Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 147: Chaotic

Shayne and Courtney are certainly not the only people flying out of LAX the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Instead of the usual 30-odd minute drive from Burbank, it takes them well over an hour of crawling slowly through traffic to get to the airport. Courtney drives, while Shayne steals her idea and tosses her driving slinky back and forth between his hands as they alternate between chatting and listening to the radio.

"What was that look you gave me about Saige saving the cookie?" Courtney asks, glancing over to Shayne with a raised eyebrow when they immediately stop in standstill traffic after merging onto the road that will take them the final few miles to the airport.

"It's- Damien's wanting to talk to me before we left is kind of related. I'm not sure how much it should be outwardly made a point that they're getting on pretty well," Shayne explains, a little vague, tilting his head to the side as he continues, "which like – yeah, I've seen it too, and she has reminded me of him a lot since we met her. Similar interests, outlooks on life, whatever."

"Yeah, yeah... I get the vibe she might be into him, although honestly I was just gonna say something about wanting the cookie, not sure I want to actively tease them about that," she muses, eyes flicking back to the road as they start moving ever so slightly, "Saige is cool, I'm finding it easy to get along with her socially as well as work-wise."

"Oh, same, the me and Saige rivalry banter is good too," he agrees.

"What's Dames' wanting to talk to you about, then?" she prompts.

"They have clicked super well, and he's catching feelings and he doesn't disagree that she might be too, but he's finding it's a bit too similar to things with Kimmy so he's worried it will end the same as that did too," he explains, shaking his head lightly, "and honestly, I don't blame him. Yeah it's been like 7 months - and he's said he's totally over Kimmy now, which I can see - but I get why he'd be hesitant to go the coworker route again."

"Mmm, yeah, that's a difficult one," Courtney agrees with a slight nod, "hopefully with time he can work out what he's comfortable with happening there, whether he feels like he could be okay with trying something with a coworker again."

"I kind of told him like- yeah, it's similar, but Saige is a different person so that's one huge thing that means it will go differently, if something ever happens. I do think he needs time to work out how he feels about the whole thing though, I don't think it's one to push him on," Shayne admits.

"Totally. He needs to feel comfortable. But hey, if he's worried the coworker thing can never work out... he could try dancing around it for a few years and accidentally starting dating and not admitting it until later. My experience says that ends in marrying your soulmate," she deadpans. It makes Shayne laugh loudly, not expecting the sudden move to joking.

"Mm, I guess that's my experience too."

Things run just as slowly and chaotically inside the airport as they did on their drive there. The queues for security are horrendous - at least they'd already checked in online - and they get a grumpy TSA agent who makes a point of telling them they don't get special treatment for being influencers, evidently having some awareness of Smosh.

"We know, we didn't ask for it," Shayne grumbles under his breath when they're finally airside through security, hands stuffed in pockets as they head for a Starbucks to try and give them something pleasant to pass the thirty minutes before they board.

"Ugh, no, I don't want a drink that bad," Courtney grumbles much the same when they find the Starbucks closest to their gate is also packed with a line snaking out of the shop and around a corner. Shayne agrees, as they turn to instead wait in silence standing at their gate - the seats are full - waiting to board.