FKBOY CHRONICLES: Chapter 6

The opinionated know-it-all fkboy: Shane.

He had to attend an online meeting at 10:30am, a seminar with Chad at noon, his nephew’s little league game at 2:30pm and dinner and a movie with his mom at 6pm. Shane was a very busy man, with very little time to stop and socialize; that’s just the way he liked his days to be set up. However, for the first time in weeks, Shane was having a free night to himself with no plans, no expectations, and definitely no problems.

After the meeting ended, Shane had just enough time to finish putting on his shoes, take one more look in the mirror at his Giorgio suit, tailored to hug every muscle - just enough to notice but barely enough to boast, - and stepped outside his condo. Shane shook his head and smirked to himself, knowing Chad’s obsession with punctuality and the nagging he’d soon have to endure.

“Did I say noon? I think I said noon. No, in fact, I KNOW I said noon because I was standing right there when I said it,” Chad said to Shane before his driver, Laverne, could even fully open his backseat door. Shane shook his head and chuckled a bit as he began to walk up the steps to the University auditorium, Chad walking quickly right next to him.

“I heard what you said, Chastity,” Shane said, teasingly calling him by his nagging nickname, “Unclutch, man, I’m on time.”

Chad rolled his eyes and dramatically threw his hands up when he heard “Chastity.” He scoffed and looked down at his watch, “It’s 12:35!”

“Meeting ran late,” Shane said with a shrug.

“Oh? You sure the line at Starbucks wasn’t a factor?” Chad asked, pointing at the two Caramel frappes in Shane’s hands.

Shane paused and looked down, then handed one to Chad, “You’re welcome?” Shane said, as he smiled his most innocent smile.

Chad looked at the frappe then back at Shane, chuckled and shook his head as he took the frappe. “You literally stomp on my last nerve, Shane, I swear,” he said as he stomped away ahead of him.

“Ahh but you gotta admit, I have some kick-ass shoes,” Shane yelled out as he jogged up the stairs to catch up with Chad.

The seminar was predictably boring, which did not bother Shane at all. He knew how to let his mind wander while appearing to be interested. All he could think about was the amount of nothing he would be doing tonight. And as usual, his mind wandered to what he would be doing had he just done right by-

“So you’ll be there, right?” Chad said, interrupting Shane’s thoughtful gaze straight ahead. He was standing next to Shane’s seat, straightening his suit vest before checking his watch for the 100th time. Shane was startled by Chad’s voice.

“Be where? When?” Shane asked, dreading the answer that he knew. He’d completely forgotten about Theo’s club opening gig that night.

“Tonight….10:00pm….Theo’s promo gig?” Chad said, raising an eyebrow at Shane as they walk through the double doors of the auditorium, “Sizz’ is opening tonight, don’t you remember?”

“Am I allowed to say no?” Shane asked as he rolled his eyes at the thought of being anywhere but home that evening.

“No”

“Then no.”

Yet, there Shane was, a full nine hours later, standing at the bar of Sizz’ and watching Theo talk to a group of Asian girls seated at a booth across the room. The lights were dim, giving an ambient light to everyone in the room. After Chad’s persistent begging and a bit of a bribe - Shane loved steak almost as much as Chad hated buying it for him - he agreed to attend the club opening for 3 hours, just enough time to get a few drinks in so he could be on his merry way. Chad knew he didn’t enjoy the party scene. He worked and went home. Partying had ended in college, along with everything else that made him mercilessly joyous.

“You don’t have to hold up the bar, Shane, I pay good money for contractors to handle that,” said Theo as he held two fingers up and nodded at the bartender, “Two shots of Patron, Nance.”

Shane stood up and greeted his best friend with their own handshake. He laughed as he hugged him, “Congrats on the bar, T.”

“Thanks, man,” Theo said, smiling slightly, “I honestly didn't think you'd make it tonight. Chad must owe you big time.”

“Yeah well he-”, Shane started but was stopped mid sentence by what HAD to be a hallucination. He stared towards the door, frozen and silent, then looked at Theo.

“Shane, listen…” Theo began.

Shane threw his drink down behind the bar and stormed off towards the stairwell to the rooftop.

“So no one thought to tell me she’d be here?!” Shane questioned angrily. He burst through the rooftop door, shivering a bit once the cold night air hit his bare arms. He shook his head when he realized he’d forgotten his jacket. Too irate to even think straight, Shane felt betrayed by his closest friends. They knew, for a solid fact, what seeing that girl would do to him. Yet, there she was, walking through the front door of a party he’d been reluctantly dragged to. Shane was livid. Shane was fuming. Shane was...excited. For some perplexing reason, seeing her after four years had conjured up emotions that Shane forgot existed. He would have to address that later, because right now, he needed to deal with his “friends.” Shane felt a tap on his shoulder and swung around, ready to blow up. He stopped in his tracks.

“Hi,” Navina said. She was dressed in a black skirt and a bohemian-style white top. She spoke in a very soft tone. So soft, in fact, it was a miracle that Shane could hear her over the loud downtown nightlife. But, Shane could hear her. She was all Shane could hear or see from the moment he laid eyes on her.

Shane’s anger diminished as soon as he saw Navina, “Hey.”