Shadows From the Abyss

A Date with Art

"You going out tonight, Shawn?" Mama K asked her Grandson as she put the last of the groceries away.

"Yeah, Art wants to go to dinner at Hop's," Shawn replied, tossing his keys between his hands.

"Who?"

"This guy that messaged me on a dating app thingy,"

Mama K sighed. "Lord. Well, at least y'all are meeting in public."

"He'll be fine, Kelly." Papa Dave said as he walked through the back door. "He's a big boy and knows how to throw a punch."

"I'll be fine. If something happens I'll call you, okay?" Shawn smiled, doing a final pocket check. "Alright I gotta roll out."

"Remember, be back by two. Not just after two, by two." Mama K smiled. "Have fun, sweetie."

"Later tators!" Shawn strolled out the back door and down the driveway to the awaiting Mustang. It was weird not having to walk around a building or across a busy street to get to his car.

"Shawn!"

Shawn looked up and saw Papa Dave coming around the side of the house to sit on the front porch with a beer in his hand. "Be safe, okay? And home by two, please. Love you."

"Love you too," Shawn grinned back as he unlocked the car and got in. He checked his messages and made sure he was going to the correct Hop's before revving up the engine and pulling off. He knew it was better to meet in public but it wasn't any less nerve wracking. What if he had googled him and already had so many assumptions that would be damn near impossible to overcome straight out of the gate? Fuck, maybe this wasn't a good idea. No, he needed to put himself back out there and meet someone nice. He couldn't just lock himself in his own personal hell.

Finding parking was a nightmare but he finally pulled into a spot at the end of the strip mall and cut the engine. He sat there for a few minutes, the air slowly cooling down as the sun started to set. This could either go really well or be a bust. If it was a bust, just get up and leave. What's the worst that could happen? He slowly eased out of the car and locked the door behind him, scanning the parking lot as he walked towards the restaurant.

Hop's was packed as always, a line of people out the door. When you're voted one of the best burgers in the country, that's bound to happen, but this was ridiculous. No burger is worth an hour wait. Shawn popped his head inside and glanced around but didn't see Art's blonde hair anywhere. Maybe he was in the line somewhere. After walking up and down the growing line several times to no avail, Shawn was about to give up and assume he was being stood up.

"Hey Shawn!" A voice called.

Shawn looked up and saw Art walking down the sidewalk towards him, a broad smile on his face. Shawn felt his heart skip a beat as he stared at Art, taking in his blonde hair that was spiked up in the front, his slender frame, cute goatee, milk chocolate brown eyes....fuck, don't stare, that's rude.

"H-hey," He stammered.

"Sorry I'm late, parking is shit around here. Good to finally meet you," Art's smile was warm and inviting, the sweetest Shawn had ever seen.

"Oh no it's....it's cool."

"How long's the wait tonight?" His voice had a slight rasp to it, but was otherwise bight and clear.

"About an hour," Shawn looked back at the line stretching out the door of the already overflowing restaurant and grimaced at the idea of being smashed between tons of people and trying to hold a conversation.

"So, I'm gonna be honest, I'm not exactly over the moon about this place. Why don't we go somewhere else where we can actually sit and talk and get to know each other?"