Unexpected Family (manxman)

chapter 3

a.n. thankyou those who have read this far! yay and without further ado... (oh and not edited)

Chapter 3.

For the first time in almost 3 years I was going on a proper date.

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It started nearly a month ago which was about a week after the Amy-Gay-school punching Incident. It was also after a frustrating week of trying, and failing to interpret the mixed signals I was receiving from Steve Lyken. After spending more than enough time second guessing myself with is he interested? No of course he’s not, and the like I gave up and called an emergency boys night with Pete.

We were down at the usual hang out watching the footy on the big screen. Well Pete was watching I was watching him. Nothing like perving on your best friend to make you feel better. Yep, kinda bad of me but even after 6 years he’s still as good looking as when we first met, maybe even better. 

Like the friend he was Pete had already listened to me gripe on the ironies of the past week. He’d laughed when I dryly said thanks for teaching Amy how to punch. We’d then discussed the fact that he worked too much, Pete was an engineer. How he ever managed to stay friends with me I’ll never know. We’d given up talking after that drifting back to comfortable silence with only a few shouts from Pete directed towards the big screen. 

We were getting another drink after the game finished when I turned around.

“Oh Christ, shoot me know.” I groaned.

Pete half way through ordering looked sideways at me.

Turning quickly towards him I ducked my head a little. “You remember how I was talking about Amy’s principal after that punching incident.”

“Yeah.”

“Well he just came in.”

“Oh which one is he.” Pete casually looked towards the door.

“About 35, dark brown wavy hair, about a couple inches taller than me, really blue eyes, and a mouth that looks like it smiles a lot.” At this point I had my head down trying not to be seen. I didn’t notice Pete shaking his head at me.

“Mr. Luxor?” His voice came from right behind me.

Just how much had he heard. Pete shrugged at me as if to say I tried warning you. 

“Hello, Mr. Cassidy?” Play it smooth.

“I thought so. I saw you and just wasn’t comfortable pretending that I didn’t. Hope you don’t mind.”

Geez and he’s polite too.

“No not all.” Pete snorted at this. I frowned at him. “Have a seat… unless you were meeting up with someone.”

Mr. Cassidy pulled on the empty stool beside me. “No I was just stopping on my way home. Just had a mind numbingly boring dinner. This is my treat for not leaving early.”

I sat there stunned. He sounded remarkably well…normal. Pete was looking at me as if to say I’d been lying to him.

“Ah this is Pete. My best mate since college.”

“He means the only one who still puts up with him.” He snarked as they reached across me to shake hands.

“Mark Cassidy.”

“Yeah I know.” Pete murmured. I elbowed him sharply.

“And before we go any further I’m Jim. And now we’re all on first name basis.”