Firsts

Chapter One

"Hey, Cole, man, we're heading out to Lavery's. Wanna join us?" No response. "Cole?"

"Huh? What?"

"Cole." Davis snapped his fingers in front of his best friend's face. "Dude. I just told you, some of the guys are heading out to Lavery's. Wanna join?"

"But, but," began Cole in a daze, "the day isn't over."

Davis laughed. "Dude. Your shift ended, like, forty-five minutes ago. Where ya been?"

Cole suddenly snapped out of his reverie. He blinked, looked at his watch, and widened his eyes. "Oh my god! What the hell have I been doing? Yeah, man, let's go. I must be going crazy." He turned off his computer, shrugged on his jacket, and hurried out into the crisp autumn New York CIty evening with his best friend.

"Just so you know," said Davis as they walked the few blocks down to their favorite bar, "I had to come back for you 'cause you wouldn't pick up your phone."

"Really? Aw, man, I'm really sorry."

"Yeah, what the hell were you even doing?"

"Oh, I was just finishing up this project I've been working on. I've gotten really into it."

"You've gotten really into a business project?" Davis repeated in disbelief. "Damn, Cole. You have changed, haven't you?" There was a hint of humor in his voice.

"I guess. It's weird, though. I mean, lately I've been spending my nights working on this outreach thing. My dog hasn't eaten in days."

"Neither has your social life."

Cole raised his eyebrows. "My social life hasn't eaten?"

Davis punched him in the shoulder. "You know what I mean. It's been, like, weeks since you've come to the bar with us. You barely talk to me anymore. You need to unwind."

"Yeah, I do, I do," Cole agreed. "I just need to knock back a few shots."

"A few? Dude, tonight you are getting totally wasted and then you are going to nail a supermodel."

"Yeah, man, Natalie Portman is all mine," Cole said sarcastically.

"I don't think she's a model..."

"Yeah, but she's hot. What's the difference?"

"Okay, fine. You're gonna nail a super hot chick."

"I don't know, man--"

"You don't know? When's the last time you had sex?"

Cole racked his brains, just now thinking about it for the first time in months. "I don't know, man, about six months or so? Probably more?"

"So since Kayla."

"Um...I guess..." Cole scratched his head, uncomfortable. Even nine months later, he still couldn't talk about his ex-girlfriend without feeling a sharp burst of pain.

"Dude, it's been nine months!" Davis said exasperatedly. "Get over that chick."

"We were together for six years. Since high school. I gave up Stanford for 'that chick.'"

"Yeah, but you met me. So it's all totally worth it."

"I don't know about that," Cole teased.

"Shut up, you dickwad," Davis responded, playfully punching him in the shoulder. Cole punched back. "Anyway, back to my point. It's been nine months since you got laid, probably weeks since you even looked at alcohol. Don't try to deny it. You've been swallowed by a completely unimportant company project--"