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Twenty-Four
Shaw
Now that it’s my summer break and I have a few weeks off before I need to plan for my summer employment, I place out some feelers to my group of friends for a night out. Summer chimes in immediately that she’s ready for whatever I want to do, and I feel thrilled that this is potentially one of the first of many outings that we do as a couple, with our friends around.
One by one, I get notifications from our group that they’re in for some mid-week fun and I pull out my laptop and start planning a fun night.
I’m not one to usually be the planner of events, that’s generally Summer’s area of expertise, but since I’ve got more time on my hands, I figure that I can take initiative.
I send everyone the address of where to meet for dinner tomorrow night and plan for the rest of our plans to be unveiled there, as a means for no one to really back out.
Our group is seatedalong the back wall of an urban pizzeria downtown, one block away from our next destination. The group is a mixture of teachers, business professionals, and couples. We have three couples, if you include Summer and myself and the other five are singles, and not looking.
Summer nor I have made it too known unless you were watching us as closely as Sloane and Luke were about our budding new relationship. We decided yesterday that we didn’t want to make a big deal about it, and that we would let it unfold naturally.
“Alright, alright, for us teachers here, this is the time when we get our breaks from the parents that we deal with and sometimes those little monsters. But in the same frame, we miss those little monsters and the constant busy mentality that we have to put up when at work. For you fuckers, who aren’t teachers, I hope that each of you get wasted tonight and have to call in sick tomorrow, so cheers to the start of summer. To new love, lots of drinks and a season of good times!” I hold up my beer and everyone else follows.
“So, Shaw, what the hell are we doing tonight and why have you been so tight lipped about it?” Mike, a fellow teacher asks.
“Yeah, we better not be going to a damn strip club!” his girlfriend, Mia mumbles under her breath.
“Hey, when have we ever gone to a strip club as a group?” I ask.
“True, but there was the bachelor party last weekend and it was a strip club crawl,” she complained.
“And most of those strip clubs should be condemned. That shit was horrible to watch,” Mike rolled his eyes for the benefit of the group, but I saw the small smile on his face saying otherwise.
“Well, guys, tonight I thought we could go and make fools of ourselves,” I reply.
“Well, some of us do that without trying. You gotta be a little more concise, my friend,” Sloane laughs.
“We’re going to the karaoke bar down the street.”
“What? I don’t sing in public!” Summer says, turning her entire body to face me.
“You didn’t even tell your girlfriend?” Luke asks as all heads swivel to Summer and me.
“Wait, what?” Mike’s mouth drops open.
“When did this happen?” Our friend Mia asks.
“After you guys all left the BBQ, it was great. I would like to say that I had a hand in finally making it happen,” Sloane brushes her shoulders in exaggeration.
“No fucking way? This thing finally happened? It’s been what, seven years?”
“Eight, but they’re not counting,” Luke chimes in.
“You guys, let’s get back to talking about this stupid thing that Shaw has planned for us tonight, why?” Summer groans.
“Because it’s fun and we’ve never done it,” I smile at her.
“There’s a reason behind that,” Mike says.
“Yeah, Mike even sounds horrible singing in the shower,” Mia replies.
“Gee, thanks babe,” he sticks his tongue at her.
“Real grown up there buddy,” I say to him. “Look, it will be fun, we’ll drink, we’ll sing stupid songs and then we’ll leave.”
