Milkshake Hearts

Prologue: Want to get milkshakes?

"What about you, Court court? You got a tinder date or something this weekend?" Olivia pries, leaning back on her chair at the breakroom table as she picks at the lunch in front of her with a fork.

"You know I gave up on the dating apps a while ago dude, I'm being super boring, no plans at all this weekend," Courtney replies, shaking her head, "I'm guessing you're being fancy with Sam?"

"Of course, and visiting my Mum. You're such a loser though, is it that hard to find someone to hang out with on the weekend?" Olivia turns it back on Courtney, and she's obviously joking, but Courtney still rolls her eyes.

"I mean, I'm not doing anything either," Shayne pipes up, shrugging, "you wanna do something Friday night Court? Dinner and games or somefuck?"

"Yeah, sure, that sounds cool," Courtney answers, with a shrug.

"Ooooooh Shourtney date!" Ian adds his commentary. Shayne kicks his chair in response, while Courtney flips him the finger.

"Not every hangout is a date, asshole. It sure as shit wasn't a date when I got dinner with you last weekend. What are you up to this weekend, anyway? Car club stuff?" Courtney turns the questioning on Ian, inadvertently sending him into a tirade about something car-related that the rest of them only vaguely listen to as they continue their lunch break.

"Any preferences for what we actually do tomorrow night?" Shayne falls into step beside her that afternoon in the hallway, both of them having packed up and decided to leave for the day at the same time.

"Not really. I've been feeling diner vibes lately though – if we get milkshakes I might cum," Courtney jokes, giving him a nod of thanks when he holds the outer door open and steps back to let her through first. He laughs loudly at her in response.

"Amazing. I'll come up with something," he tells her, before they head in separate directions to their own cars.

"When should I come over to yours?" Courtney asks him, mid-morning the following day as they walk between the office and one of the studios to shoot a random pit video.

"I'll pick you up, I'm looking after this truck for my Dad at the moment and I need to actually drive it, it's just been sitting at my place too much. 7 good?" He responds, and she nods in affirmation, letting their conversation end as they move back into work mode.

He sends her a text to say he's outside at five minutes to seven, and she isn't ready, of course. She texts him back a quick 'just a sec', rushing around for another three minutes to find her shoes that she swears she left at the end of her bed the previous day but they aren't there and it's not like she's dressing up, she's just hanging out with Shayne, how is she still so late-

"Okay, sorry, couldn't find my fucking shoes but I'm here now," Courtney explains, sliding into the passenger seat of the truck at a couple minutes past seven, "why are you looking after this, anyway?"

"No problem. And I don't fucking know, honestly," he answers with half a laugh as he starts the vehicle and begins driving, "they're moving house at the moment, moving up to Thousand Oaks actually – but I have no idea why that means they don't actually want the truck more for moving things? I dunno. Maybe garage space, as if I'm not breaking rules by having two cars for a one-bedroom apartment at my place."

"Yeah, look, can't say it makes any sense to me. Where we going, anyway?" Courtney switches the topic, and Shayne shrugs.

"New pizza place, if that's cool with you? I've heard good things, Goldbergs guys recommended it."

"Of course pizza is okay with me," she laughs, before they fall into a casual conversation for the remainder of the drive to a small shopping strip that appears to be mostly comprised of eateries.

"Oh, and there's a takeaway milkshake place beside it, so if you still want a milkshake after the pizza..." Shayne trails off as they walk towards the pizzeria. Courtney lightly hits his arm in response, although she doesn't pretend she isn't fond of the idea, and after they finish their relaxed pizza dinner – it's decent pizza, although not earth-shatteringly good like they'd been led to believe – they wander into the small store next door.

"What you want?" Shayne asks her, as they stand back from the counter and look up at the menu board, waiting for the group of teenagers in front of them to place their orders.

"Oooh they have coffee," she muses, in response, "probably coffee."

Shayne, for his part, goes with a classic caramel and pulls out his card to pay for both of them. It's easier than splitting, anyway. There's absolutely no space in the actual milkshake shop to consume their milkshakes, so they step outside with drinks in hand and wander back towards the truck.

"You up for just driving somewhere instead of going straight to one of our places? I feel like just... hanging out somewhere," he suggests as he twists the key in the ignition.

"Sure, where you thinking?" Courtney responds, awkwardly twisting to the side to put her seatbelt on with one hand while refusing to put down the milkshake. Like, she could use one of the cupholders, but that would be too logical.

"Up in the hills?" Shayne suggests, and she merely nods in response, falling into a comfortable silent for a few minutes. They aren't far from the foothills anyway, and once they start climbing up into the mountains and the traffic starts thinning out – or, at least, thinning by LA standards – she starts rambling about a movie she watched the other day that she knows he would never see. He engages in conversation anyway, though, laughing good-naturedly at her supposedly poor taste until he pulls into a deserted parking area near the top of one of the hills, reversing into a space. They're surrounded by honest-to-god forest, but the back of the truck is pointing towards a less dense patch of greenery that reveals hints of the cityscape below them.

"How'd you find this place?" she asks, following his lead as he opens his door and steps out of the car to move towards and climb into the tray at the back.

"I can't remember who told me about it actually, found it ages ago. Sometimes I come here when I want to be moody and whatever but it's kind of spooky alone," he admits, settling into place just beside her.

They fall into a comfortable silence as they continue to take occasional sips of their respective milkshakes, letting the silence wash over them as the light pollution shining through the trees keeps the atmosphere free of complete darkness.