Lips of an angel

Three

Despite my protests Nix continued making plans with our new friends. I don't think there is a couples activity we haven't done yet. So tonight we are repeating something that was apparently tons of fun. I am not sure if I would go as far as calling it fun, but lets just say on a scale of annoying to tolerable, it was bearable.

"Meet you at the bowling alley. I have some work I need to finish up so I will be a bit late." I say as I lean back in my chair staring at the pile of paperwork in front of me. If I was completely honest the pile infront of me is not that urgent, but I need an hour to mentally prepare for the night ahead of me.

I am not sure what it is but despite Nicole's attempts at finding us or perhaps just me new friends I can't help but resist. My ringing phone stops my mind from exploring my crazy any further.

"Hey!" I smile as I hear Jo on the other end. Besides our usual Thursday nights, we haven't been hanging out much. Mostly because Jo would mess up the numbers in our special foursome, Nicole's words, not mine.

"What are you guys up to to this evening?" Jo asks sounding especially chirpy.

"Bowling." I answer as I give up on the paperwork and start shoving it in my desk drawer.

"Can I come?" rolling my eyes I get even more upset with Nix. Why does she have to keep doing this? What is the big deal with having Jo hang out with us and our new friends, what happen to the more the merrier?

"Jo, please don't make me say it again." I sigh as I rub the back of my neck in agitation. To be honest I don't think this entire friendship thing with Lola and Mia would be so bad if Nix wasn't so hell bent on keeping Jo out of it.

It really f*****g pisses me off. But the problem is I haven't been saying anything. Mostly because for the first time in a long time Nix seems really happy. And when Nix is happy she stops nagging me, which means my life is a lot less complicated.

At the beginning of our relationship Nix had some insane insecurities about me and Jo. She was convinced we were secretly hooking up. No matter how many times I told her that we haven't hooked up since our first year in college, She didn’t believe me. And in hindsight I can see that Jo and I didnt make things particularly easy for her. I could have been smarter about the entire thing, but I will blame it on youthful ignorance.

Jo and me have this habit, especially after a few G&T's to reminisce on the old days. Nothing sordid about the two of us, no we would recall crazy parties we attended or dumb s**t other people did. But the part that always pissed Nix off was that we would start laughing and lean on each other or somehow touch each other. None of it was s****l, or intentional. It just so happened that after a few G&T's everything got funnier and the ability to hold your balance was even harder.

I remember my first stupid mistake in dealing with Nix's jealousy. I had suggested that she perhaps hang out with friends of her own, if watching me and Jo hanging out bummed her out so much. This was a huge mistake. Because apparently I was basically asking Nix to give Jo and me some privacy so we could f**k our brains out. To this day, I still cannot connect those dots. How it is that she made that leap still evades me. But I am smarter now, so I know better than to question her thought process.

Over time Nix eased up, or at least that's what I think.

"Would you chill out. I know the rules. And I brought my own f**k buddy. So I will meet you there in thirty minutes." And without waiting on a response from me Jo hangs up. Staring at the phone I try and figure out what just happened. Jo was bringing someone with her to the bowling alley? The urge to call Jo back and find out if she is aware that that would constitute a date in the eyes of whomever she was bringing along with her. Jo has very clear cut rules. She doesn't date. For no other reason, than she simply doesn't see the point. Me I don't see the point in arguing with her. I don't agree with her. I enjoy having someone in my life. Having someone to come home to. It's comforting having that kind of company.

My phone lights up with a message once more interrupting my thoughts. It's a picture of Nix, Lola and Mia at the bowling alley, all with goofy faces asking me to please hurry up.

The picture makes me smile and I find myself actually looking forward to tonight. Finally the evening will be complete.

Two jugs of beer later and about half of the game lost to gutter balls and numerous fits of laughter, I sit back and look at the scoreboard as Nix and Mia try and offer each other pointers. The rest of us have tried to help them, but they are both a lost cause.

Jo showed up, just as she said she would with a plus one. Donna. There was never a doubt in my mind that Donna would be gorgeous, my concern came with whether or not she would be able to stay vertical for longer than five minutes without losing interest in everything around her.

"Dude, you need to stop eye f*****g my girl. Not that I mind, but I am sure Nix will." I can't help but smile as I watch Jo and Donna sitting in the chairs to my right. Jo has her arm lazily wrapped around Donna's shoulder and she actually looks interested in whatever it is Donna is saying. Mia left to go to the bathroom more than ten minutes ago, I am pretty sure she is puking her lungs out. That girl seriously cannot hold her liquor.

"You wish. I am just still in shock that you are managing to pull this off." I say as I point at her and Donna. Getting up from her seat, Donna walks over to where the blind is trying to lead the blind, Nix and Lola. It doesn't take Donna long to show her real intentions. Before I know it Lola is at my side pouting.

"Looks like I am not the person you should be worried about.” I say to Jo as I watch Donna looking at Nix like she is fresh meat. Using the guise of showing her how to hold the bowling ball, she feels up my girlfriend.

"So I see. Isn't this the kind of s**t that should be pissing you off?" Jo asks taking another sip of her beer. I decide to join her before taking a look at Donna and Nix, just as Nix turns around to smile at me and I reciprocate.

"Nope, I am pretty sure if Nix does decide to leave me she would want to trade up." I say and hear Lola giggle beside me. The sound catches Jo's attention as she turns her attention to Lola, stuck in the middle, I decide to sit back and enjoy the show.

"Finally I get to see you with without your bodyguard. Does she ever leave your side?" Jo asks wasting no time to sit beside Lola. Without missing a beat Jo fires flirtatious comment, one after the other at Lola. For the most part Lola takes it in her stride and it amuses me to see someone else who is able to go toe to toe with Jo.

"You better watch out, this is all just foreplay for her." I say to Lola as Jo fills up her beer.

"Who says it isn't for me?" Lola asks with a mischievous grin. Deciding that she must be joking as I see Mia finally exiting the bathroom looking a bit green.

"Well it looks like you are going to need to end it prematurely. Looks like your bodyguard needs you." I say pointing in Mia's direction.

Rolling her eyes Lola take s a final sip of her beer and heads off to help Mia. The evening ended soon after that, which didn't bother me at all.