My Best Friends Brother

Chapter 49

JOSH’S P.O.V.

Happy hour at Rave on a Friday night was like entering a whole new fucking world. Westbrooke wasn’t exactly a entirely straight county, but it was a bit too waspy to be considered a gay haven either.

Not that you’d know it from this crowd. Each and every one of them dripping with rainbow glitter as they shed the straight persona most of them have to wear at work all week.

I remember the first time I came here, I’d literally never stepped foot in a gay club in my life and Brie said it was about time to pop my cherry. I’ve never been more intimidated by anything in my life, not that it mattered to Brie, she was in fucking heaven.

I’ve never met a gay guy that didn’t instantly want to adopt Brie as his new best friend. She just has that effect on people from our community. Unless they’re named Charlie of course, but I think his issue has more to do with the fact that she’s the first person who can outrank his curls.

Speak of the devil, he’s been on a high ever since I got back to the office with the signed contracts. Now on his third cocktail in less than thirty minutes and I’ve already got Han on his way because we both know he isn’t making it to six o’clock.

“I can’t believe you invited that guy to our Friday night drinks! As if it's not bad enough that you're ditching me for your new jailbait lover, now I’m going to have to pretend I actually like that Tresemmè hair commercial looking bitch.”

Charlie hasn’t actually ever spoken to Xade, other than that time he apparently walked into the office screaming about me while I was off at camp, but once Charlie’s made up his mind that he hates someone there's very little you can do to change it.

“Jesus Christ give the guy a break. If he turns up I want you on best behaviour, no asking what season his shoes are from or threatening to cut his hair if he doesn’t go on karaoke with you. Play nice.”

Charlie fakes shock, clutching his hand to his chest and laughing before removing the sparkler from his cocktail and waving it around shouting random lines from Harry Potter at people.

“Accio your clothes!” He shouts at some random guy walking past, almost spilling his drink in the process as he flicks the ash from his nearly burnt out sparkler around the room.

Why the fuck I continue to do this every week with him is beyond me.

“Will you put that fucking thing down before you hurt yourself.”

He shoves his middle finger up at me before dumping the sparkler in my nearly empty coke and swallowing his own drink whole. Fucking charming this guy is.

“You're no fun when you're sober! You can have one fucking drink! It’ll probably be good to loosen you up before you let that boy pound you anyway, it's going to fucking hurt after this long babe.”

I swear to fucking God...

“Shut the fuck up will you! We are nowhere near fucking close to that shit so zip it.” At least I don’t think we are... Although, I didn’t think we were at the point where he'd be laying on top of me admiring my fucking hard on until a few days ago either...

Charlie chuckles. “Damn queen, you need to stop being so fucking nervous about this! You think that boy hasn't thought about it already? His body at that age is basically 90% hormones babe, it’s probably all he's thought about.”

I lay my head down on the cool counter of the bar, the low hum of the music causing it to vibrate against me. He’s not right about this... right?

“You're really not helping my nerves here man...  I’m just trying to give him a fucking date to remember... Not seduce the guy until I can bang his fucking brains out.”

Charlie shrugs. “If you ask me gorgeous, those two things kind of go hand in hand... I was on the fence about Han when we went on our first date, then I woke up in the morning and still couldn’t feel my legs. I definitely knew he was the one then... Not that my paralysed legs stopped him going for another three rounds that morning... He’s my little animal.”

I chuckle into the wood, Charlie echoing my sound before ordering us both another round of drinks. I’m sticking with coke though, I want a clear head when I see Miles’ eyes the moment he realises where we’re going tonight. I honestly can’t fucking wait.

“Speaking of your husband, did he ring the guy to make sure everything is set for me?”

Charlie nods. “Yeah he spoke with him earlier sugartits, as long as you two love birds get there after nine everything is good. You know this might be the cutest thing you’ve ever fucking done right?”

“I know.” I smile imagining the night I have ahead of me. “He's fucking worth it though. Thank your husband for me, I couldn’t have done this without him, who knew having a friend who ran a security business would be so beneficial when you’re not looking to rob a bank?”

Charlie goes to respond to me but becomes distracted as he glances over at the entranceway.

“They always said when the devil walked the earth he would blind us all with his angelic face. Have you ever seen a face prettier than that one?”

I lift my head and look over to where Charlie is now staring. Fuck.

I’ve only ever seen Xade in his work gear, me and Charlie are still in our suits from work but that guy couldn't look more different from the one that I had breakfast with this morning.

He’s in an open baggy cotton shirt, hanging loose on his toned body with almost his entire chest completely exposed as he glances around the room looking for us. I’ve never seen him without every inch of him covered, but now I realise that so much of him is etched in ink.

His arms, his chest, literally every part of him that would usually be covered in a suit is a display of art on his body. His style is as alternative as his hair, but fuck does it suit him. He smiles when he spots us through the crowd of men that are staring at him with open jaws, not that he seems to notice a single one of them as he just walks towards me with his green eyes honed in on mine.

I can hear what sounds like an animal desperate for water, looking around for the cause I realising that it's just my horn-dog best work-friend panting like a bitch in heat with every step that Xade takes closer to us. Close your fucking mouth Charlie, you’re drooling..

It’s funny that the guy seems to be able to forgive anyone’s sins if they’re pretty enough. And this one is definitely pretty enough.

Xade arrives next to us, there’s an awkward moment where I think that he's going to hug me or something but he quickly seems to think better of it. Instead he just pulls over another bar stool then offers his hand to Charlie.

“Hey, Xade.”

Charlie takes his hand, shaking it and not making subtle the fact he is checking out every inch of the guy as he almost falls off his chair trying to bend back far enough to get a good view of his ass. Fucking shameless... You’d think him and Brie would be best mates.

“Yeah I know beautiful, we’ve met. I was the guy you were screaming abuse like a banshee with bad cramps at in the reception of our office a few weeks ago.”

Xade takes a seat but doesn’t look back up at Charlie, fiddling with his fingers before silently pleading with me for help. I give Charlie my warning look and he rolls his eyes before turning back to the poor guy.

“I tell you what bitch, you hand over that fancy platinum of yours so I can start a tab and we'll call it even. I always say there's nothing that can't be fixed by a good  bit of sex on the beach... One way or another..”

Stop fucking winking Charlie, you look like you have a neurological disorder.

Xade laughs loudly at Charlie, much to his pleasure. The guy doesn’t even wait for him to get his card all the way out of his walket before he snatches it from Xade’s hand and prances down to the end of the bar so quickly you’d swear they just shouted that there was a five dollar sale on Prada loafers.

“You know that makes you his new best friend now right?” I joke. “You won’t be able to get rid of him now.”

Xade smiles. “He feels like the type of guy that you want on your side..”

Well he isn’t fucking wrong there, anyone that gets on the bad side of Charlie seems to end up in a pit of misery, he loves the drama of a good revenge plot.

“I can’t believe that you didn’t remember him though, he isn't exactly easily forgettable. Besides, I thought you had that memory thing where you never forgot good looking people?”

Xade grins as he pulls his chair in until he's sitting next to me at the bar... Right next to me.

“He's cute...” Reaching over he plucks my drink from my hand and brings it to his lips. Is he seriously about to drink my fucking drink? Cheeky fucker. “..but I tend to only remember the guys that are actually my type...I don’t meet a lot of them.” He says with a cheeky smile before swallowing my fucking drink.

But he remembered me...

Charlie drops a pitcher of something that smells strongly of vodka between us before I can let the words ponder in my mind for much longer, and I swear I could get drunk off the smell alone.

“Jesus Charles, what the fuck is in that?”

Charlie shrugs, placing a straw into his own pitcher like a giant adult juice box and beginning to hose it down his throat. 

“Fuck knows, I just told her to keep adding shots of whatever was the most expensive until she thought it might kill us then top it up with some lemonade. It's not bad, give it a try handsome, this one is being a right fucking prude just because he's got some cock to get to in a bit.”

Xade sheepishly places a straw in the giant jug and takes a mouthful of whatever concoction this is supposed to be. His face contorts like he just bit into a lemon before he pulls back gasping for air.

“Shit! If I drink this I’ll be leaving this place in a fucking ambulance.”

This only spurs Charlie on to encourage him to keep drinking. I look down at my watch and realise I’ve only got about 30 minutes to enjoy them destroying their livers, so I’ll take advantage of each one.

Charlie was already stumbling over his words by minute five...

*******************

“Oh my God! *hiccup* Yes, Han hated him when he met him! Look at the guy!” Charlie leans over grasping the muscles on my arm before squeezing them, if you thought he was handsy sober then drunk he’s even worse. “But now they’re like little butt-buddies. He even called in a favour with his security mates to get Josh his date tonight... I mean for our last anniversary the guy bought me flowers from the gas station on the way home, but Josh calls to set up a date fit for a fucking movie and he's all in! It’s not fair!” Charlie complains, as he discards the straw entirely and just glugs straight from the near empty jug. He’s fucked... Or at least Han will be when he gets him home.

Xade chuckles, not that he's much more fucking sober now that he’s matching Charlie swig for swig.

“You want to see the guy Josh is taking out though! Fuck me... I mean you’ve got the face of an angel handsome but this guy is something fucking else! Tall, dark, with one of those body's that just make you wish you had the power to tear his clothes from it at any moment! And a fucking gay virgin! Completely mouldable to your pleasure... No wonder Josh can’t keep his fucking hands off him.”

Jesus Christ.

“And that is my cue to go. You two going to be okay here? Han said he’d be here straight after work so he won't be long, I’ve just got to start getting ready.”

Xade nods while laughing but Charlie just rolls his eyes so hard he almost falls off his bar stool.

“Yes fine, whatever! Just go and fucking ditch us for your nice piece of young cock! See if we care.. I’ve got my new best friend here anyway.. and he’s hotter than you!”

Charlie grabs hold of Xade’s hand and pulls them together with his own. Apparently drunk Xade doesn’t mind very much as he throws his arms around Charlie’s shoulders and hugs him.

Charlie is far more fucking happy than he should be as Xade leans gown against him before settling back in his seat still smiling at me.

Okay then.

Grasping the back of Charlie’s hair, I plant a kiss right on his forehead, subduing the drama queen within. He can never stay mad when I do that.

“We both know I’m irreplaceable...” I glance over at Xade, running my eyes up and down him. “...and we both know he’s not hotter than me.”

“Damn it.” He smiles as he lets go of Xade entirely and wraps his arms around my waist, swaying slightly as the alcohol continues to pump in his veins. He loves me and he knows it. “You’re right, you’re too pretty... Honestly though, go enjoy your night with your handsome man... Just remember to call me tomorrow and give me all the details.” He mumbles into my chest.

There is no point in arguing with him, he’ll only keep calling until I tell him anyway.

Xade stands, I’m not sure what he plans to do until he starts walking with me towards the door.

“You’re leaving?”

He chuckles but shakes his head. “No, that one needs someone to take care of him, but I was raised to be a gentleman so I’ll walk you out.”

Just as we get to the door a bachelorette party of screaming girls comes flooding in dressed entirely in ugly bride dresses and feather-boas. They almost run straight over us in their inebriated state but Xade loops his arm around my waist quickly and pulls us both into the wall out of the raging stampede.

I start laughing as they all begin to fan-girl over Charlie the moment they see him, it's even funnier because he's loving every fucking second he can be the centre of attention and is already wearing one of their veils before immediately starting to order drinks for everyone on Xade’s open tab.

“You'd better get back over there before he max’s out your card.” I laugh as I turn back to face the guy. Shit, we’re close...

“He’s welcome to it...”  His voice is so low and husky it draws all my attention from the room to him, deafening silence taking the place of the beat that once flooded my ears as I become engrossed in the sight before me. His back against the wall, his arm still wrapped around my waist keeping us flush together. We are very much safe from that danger now but he still makes no move to let me go.

Our breath combines as we both appear to breathe deeply at the same moment, his sticking to my lips with it’s vodka hued undertone.

“Is he really that special?” He asks as the hand he has on my waist loosens but doesn’t leave my body, I become very aware of exactly how much of me is touching him.

There’s a brief moment where I just let myself look at him, he’s such a contradiction of features. His eyes might be the most intense I’ve ever been met with but everything else about him is incredibly soft. There is definitely something different about him.

As I study his eyes again I realise they are no longer focused on mine, they’re peering right at my lips. Move Josh, he’s drunk, you have to fucking move.

Yes, he's Different, but not special like the person I really want to be looking at my lips right now.

“Yes, he is.”

I’m not sure whether he’s just breathing deeply whilst processing my words, or actually leans forward, but either way I take a large step back. Maybe after seeing me kiss the top of Charlie’s head he thinks I’m like a super tactile person or something now, or he’s so drunk he thought this was something else, either way I don’t feel right about being in that position with him.

“I’ve gotta go.” He takes a step to follow me towards the door but I quickly place my hand against his shoulder to stop him. “I’m a big boy, I don’t need anyone looking after me, but you’re right, he does.”

Xade glances back over at Charlie, who’s now sharing a fish bowl of God knows what with eight other girls in wedding dresses. Not sure where he got the one he’s wearing from but whatever.

I use his distraction to escape out of the door, I could swear I heard him mutter something under his breath but I don’t stick around long enough to hear it.

I’ve got to go get my fucking guy, we've got a date.

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