Be Loved

Pt. 1

With a white towel wrapped around his waist Chase walks out of the bathroom. The smell of alcohol fills the apartment. As he passes through the living room he bumps into John's foot sticking out from the couch. Clearly his lovely roommate is the source of the terrible smell.

"Hey buddy, wake up." Chase wiggles John's foot back and forth as an attempt to wake him. Slowly John's eyes open and he looks around the room, letting his eyes eventually rest on the bottles on the coffee table. "Chase, what happened yesterday?" He moans as he blinks his eyes a few times. Chase raises his eyebrow. "You tell me," he smiles. John forces a smile but quickly reaches for his head. That will be quite the headache.

Chase reaches his hand out to John and helps him up from the couch. "Take a shower. It will wake you up," he yells as John disappears into the bathroom. "I even left some warm water for you."

John sticks his head around the corner. "Chase, let's head to Rory's, on the corner. I can use a drink." They both start to laugh. "Didn't you have enough?" Chase says as he points at the empty bottles. John shakes his head.

Chase sighs and laughs. "Besides, don't you think I should be the one drinking my sorrows away instead of you?" John knows Chase refers to his recent breakup, but he can't help but make it into a joke. "Who says I don't have problems worth drinking about?" Chase rolls his eyes and John closes the bathroom door.

Even though Chase didn't plan on heading out today, he decides to get dressed anyway, because he knows John won't take no for an answer.

When John announces he is ready to go, they both do a quick check in the mirror and a last spritz of perfume, and they walk out of the door.

Rory's Bar is their favorite place in town, which is conveniently located around the corner from their apartment. Rory is a great guy and has helped Chase in more ways than he can explain. From providing shelter to dismissing open tabs when he couldn't afford it, Rory has been very supportive. So as the boys walk into the bar, they get greeted with a big smile and a hug. "Welcome gentlemen."

They sit down at the bar. "Hey Rory, how have you been? Can we have one IPA and a whisky sour please?" John always orders for Chase, because he knows what his life long friend likes. That goes for drinks, but also for romantic interests. So when the door opens and three women walk in, he immediately goes into wingman-mode.

"Chase." John kicks his friend under the bar, and he obnoxiously points his head towards the door. Chase sighs and takes a sip of his beer. Here we go again. It has only been two weeks since he broke up with Marissa. He is usually not the type to immediately jump into something new after a breakup, but John has been encouraging him to try looking for a rebound.

The three women smile and nod at the two guys as they pass them. At the end of the bar they sit down. "Excuse me, can I see your beer selection?" As the bartender hands her a menu she smiles and thanks him.

"Bro, this is your golden opportunity," John says as he shakes Chase's arm. "You know everything about beer and stuff." Chase grins when he says 'stuff' because John clearly does not know anything about beer. Chase on the other hand really got into home brewing last year and has been experimenting with some brews at home.

"May I recommend you something?" he says as he leans on the bar. The women start laughing nervously when they realize he is talking to their friend. The blonde looks up and chuckles. "Afraid a woman doesn't know her beer?" She says with a defiant but playful look on her face. He shakes his head. "I don't doubt it, but I happen to have memorized that entire menu," he says. She puts down the menu. "Okay, so what would you recommend?" John looks at Chase full of curiosity, waiting to see what he picks for her. This is the best entertainment he could have asked for: Chase in action.

Chase stands up from the bar stool and walks over. He reaches over her shoulder to grab the menu. As he gets closer he makes eye contact and smiles at her. "Do you like a lighter beer, or something more full body?" Without breaking eye contact she answers. "I drink almost everything, as long as it has a good after taste." She smiles as she looks him up and down. He can't help but appreciate her cheeky comment. "Okay, let me buy you a beer and let's see if you like it." She agrees. "Surprise me." He points at a beer on the menu and winks at Rory. "On my tab."