"What did you tell him?" Dean asked, fighting with the steak on his plate. He did not even look up to hear the answer.

"That it would be weird with you there. I could tell he was thinking about asking you not to come so that I would."

"That asshole."

Dean put a bit of meat on his fork and ate it at once. While chewing, he looked at Renee who was sitting across the table, waiting for her food to get cold.

"He has no idea, that's the point," Renee said.

"So how do you wanna do it?" Dean watched Renee's fries, then asked, "You mind?" She smiled and Dean reached over the table to get two on his fork.

"I've already found the place and booked it. I got DJ, catering, decorations . . ."

"You got booze? 'Cause that's all that really matters," Dean uttered.

"Sure. And I have a special surprise."

"I thought the whole party was a surprise," noted Dean. He was already holding a glass of wine in his hand, but speaking prevented him from drinking it.

"Yeah, sure, but I have something more special in mind."

"Stripper?"

"Almost," Renee said teasingly with a smile on her face. She waited for Dean to put the glass down on the table and swallow everything he had in his mouth. Only when Dean was looking at her attentively, she revealed the surprise element. "Lap dance."

"Oh, nice."

"From me."

Dean was stunned. "Wha- What?!"

Renee's smile was growing wider. She wasn't joking, and she loved Dean's reaction. The expression of shock was hard to erase from his face.

"I was thinking that could be fun."

Dean swallowed, but it took him a moment to find again his ability to speak. "Sure . . ." he said, stretching the word. The bewilderment was gradually turning into amusement and interest. He watched her, now smiling. "Are you serious?"

"I am."

"You'll do a lap dance for Seth?"

"Yes."

"You've never done that!"

"So? It's not that difficult," she said.

"It's not that. We were together for almost a year and you never did a lap dance for me," Dean explained what he found strange and unfair about it.

Renee kept smiling. Dean had his left hand on the table and she decided to stroke it. "Because we both know how that would end."

"If you think this won't turn Seth on, you're wrong," Dean let her know.

But Renee didn't seem to mind. "Well . . ." She accepted it as a fact.

"Wow." Then Dean asked, "And what about Nate? He'll be okay with that?"

For Renee, it was strange how easily Dean pronounced that name. Since when was this topic okay for him? "Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"Because I'm not the guy who'll be watching his girlfriend arousing other men."

"Idiot," Renee called him, but she was laughing.

"I gotta say, I'm already turned on a bit. You can tell him that."

"You know that he's not coming."

"Oh," Dean suddenly said enthusiastically, as if getting an idea. "Can I have the pleasure of taking a picture and sending it to him? Or should I make a video . . ." Dean thought out loud. "And focus on the crotches of all guys present. I can start with mine right now."

"You are such a pervert," Renee noted.

"Oh, you know I am."

"Can we get back to the topic, please?"

Dean kept watching very perversely for a minute, but then he laughed and let go. He returned to his food.

"Invitations," she decided the topic. "Uhm, I got them ready but I'm not sure who to invite."

"You act like it's a big thing. This is not a wedding . . . or a bachelor's party, for that matter." That suited more, Dean thought.

"I know. But I wanna do it my way so . . ." She reminded him, "You remember your birthday party?'

"But you're not dating Seth, so why do you put so much effort into it?" Dean didn't even get her chance to reply. "And while we're at it, it's gonna be Roman's birthday too, but I don't know about you planning anything for him," Dean pointed out.

"Roman's more mature than you two combined. He wouldn't appreciate this."

"You don't know that," Dean opposed.

"Yeah, I do. I talked to him. He made it clear he's not interested in anything that would get him in the center of the attention and remind him how old he is."

"I'm sure he didn't say that."

Renee tilted her head and chuckled, "Something like that. Besides," she added, "he can get drunk at Seth's party."

"So he's coming?"

"Sure, why wouldn't he?"

Dean shrugged.

"I was wondering if I should simply invite everyone in the WWE. All the people from the main roster, maybe some from the NXT, broadcasters, announcers, all the backstage people, but it seems too much. I mean, I probably want a big party, but I don't want to overdo it."

"Have you thought about inviting his family?"

"Nah," Renee said, shaking her head, "He'll probably have another celebration at home, so I just wanna separate the two." Renee laughed. "I don't know how his mom would feel seeing him wasted."

"And getting a lap dance," Dean added. "That reminds me, what about his girlfriend?"

Renee appeared confused. "I don't know anything about any girlfriend . . ."

"Ha . . . so maybe that lap dance won't be happening after all. Such a pity," Dean said with pretended sadness.

"Wait, he's seeing someone?"

"As far as I know, yeah," Dean confirmed.

"Should I invite her?"

"It's up to you, I guess. You're in charge."

Renee looked at Dean bitterly. "I'm serious. Should I?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Can you get me her phone number?"

"You think I have it?" Dean asked sarcastically.

"I don't know. Maybe you do. Or maybe you could get it from Seth's phone. Where does she live?" she was interested. "Iowa?"

"Narnia?"

Renee chuckled although she wasn't sure why. It was probably a natural reaction. "Can you get that number for me? Please?" she asked nicely.

"What do I get?"

"What do you mean? It's not like I'm doing this for myself. I'm doing it for Seth. And you're getting that number for Seth," Renee made it clear to him.

"He doesn't even deserve this."

"You didn't deserve that birthday party either," she attacked.

Dean sighed, at first appearing saddened, but eventually he smiled. "Alright. But if I do it, I want a lap dance too."

"If you do it, if she comes, I guess you're right that there won't be any lap dance."

"Then just one for me."

"Maybe for your next birthday," she proposed.

"We have a deal." Dean stretched his arm to get a handshake.

"So . . ." Renee quickly changed the topic. "You're bringing anyone?"

"Where?"

"You know where. To the party, of course."

"Oh, I don't know. Should I?"

"That's up to you."

"I don't want you to feel awkward. Without Nate . . . and seeing me with someone . . ."

"I won't get jealous seeing you with some random girl," Renee let him know.

Dean looked at her, trying to figure out the truth from her eyes. "What if I bring my girlfriend?"

Renee didn't believe him. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"I could have a girlfriend."

Renee surprised him, saying, "Then bring her."

"And it won't be awkward for you?"

"No, why? I want to know her."

"Really?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I want to see her face when she sees you getting a boner watching me doing a lap dance for Seth," Renee said, and Dean couldn't tell whether she was joking or not. Her voice sounded rather serious.

"I thought that wasn't happening."

"We'll see about that."

"What game are we playing now?" Dean asked, watching her patiently, observing, trying to find out what was happening, why was there so much tension between them. "We're making each other jealous?"

"No. We're just friends enough to joke about this."

"Admit it, you want to go to the bathroom right now and you want me to follow you . . ."

Renee laughed. "You're turned on."

"Of course I'm turned on," Dean admitted, now not giving a slightest damn about the lunch. "You keep talking about lap dances and stuff, and why did you even bring me here? You don't need my help planning this party, you've done most of it already. Why am I really here?"

"You refused to have that dinner with me, so I'm getting a lunch instead."

"That's sneaky," noted Dean.

"And now I'm gonna go to the bathroom, but you won't follow me, okay?"

He didn't promise anything, but when she finally stood up and left the table, he remained sitting on his chair, abstractedly staring into his plate. His food was now cold, but that mattered to him little. Renee barely touched her food. Was she not hungry? Or was she not interested in lunch at all? Dean looked ahead the way Renee left. With his eyes he sought the ladies' room. Dean didn't do anything, though. He grabbed the fork and knife to cut a piece of his steak. The cutlery found its place on the place again without having touched the food. Dean's eyes stared into the distance, his breathing intensified. He closed his eyes and tried to sort out his thoughts. When he opened them, he knew what to do. Without more confusion, he stood up and walked away from the now-vacated table. He continued walking until he was standing in front of the bathroom. He did not enter.

When Renee got out, Dean was still standing there. They looked at each other, confused but not surprised. Dean put his hand on Renee's waist. Her summer dress was cut out on both sides, exposing some skin on her waist. When Dean's fingers touched her bare skin, she shivered. Renee was terrified as much as she was thrilled. In the end, she was the one who kissed him.

It was a brief kiss, very gentle and sweet. Afterwards they looked at each other and smiled. Renee walked past Dean to get back to the table. Dean came a minute later, he was still somewhat stunned by what had happened. He was okay by the time he sat down opposite to her again.

"Don't bring her," Renee said, continuing with their previous conversation.

"You know that she doesn't exist."

"Good."

"But you don't bring Nate."

"I already said I wouldn't."

Dean smiled. So it would be just the two of them, plus all the other people who did not matter.

Renee looked into her plate. She hasn't touched her food and she still wouldn't. "We should get back," she said. As Dean was done eating too, he agreed. "You're paying?"

"Was this a date?" he asked.

"No."

"Then why should I pay?"