a good time?" Sara asked as they reached the bar.
Jess nodded.
Andy and Connor had been going out of their way to show Jess how to do are bar crawl properly, getting her to try different cocktails and different shots. Sara was getting her on the dance floor every chance she got the only one who wasn't trying was Tommy. Tommy had been oddly quite since they left his apartment and it seemed like he was avoiding her and she couldn't understand why.
"Yeah, does Tommy seem a little off to you?" Jess couldn't help but ask.
Even though he had been avoiding her, she could still feel his eyes on her and it sent shivers down her spine. Tommy always had this way of looking at her like he could see right into her very soul and sometimes it took her breath away.
Jess shook her head, Tommy was her best friend and he would never look at her in that way.
Sara smiled and shook her head.
"Tommy is just getting over shook." Sara said absently.
Jess frowned. She had no idea what her friend meant. Sara waved her hand, motioning Jess to forget about it.
"Forget about Tommy and his mood swings there is a very nice tall and handsome man across the bar that can't seem to take his eyes of you." Sara told her pointing out the man across the bar.
The barman took their order.
The man across the bar was handsome, he had dark brown hair with a strong jawline much like Tommy's.
Jess shook her head. She needed to stop thinking about Tommy and how good he looked in his light blue shirt that made the blue eyes she loved so much pop.
"Maybe you should go and introduce yourself." Sara suggested just as the barman came back with their order.
Jess looked back over at their table the Connor and Andy were laughing at something and Tommy...
Jess swallowed down her confusing disappointment.
Tommy was talking to a beautiful blonde women.
She didn't understand why she felt jealous. Sure she had always found Tommy attractive but none of that mattered because he was her friend. But the look he had been giving her all night had been sending shivers down her spine and she kept picturing what it would be like to have him lying above her, his shirt open. Her fingers running down his chest, placing hot open mouth kisses as she went as he sucked the sensitive part of her neck.
Jess took a deep breath and turned back to the bar. She really needed to stop imagining the impossible.
"Maybe your right." Jess agreed.
Jess downed her drink in one and headed over to the man across the bar.
Tommy tired not to feel annoyed as the blonde woman played with her hair in front of him. Why did women think that was attractive, it just made him think she was an idiot.
"Maybe you should buy me a drink?" The blonde whose name he'd already forgotten suggested.
Tommy sighed.
"Look I'm sure your lovely but I'm just trying to have a good night out with my friends." Tommy said trying to let the woman down gently.
He wanted her gone before Jess came back. The thought of Jess misunderstanding what was going on between him and the blonde bothered him more then he cared to admit.
The blonde put her hand on his shoulder and leaned in close.
"I'll make it worth your while." She whispered suggestively.
Tommy scoffed and stepped back.
"I tried to be nice." He remind her.
"I'm not interested." He told her honestly, his voice maybe a little too harsh.
Ever since Jess walked into his apartment Tommy was having a hard time finding any woman other than Jess attractive.
"Your loss." The women snared. She turned on her heel and left, just as Sara arrived back at their table with a tray full of drinks.
"Where's Jess?" Tommy asked his eyes already roaming the room looking for her.
Tommy spotted Jess on the dance floor dance with some guy grinding behind her. A rage of jealous ran through him and Tommy had to physical stop himself from going over there.
"Like you don't already no." Sara muttered beside him.
Tommy turned to face her.
"What?" He demanded.
Sara sighed.
"You see Jess in that dress and suddenly you can't take your eyes off of her." Sara commented and Tommy cursed himself for being that obvious.
"Just because you realised she pretty tonight doesn't mean you get to decided you want her now." Sara added.
"Enough Sara." Andy told her.
"No Andy its fine." Tommy said glaring at Sara.
"Jess has always been beautiful." Tommy told her.
"Just because she hides it behind plain baggy clothes doesn't mean I don't see it." Tommy added.
Jess has always been pretty to him.
Sara scowl turned into a sad smile.
"You like her don't you?" Sara asked.
Tommy shook his head and turned to look at Jess. The man she was with made her laugh. She looked so happy.
Tommy didn't know what he felt but he wasn't about to ruin anything that might make her happy.
"She deserves better." Tommy pointed out before walking over to the bar, he was done with this conversation.
Sara helped Jess out of the taxi, by the time they got to Vendetta she was beyond wasted.
"Thap was sooooo moch fun." Jess slurred.
Sara smiled. She was glad Jess had fun, but Sara couldn't help but feel guilty after misjudging Tommy's reaction to Jess. Tommy was such a playboy how was she meant to think his reaction to Jess was anything else but the more she thought about it the more she couldn't help but see all of the signs. Tommy hated every one of Jess boyfriends, sure she hadn't had many and most of them were losers but they weren't bad enough to hate. When Jess was sad he did whatever it took to make her happy and when Jess was happy so was he.
"Oh Tommy." Sara whispered to herself as realisation that Tommy Queen might just be in love with Jess hit her.
They made it into their apartment without Jess falling over.
"We shoulb do dat more often." Jess suggested.
Sara nodded.
"Defiantly." Sara agreed.
Sara made her way into the kitchen and pour Jess a glass of water.
"Let's get you into bed." Sara suggested and Jess nodded.
Jess swayed her way to her room and Sara followed closely behind making sure she didn't trip.
Sara placed the glass of water on Jess's bedside table as Jess flopped on her bed.
"I lovvve yop." Jess told her sleepily.
Sara laughed as she pull off Jess's shoes and tucked her unto bed.
"I love you too." Sara told her as she left the room.
Sara sent a text to the boys to let them know they were home safe before heading to bed herself.
Andy Diggle lugged his house mate into their apartment. Tommy had been taking it easy with drinking all night until Sara opened her trap.
"Dam it Sara." Andy cursed.
Tommy was heavy.
Sara had to talk about Tommy's obvious attraction to Jess tonight, she couldn't just let it go.
"Come on buddy let's get you to bed." Andy told Tommy as he led Tommy over to his room.
Tommy shook his head and pushed away from Andy.
"Nope." Tommy replied over pronouncing the P.
"I think we should have another beer." Tommy announced as he fell face first onto the sofa.
Andy took a deep breath. He wanted nothing more than to go to bed but he couldn't leave his friend in this state.
"Jess had a good time tonight right?" Tommy asked his voice hidden in the sofa cushion.
Andy sat down on the over sofa.
"Yeah buddy, she had a great time." Andy promised his friend.
Whatever was going on in Tommy's head about Jess, one thing was clear he wanted her to be happy.
Hi Everyone I just want to say thank you for reading :)
