Found Along The Way

Chapter thirty-five

Happiness was in the air, as was love, just like every valentine's day. Lina was going to spend it with her little family, Anya was spending it engaged, and Caleb was determined not to spend it alone.

He was outgoing, he'd had boyfriends, lost them, and had hope to find love again. So tonight wasn't any different to any of the other valentine's days he'd had. He had a mission:

1. Have fun, get wasted, and party.

2. Find a guy.

Caleb planned the night thoroughly, lining up his soldiers -Lilly and Taya- for battle. Makeup, glitter, perfume, high-end party clothing, and alcohol from ten a.m. (It was important to get the buzz going early in the day, for maximum hype.) They were prepared to fight their way through the nightclubs and come out the other side as classy as ever, hopefully having fulfilled the point of valentine's day.

He didn't expect love at first sight, and he didn't want to meaninglessly hook up with someone who couldn't give him the affection he could give them, he just wanted a spark. Caleb needed something to flicker between him and another human, to give him a hint that love wasn't impossible for him, because it sure felt like it was.

"Taya get your ass down here, the Uber's outside!" He yelled up the stairs, buzzing with excitement. It was already dark outside, and the February chill was enough to make them all want to stay home, but Caleb was no quitter. They faced the wind, screaming as they ran out of the apartment building and were attacked by a gust that brought leaves and some rain with it. They threw themselves into the car and fixed their hairstyles, already disturbed by the elements even though they'd only been outside for around a minute. But they laughed, they couldn't help it because they were beyond excited.

The club was filled with every shade of pink you could imagine, heart balloons, glittered shot glasses, cupids arrows on the walls, it was a valentine's wonderland.

Caleb knew that if he actively looked for his dream guy, he would most definitely not find him, so he let nature take over and decided to just enjoy himself, of course keeping an eye out.

They danced with the energy of high-school cheerleaders, and sang like nobody could hear, which nobody could considering the sheer volume of the club. Their arms reached high, they jumped and yelled, bumping into everyone around them, not caring that everyone had eyes, ears, and judgement. It was their night to have as single people.

"I'm going to get another drink." Caleb mouthed dramatically, making sure Taya knew what he was saying.

He danced his way over to the bar, shutting his eyes when the music got good, truly in the zone, until he bumped into the guy behind him. Tall, clean shaven with gelled brown hair, and a sneaky smile, the kind that would always have some sort of exciting undertone beneath it.

"Hey buddy watch where you're going!" He laughed, grabbing the dancing Caleb by his shoulders so he wouldn't cause any more damage.

"Sorry!" Caleb jumped, looking mortified.

"It's fine, I'm Dylan, you?" He yelled charmingly over the music.

"Caleb! Can I make up for hitting you with a drink?" Caleb offered.

"If it means I get a dance with you then yes."

Caleb's heart fluttered, was this the spark? The one he'd been looking for for years?

"Absolutely!" He responded. They drank and danced their way through the next hour, Taya and Lilly utterly jealous of the man Caleb had caught, but proud of him nonetheless. The night wore on, and their feet began to ache, so they took to the streets, leaving the intense noise behind, but keeping connected to Dylan through the achieved phone number.