The Comeback

Chapter Twenty-Two

Roman 

Two bottles of Jack's finest whiskey, at least a case of beer and I can't even remember the amount of tequila shots we have taken. The only person I feel sorry is for liver. I feel myself sway to the gentle acoustic music playing in the background. 

"Oh god, he's about to whip out the dad dance moves." Jack started to laugh like a hyena.

"Do you remember the strip club incident?" Renee starts chuckling as she holds her face in her hands. 

My mind immediately whips back to that night and I can't help but groan. Memories of that night flood my mind. It was our office Christmas party, Jack had decided to attend because he never needed a reason not to go out on the town. Jack had got an elusive invite to a new club and we all decided to go there for the after-office party. It was just us three, the invite that Jack got was extremely exclusive, although the place was littered with celebrities, the most surprising thing was how many stripper poles there were. Even though they vehemently denied it, I knew they were responsible for my antics, all I could go by was the videos that they showed me the next morning.  

"He went from chubby dad at a barbecue to a stripper's who rent was due in sixty seconds." The tears leaked from Jack's eyes as Renee was holding her stomach as she gasped for air as she laughed. 

"You must have drugged me that night, there is no way I would have done that." I huff as I pick up the unopened bottle of whiskey. I pop the lid and take a swig knowing full well that wasn't one of my best moments. 

"That is slander and illegal." Jack gasped. "I mean you certainly weren't sober but you definitely weren't drug corner boy." 

"Being friend with you both is not good for my-self esteem or my liver." I huffed out as I chucked myself in one of the lounge chairs. 

"Ahh... Come on Ro'." Renee pouted. Her cheeks were tinged red from laughing, her face had this angelic glow. It was like looking at my old Ree', the one that wasn't heartbroken. Her eyes were really pretty, they were twinkling with mischief. She stood up from her chair and swaggered side to side as she made her way to me. She chucked herself in my lap. I couldn't help but let out a groan as she managed to slam right onto my dick, and not in the good way. She snatched the bottle out of my hand and took a deep swig herself. She brought her lips to my ears and I could feel her hot breath on my neck, which contrasted against the cold night air. "Come on Romana, we missed your slutty moves." 

Jack obviously heard her comment and again could not stop the laughter coming out of his mouth, he even had tears in his.  A part of me wants to shove her off my lap, but I couldn't she looked too happy to care about the problems in her life. "I bet that's how you kept that six pack of yours. How many lessons did you take?" Jack blurts out. 

"Yeah well at least I have a six pack and not a keg under my shirt." I snapped at Jack. Jack's laughter dies within a second. I wanted to pat my back a job well done. Shutting up Jack was not something that you could do easily. 

Renee wraps her arms around my waist and she snuggles her head into my chest, letting out a small sigh. I pull her closer and place a gentle kiss on her head. Jack's looking at us both with a smirk on his lips, his head is titled with a puzzled look in his eyes. 

"So when are you two going to finally fuck?" He blurts out. 

"What the fuck are you talking about Jack?!" I shout. I look down at Renee who managed to pass out in less than sixty seconds. A part of me is glad she didn't hear his words, but again the other part of me was annoyed cause' I'm pretty sure she would have knocked him out. 

"You know what I am talking about. You both want to fuck each other's brains out. I'm just chucking it out there in the universe." Jack said with a shrug of his shoulders. 

"We are just friends Jack. Friends. There is no sexual tension." I retorted. 

"Sure there ain't." Jack sarcastically replied. 

"Honestly, we are friends, just friends." I said with a shake of my head. 

"Yeah, I mean friends sit together like that. I mean Renee is my friend too but never has she ever snuggled into my lap like she is with you right now."

"Jack, I don't know what you are trying to throw out into the universe but you might wanna refund it. Things are complicated enough with Lewis and Liza as it is. I am not about to cross a line between friendship because she's hurt. Yes she's attractive and one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Yes, she is the perfect woman, but she's my best friend." I responded. 

He lets out a sigh. "That's fine, just continue to have unimaginable amounts of underlying awkwardness and sexual tension. I'm telling you bro, I am not the only one who see's it." Jack explained. 

"See's what?" I questioned. 

"... Why that Boner in your pants son?" My father shouts from a distance. It's with those words that Jack bursts out laughing again. Really? Even my dad is against me. I can't help but look down, checking that the boner that has been brimming in my pants since Ree' sat on my lap is hidden. It's then that I catch a glimpse at her creamy caramel skin that is seeking from her shorts. I can't help but furrow my brow and shake my head. 

"Dad, not you too!" I sighed out in frustration. My dad makes his way to the empty seat that was once occupied by Renee. Jack holds a bottle and passes it him. 

"Thanks son." My dad responds to Jack's gesture. He takes a swig and sighs in relief. "Not just me too. The whole world can see it soon. By the way stop being a perv and checking out your best friend while she is passed out." He said with a look of disappointment on his face, however there was another emotion lingering. My father looks almost amused. 

"You have got to be kidding me." I groaned. 

"Listen, you and Renee have something special. Friendship and trust is the most important foundation in any relationship. I'm not saying that you should act on your feelings of lust... But you should accept your feelings for the girl cuddled into your arms. We all know that this thing between Lewis and Liza is bigger than Renee realises." I look at Jack in disbelief, knowing that he has told my father the details of what we discussed this morning. 

"Oi! Don't look at him like that. Just because your a grown man does not mean I'm unwilling to spank your bottom." My dad points his beer my direction. "You know full well if Jack didn't tell me, you would have told me later. Honestly I always questioned your taste in women from the moment you brought Liza home..." 

"She was already pregnant when she first met you." I sighed. 

"I know because she clearly trapped you. She did a mighty fine job of that." He shook his head. "However, when you brought Renee home, even if it was as a best friend, I could see that she was a diamond. Whether you want to admit or not, we have all been waiting for Lewis to fuck up. Or at the very least, Lewis' mistakes come to light. But at the moment she needs a friend at the moment. She trusts you and loves you more than anyone in this world. I am not saying to act on your feelings right this second, I am simply telling you to acknowledge them before you loose this diamond and bring back a piece a coal."

With that my father raises his bottle of beer and gets back up from his chair and heads back inside. "Like I said think about what I said. Oh and Jack?" 

"Yes Papa Ray?" Jack said with a mused look on his face. 

"Make sure he doesn't fuck it up. He has a good thing going here." He swagged back to the house.