Limelight || A Shourtney Story

.04 not f*cking superman (shayne)

On any other night, Shayne would've been thrilled to buy a table at Mercury Blue. Located in the A-list neighbor of West Hollywood, the hottest nightclub in the city always welcomed him with open arms. He was practically a fixture here. The owners treated him like he was their own debaucherous younger brother.

After stepping out of his Uber, the blond was immediately ushered through the doors by a burly bouncer. The club scene was exactly as expected. Bustling crowds of attractive twenty-somethings grinded it out the dancefloor, while a long bar decorated with only the finest top-shelf liquors beckoned alcohol-induced euphoria. Several women, clad in the themed royal blue attire, serviced the right side of the room which laid out the endless bottle service tables.

Shayne side-stepped across the floor to the bar, dodging throngs of miscellaneous partiers. Finally, he made his way over the bar, where the manager for the night immediately ushered him to the corner for an empty seat. The onyx granite counters shone from incessant glossing, while the gray leather chairs offered an elevated feel.

"Hey, man," the manager greeted. He dressed in a black button-up and suit jacket, flashing his pearly whites towards the young actor. His hands wiped onto a nearby bar towel to prepare for Shayne's order.

"Hey, Cody," Shayne replied, sitting onto the stool. "The usual, please."

Cody immediately threw some ice into a glass and poured Johnnie Walker inside. The amber color glowed warmly against the neon lights of the bar. A cocktail napkin laid gently as a wide, condensating glass was set in front of Shayne.

"How's work?" Cody asked, taking a sip of his own drink behind the counter. His elbows hunched over the bar counter, leaning towards Shayne to avoid competition with the loud bar music. "Haven't seen the Trifecta here in awhile."

Affectionately labeled by the media, the "Trifecta" was the powerhouse trio of Shayne, Damien, and Kimmy. Their original casting on So Random! all those years ago was surprising to the mainstream media, who was initially critical of Lorne Michaels for hiring "nobodies." The media shortly changed its tune, becoming quickly enamored by their witty quips and creative sketches. Soon after the trio's rise to fame, tabloids and magazines referred to them as a unit, a powerful trifecta of the new and fresh face of comedy. That rise to the top inspired all of their time spent together - from pitching ideas for new sketches, to even frequenting their favorite bars together. This was one of them.

One immediate memory flooded back to Shayne's mind. The three of them had just written their first cold open of the night's live show, and the musical guest Taylor Swift had absolutely nailed a song about her ex-boyfriends. It was their first big success in writing, and post-show, they came to Mercury Blue to celebrate. Kimmy and Damien had first started flirting that night, while they both tried to set Shayne up with literally any woman who walked by them. It was a riot for him to practice some failed, tequila-induced pick up lines on his two best friends.

Those were simpler times. That was before Damien and Kimmy started dating, before things got rocky between them, before... well before that night.

Shayne had almost forgotten about the silly nickname until now. He took a wistful sip of his whiskey before answering the question.

"Busy," he muttered. "Look's like you guys are doing all right, though."

Despite the halt in their Trifecta visits, the bar was packed to the brim as 1 am drew closer. The lights were dimmed even further to set an intimate mood. In the corner, the DJ began a series of J Balvin songs, perfect for swiveling hips and breaking hearts.