Forget Yesterday

Jack yawned, his jaw popping deliciously. Another day at Morgan and West Accountancy, another file to process. Jack had been here at this firm since he graduated college 5 years ago, and as much as he found it tedious most days, he loved working the numbers and accounts of people that needed his help. And the flow of money wasn’t exactly a bad thing. His friend (one friend) always told him that he needed to get out more, to do something exciting every once in a while, but it had been so long that Jack didn’t think he knew how.

So it stayed that the most exciting part of the day was shredding unneeded paper in the electronic monster in the corner of his office. Who said Jack didn’t know how to have a good time?

Okay, he sucked on the fun side of things – but some things can’t be helped.

The ringing of Jack’s desk phone brought him out of his thoughts.

“Jack Barakat,”

“Mr Barakat, Vincent Petrocelli says he is here for lunch?”

Ah, Rebecca, the firm’s receptionist.

“My name’s Vinny, woman!”

Jack laughed softly at the sound of his best friend’s protest. Vinny came in to get Jack for lunch 5 days a week for the past 5 years (or near enough), and yet Rebecca insisted on using his full name.

“Tell Mr Petrocelli that I’ll be right down,” Jack mused.

“Yes Mr Barakat,”

Jack put the phone down and saved the work he was doing, before turning the screen of his computer off. After grabbing his coat, scarf, cellphone and wallet, Jack left his office, walking down the two flights of stairs that led to the reception area. There in all of his 5ft 7 tattooed and pierced glory stood Vinny, Jack’s best friend of 5 years. The moment they’d bumped into each other on Jack’s first week at the accountancy firm outside Vinny’s newly opened tattoo studio (coincidently right next door to the accountancy firm), Vinny had declared that Jack desperately needed ink. 1 week, 1 tattoo and 2 coffees later, they were closer friends than Jack had ever had in his life.

And 5 years later they were still as strong friends.

“About time, Jackalope!” Vinny huffed.

“I thought I told you not to taunt Rebecca, hmm?” Jack teased, nodding at the middle-aged woman watching the two of them very carefully.

“That harpy has it coming to her. You’d think 5 years of seeing my tattoos and piercings would make her used to it, but I still get that judgemental glare,” Vinny sighed mockingly.

“She’s just jealous,” Jack mused, opening the front door.

“Damn right she is! Now… Jenny’s?” Vinny asked.

“Would we go anywhere else?” Jack smiled.

15 minutes later, Jack and Vinny were sitting in their usual back corner booth, having ordered their usual cream-cheese-bagel-for-Jack-and-cheese-toastie-for-Vinny with two coffees.

“I’m just gonna go to the bathroom,” Vinny announced.

Jack just nodded, his eyes scanning the small café as his friend walked across the room. All the faces were that of regular customers. Everything was the same, day in, day out. Boring. Blah blah boring. More than he’d care to admit, Jack was finding himself thinking about doing something drastic just to liven things up. Like…bleaching his hair…or buying a motorbike…or quitting his job and moving to Antarctica.

Okay, so the last was a little too desperate. But it didn’t take anything away from the fact that the monotony was starting to drive Jack mad. He needed something new in his life, or he was going to lose his mind. With a sigh, Jack looked over at where Vinny was just coming out of the bathroom. But what made Jack stay looking was the shy smile on Vinny’s lips as he talked to someone on his cellphone. Huh. What or who could be making Vinny blush like a schoolgirl?

“I’ll call you later. Yeah, I promise. Bye!” Vinny said happily, sitting down.

Jack smirked slightly as Vinny tried to look like nothing had just happened as he slid his phone into his jeans pocket.

“So I see you every day and I haven’t seen you with that expression before,” Jack commented, raising an eyebrow.

Vinny blushed a little more, something which was also as rare as Vinny’s shy smile. Okay, something was definitely up.

“I, uh, I’ve been on a few dates with this one guy and I think it could get serious. I was just talking to him about getting dinner together later this week,” Vinny admitted.

Wow. For the entire time that Jack had known Vinny, he’d never seen Vinny with anything longer than a one night stand. But a few dates and thinking it could get serious? This was new.

“That’s great, Vin! Where did you meet him?” Jack smiled.

“Remember that gig I asked you to come and see with me at The Rig?” Vinny prompted.

The local bar that also served as a music venue.

“What, last month?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, last month. He was there alone too and we just got talking between bands. Something just…clicked. And he works in a pet store too – you know that loving animals is high on my potential boyfriend priority list,” Vinny grinned.

Jack rolled his eyes but smiled. Only Vinny would have a checklist that had to be filled out.

“Yeah, I know. Are you going to let me meet this one?” Jack mused.

“I might wait a few more dates first. Don’t want to scare him off with my dry-as-mud accountant best friend,” Vinny teased.

“Hey! I’m not dry-as-mud!” Jack protested.

“When was the last time you went out apart from once a month to The Rig with me?”

“Uh…”

“When was the last time you hung out exclusively with someone who wasn’t me for longer than two days?”

“Uh…”

“When was the last time you got laid?”

“Vinny!”

“My point exactly. You need to get out there, Jackalope. Time’s ticking,” Vinny said seriously.

“I’m 27, not 40,” Jack grumbled.

“Yeah, but you haven’t even looked at anyone since…”

“Not the point,” Jack interrupted.

Vinny sighed, and Jack just looked down at the table. This wasn’t fair.

“You’ve got to get over Charlotte at some point, Jack,” Vinny said softly.

“How can I when we’ve got a 5 year old daughter together?” Jack replied just as softly.

Vinny didn’t have an answer to that. Jack didn’t expect him to.