Best Friends

Thanks to my friend Charlie for his help guidance and editing.

Any mistakes found in here are mine. I couldn't help playing with it again.

***

As we walked, Chris passed me a beer and led me away towards the garage. As I looked back at the house I could see Marie watching us strangely.

We ended up in the garage and as Chris wandered around running his hands over my tools he turned and looked at me. "Mate I have a favour to ask. I don't want you to get angry and I don't want you to fly off the handle either."

Something was eating away at him, nervously I muttered. "Yeah, OK Chris let's get it over with then, what do you want?"

He fidgeted around staring aimlessly at the ground. "Jay I...um... I want you to..." Whatever it was he couldn't get the words out. I could see he was visibly upset.

"C'mon just spit it out. Whatever it is, I will help if I can. We don't have a lot of money but we will help if we can."

He broke down. "Jesus Christ, I don't want to borrow fucking money." He grabbed me by the shoulders, his fingers digging in painfully. "Marie wants a family. You know what she's been like, she's been harping on at me again about adopting, but fuck that."

I hugged him patting him heartily on the back. "It's going to be OK, it will work out somehow."

"No it bloody won't... we've tried and tried, even bloody IVF failed... What I...I ..."

He stared out into space looking for, or hoping for divine intervention. "Jay, I want you to do it."

"Do what? What in god's name are you talking about?"

"Don't be a fucking prick; you know what I am getting at."

I slumped back against my truck. He swigged his beer. "Jay, Marie and I are at our wits end. We have argued and fought. We have talked about adoption and I am sick of hearing about it, I admit I am being selfish here. I want her to have the whole experience, pregnancy, childbirth the whole thing."

I turned and walked out, "I'm going to need more beer. I will be back." As I walked into the house Cassie and Marie were at the table laughing and chatting as they worked on lunch. I snuck over to the fridge, and got another couple of beers, and walked back to the garage. Chris was sitting on the back of the truck staring at nothing.

I passed him his beer. "Mate, you are being ridiculous. You have got to be joking... There's no way you want to go through that."

"I'm not fucking around here Jay, I'm serious don't make me beg. I will if I have to, but I hoped you'd have some sympathy."

"Oh fuck off, I am sympathetic. That must have been a hard thing to do, but you're asking a lot."

He gave me a mocking glare. "Asking a lot... Fuck off I have seen you staring at her when you think nobodies watching, FYI I know. You fancy her, there's no need to be embarrassed, oh and by the way... I would be insulted if you weren't..."

When he saw the look of shock on my face he laughed, peering at me with sad tired eyes. "That night, I selfishly fucked up all our lives and we have all suffered because of it. What I did was wrong and stupid, and I have apologised that many times, but this is different."

I was uncomfortable even talking about this; I could see the anguish, the pain on his face. "Jason, I'm a proud man and this is the hardest thing in the world for me to do. Do you think I wanted to ask this? Fuck it hurts man, it fucking hurts, Jesus look at me begging you to make my wife pregnant because I can't."

"Chris, that night you and Cass just about wrecked my marriage and I am not going through that again." I turned and walked out leaving him sitting in the garage by himself.

I walked back inside and the girls were still busy working on lunch I got two more beers from the fridge and went outside and propped myself up on the barbeque table waiting for Chris. He eventually wandered out I handed him a beer but he declined. "Nah, not for me mate we might leave, I think that's best, isn't it?"

I shrugged... "Your call mate."

Just as he finished Cassie and Marie wandered out looking happy and smiley. Cassie joked. "OK, what are you two deviants talking about?"

Chris answered, "Nothing, sorry Cassie but Marie and I are leaving." Marie's smile disappeared and she suddenly looked confused. "What... why?"

Cassie stared at me and then back at Chris. "What's going on with you two? Come on out with it."

Chris mumbled uncomfortably. "There's nothing going on, but I think its best if we leave."

We all stood staring at each other and nobody was talking until Chris snapped. "We have to go."

Cassie was upset and gave Marie a huge hug as Chris tugged on her hand literally dragging her after him. After they had left Cassie came back out and picked up the beer I got for Chris, taking a big gulp she asked. "OK so are you going to tell me what the hell just happened?"

"Nothing that I want to talk about Cass... Chris is just being a dick."

She took another swig of her beer. "But why did he leave in such a huff?"

"Because he wanted me to do something and I said no, that's why."

Another sip, "I see, so you aren't going to talk to me about it..."

"That's right, Jesus Cass this is between Chris and me, you just need to keep your sticky nose out of it."

She finished her beer in a big gulp and snapped. "Well if I have a sticky nose you won't want a kiss." She stormed off in a huff. Now my day was stuffed as well.

Over the next few weeks we saw less and less of Chris. He seemed to take my rejection badly he slipped into drinking and spending all his time at the country club or playing poker with his dipshit mates. Stories also filtered back to me that he was back to his old tricks and fooling around with a couple of married women. I could see it wasn't going to end well.

I was doing some electrical work at the country club fitting in some new power points behind the bar when Chris and a few of his mates wandered in, they had just finished playing golf and they were three parts to the wind. When he saw me he smirked. "Hey mate, hard at it aye?"

I nodded but before I could sling back something witty, a very angry guy came charging in and tackled Chris to the ground and started to punch him as he screamed incoherently. Chris's mates all stood back and watched. I leapt over the bar and grabbed the guy and dragged him away by the scruff of the neck. He was furious and took a couple of swings at me, but I managed to shepherd him outside. As he calmed down I asked. "Jeez pal what the fuck was that all about?"

He pointed back inside. "That worthless pile of shit has been fucking my wife."

I hugged him tight locking his arms to his sides as I tried to reason with him. "Man I understand, but not here OK... You will end up in jail, come on get in your car and get the hell out of here before the cops get here. Maybe go home and talk to your wife, it takes two to tango."

He nodded staring around the carpark; I pushed him trying to get him moving I knew he didn't have much time. "C'mon mate leave it OK... they will be calling the cops right now, he's not worth it." Reluctantly he climbed into his car and drove off. When I got back inside Chris and his mates were at the bar having a drink. He nodded. "Thanks mate, jeez one bad tax return and he gets his tits in a tangle."

With my hand resting on his shoulder I mumbled. "Chris, can we talk?"

He followed me out onto the veranda. "Chris, what the fuck are you doing man...? Cheating on Marie c'mon you're better than that."

He sulked guiltily. "I think that's over buddy, we fight so much these days, every night when I get home and open the door I expect her to be gone."

"Yeah well maybe if you went home sober things would be different."

"Don't lecture me Jay, this is your damn fault, if you had manned up we would be good now."

I turned leaving him fidgeting and went back to finishing my job. His mates took his drink out to him and I heard them laughing and joking as I cleaned up and walked out.

When I told Cass that I heard Chris was fooling around, she blasted me for listening to gossip, but I saw the furrowed lines on her brow, she was worried.

A couple of weeks later Cass approached me while I was working in the shed. "Jay I have been talking to Marie and she is at her wits end, she can't handle Chris's drinking. They argue constantly about children adoption and stuff. I absolutely know children would totally change him, you saw what he was like when they were doing the IVF, he was so ready to be a dad. Do you think you could talk to him... get him to stop all the drinking."

I tried to talk to him but he seemed to be on a mission to drink himself to death, the pressure on their marriage was at an all-time high. Marie was at our house every night and she wasn't happy, she spent hours crying on Cassie's shoulder. That sort of pressure affects everyone and it was killing Cass and me.

Cass and I were snuggled up on the sofa watching TV one night when she mumbled. "Jay if we don't do something Marie is going to leave Chris she has had enough."

I gave her a kiss. "Yeah well there's nothing I can do. I tried to talk to him but he won't listen to me."

She gave me a kiss as she nibbled on my ear. "Babe it all turned to shit that weekend Chris got all huffy and dragged Marie off by the hand like a cave man... What happened that day? One moment it was all cool then you guys went off and then since then he has been off with the fairies, so tell me what the hell happened?"

I sucked in a big breath, wondering if I should tell her. "Cass you have to promise this doesn't go any further."

She nodded. "Of course, you know I won't say anything."

"I am talking about Marie as well, nobody OK."

She sighed. "Yeah, yeah, just spit it out."

"He asked me to have sex with Marie and get her pregnant."

I felt her sharp intake of breath. "Holy shit... Really he actually said that?"

"Yep."

She giggled slyly. "Well what did you say?"

"I said no of course, you know how I feel about that shit."

Nothing was said for a very long moment, the world seemed to have stopped spinning time had ground to a halt. "I wouldn't mind you know..." she whispered. "If you said no because of me, well I would have been OK with it."

"I said no because it's wrong, not just because of you but that was the main reason."

She made a light hearted joke. "You must have thought about it a little, I have seen the way you ogle her... That night when you first met, jeez your eyes nearly popped out of your head, I had to duck to get out of the way of the bursting fly buttons."

Red faced I mumbled. "I don't ogle."

"Bullshit, you fancy her, that's OK I don't blame you she is stunning, god I fancy her myself."

I choked back my words. "What... Jesus Cass."

She laughed. "Oh don't be such a prude she is pretty."

I nodded. "Yes she is attractive that's for sure."

"So why did you say no? Most men in town would give anything to have that chance."

"Because it's bloody wrong that's why... Jeez I love you, I can barely keep up with you."

She giggled. "I love you to... even if you're an idiot." She seemed very thoughtful. "I know they can't afford the IVF, but what if we paid for it, could we afford it?"

I shrugged. "I guess we could, I could swing it on the company account, well most of it anyway."

The next day I went to the bank to see about whether I could get enough out of the business account. I would be able to cover it but it would leave us really short, way to short, we couldn't do it on our own. I dreaded telling Cass, but when I got home that night she had dinner prepared and she had a big smile spread across her beaming face.

After the kids were in bed she could wait no longer, while I was washing dishes she snuck up behind me. "Jay I talked to mum and she wants to help Chris and Marie, she is going to pay for it."

I scowled. "Shit really, is that a good idea, she doesn't have a lot of money either you know."

She nodded. "She said that so long as we, you and I accept our inheritance will be smaller she can work it with her mortgage."

"Jesus I don't want her money anyway, I would rather she spent it on herself."

"Jay she wants to help, she knows the whole story. The only other option is Chris's parents and you know how tenuous that relationship is. They seem worse than ever at the moment.

"Yeah well they have probably heard the same stories I have."

She gave me an evil glare. "Don't listen to gossip Jay."

"It might not save them you know, it might be too late."

"Yeah I know, but we have to try."

So that was it we talked to Marie and she begged us to keep it a secret, she wanted to surprise Chris.

The plan was I would pick her up the next week and take her down to the clinic together.

When I picked her up she seemed ill at ease. "Are you sure about this Jay it is a lot of money."

I laughed. "It's mum you need to thank not me."

She patted my hand soothingly. "No it is you I need to thank, not just for that but for standing by Chris you are the only one of his friends who has, the others just don't care, they're all single."

As we drove she leaned over and gave me a kiss.

At the clinic we got the business out of the way, I dropped her off at home and I headed back to work.

As I walked in at home that night it was late as I tried to make up for the lost afternoon, when I walked in I found Cass curled up on the sofa crying her eyes out with Jaycee and James climbing over her bawling as well. "Babe what's the matter?"

"It's nothing... it's OK."

"Like hell it is, what the hell has happened?"

She looked nervously up at me. "It was Chris, he turned up tonight drunk and ranting about god knows what. I have never seen him like that before."

I pulled her in close peering into her eyes. "Are you OK..."

"Yes I am, but he tried to kiss me and said something about doing it because that's what you and Marie were doing. I got upset and slapped him, then he started ranting and raving about you wrecking his life, Jay he was so angry I was scared."

I stood quickly and raced for the kitchen to grab my keys. Cassie came bounding after me. "No Jay, please... Nothing happened, please just let it go."

"Like fuck... He is going to pay the bloody prick."

"Jay please don't do anything stupid, he is hurting he is just messed up."

"He will be soon..." I slammed the door behind me and stormed of in search of him. I drove past his place and he wasn't there, I tried the Country club with no luck, I tried the pub but again no luck.

As I drove around aimlessly I got a flash... I bloody well knew where he would be, down by the river, our old fishing spot. As I barrelled madly up the sandy dirt track to the river, I passed Chris's car buried up to the axles in mud. As I pulled up, there he was sitting on the rocks with a half empty bottle of scotch.

He saw me striding towards him and he started screaming. "Fuck off you cunt, touch me and I will fucking sue your lousy arse."

"Stand up you worthless fucking prick." I barked. "Come on let's do this like men."

"Fuck off." He snarled drunkenly. "I'm not a fucking man, I can't even get my wife pregnant, I had to beg you to do that for me... You did it didn't you... you fucked her don't bother lying I saw you with her today, I saw her kiss you. You fucking scumbag you fucked her didn't you?"

I saw the pain in his eyes, his face screwed up and suddenly my anger was gone... replaced with pity. I knew that feeling well. "Chris, I never touched her, I took her to the IVF clinic, and the kiss was just her saying thanks."

He passed collapsed back onto the rock. "IVF my arse, you lying toe rag, you fucked her don't bullshit me." He looked like a beaten man, "IVF fuck we can't afford that." He slumped back on the rock as he took another long gulp of the scotch before he handed me the bottle and I took a long pull as I sat down beside him.

"Chris Cassie's mum is paying for it, she put up the money and if we have to try again then Cassie and I will put up the rest."

As I held the bottle he leaned against me his arm holding me tight. "Jay, I'm a fuck up, everything I do is wrong, Marie hates me."

"Mate she doesn't hate you, she loves you, granted she is pissed off with you and the way you're behaving who could blame her...but she loves you."

"Bullshit she thinks more of you than she ever has of me, for the last few days it's been Jay, this and Jay that and all I can see in my head are images of you fucking her, I know that's what happened."

"For god's sake man, I promise you nothing happened between us other than that kiss."

He glared at me. "So her mother knows what happened?" He grabbed the bottle and took a long pull before handing it back.

"She has always know, I never told her but she worked it out." I took a pull on the bottle. "Chris, I care and I want to help and so does Cassie, she loves you as well."

"Hah like fuck, she kicked my arse tonight, I figured you were fucking Marie so why not, but even she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you dickhead, but she knows what would have happened if she let anything happen."

"Yeah, you even won that one from Me. Fuck Jay, I loved her, Jesus she was all I ever dreamed about, I wanted her so bad. I used to wank off thinking about her every night."

I laughed. "Yeah well you weren't the only one, but I never knew you felt that way, I knew you liked her, but you never said you had it that bad."

He took another long pull on the scotch. "I was trying to do the valiant thing, you know let you have her. It seems like I have been doing shit my whole life just trying to impress her and win her back."

"Mate, you have a gorgeous beautiful woman who loves you who is waiting for you at home, if you focused on her you would be quid's in."

"Maybe but I think she lost respect for me the moment she realised I couldn't give her the one thing she wanted most... kids."

He snatched the bottle from me and took a long drink. "Chris, I am sorry mate I really am, but the only thing ruining your relationship is your drinking. If you pulled your head out of your arse and took a long hard look at yourself you would realise she loves you, I don't know why because you're acting like a dickhead. I wouldn't put up with your shit but she does because she loves you."

He started to bawl uncontrollably and I pulled him into a hug. "Mate c'mon you have to pull yourself together."

He sighed wistfully as he wiped his eyes. "Jeez remember when we were kids, we used to live down here all those weekends, man we had some fun didn't we."

I nodded. "Yeah life seemed a whole lot simpler back then that's for sure."

He took another drink muttering about the good old days.

"Chris go home, go and talk to Marie, be honest lay it all on the line, tell her everything and then hold her, but whatever happens don't let go."

By the time I convinced him to go home it was about three AM I drove him home and watched as he stumbled up to the door.

When I got home Cassie was still up and waiting. The moment I walked in she jumped into my arms and the kiss was endless. "What happened...? Is he OK?"

"Yeah he was pissed, but he's OK, jeez man he is messed up though."

"Where did you find him?"

"Down at the old fishing hole."

"How did you know?"

I shrugged. "I just knew."

We went to bed and snuggled up. "Jay, thanks for looking after him,"

"Hey he is my best friend, I just hope it all works out."

"Well I think if Marie is pregnant everything will be OK won't it?" I'm not sure who she was trying to convince, me or her.

Chris called me after I had left for work the next morning to ask if I would help him tow his car out of the mud.

When I turned up at their place to pick him up Marie had already left for work, as we drove out to the car I asked. "So, how did it go with Marie last night?"