Limelight || A Shourtney Story

.12 kumbaya sh*t (shayne)

The last thing Shayne expected to see on Saturday morning was a text from Damien Haas. He had to rub his eyes to make sure he was reading clearly.

Well that, and a massive hangover from the previous night at Mercury Blue. He and Cody had gone shot-for-shot again, and this time Cody had emerged victorious.

Some things never changed.

Damien Haas [8:07am]

hey, any chance you want to grab lunch?

He suspected Damien would reach out sometime after the party, but he didn't expect it to be this soon. The party brought the worst out of them, and Damien was never one to succumb to violence. The image of Damien's eyes darkening as he saw Courtney with Shayne on the balcony was forever ingrained in his mind.

Shayne had done his fair share of regretful things too, to be fair. Punching Damien was definitely at the top of the list.

Clearing the air was probably a good thing.

Even so, his pre-lunch jitters ramped up. Would they really be able to smooth months of mistrust over one meal? Shayne didn't have a lot of faith in himself.

He quickly replied to the text and jumped in the shower. The hot steam did wonders to calm his racing mind.

Shayne Topp [11:25am]

let's do it. mccobb's at 12?

Damien Haas [11:39am]

yep, meet you there

Shayne wore one of his favorite t-shirts, pink with a rose embroidered on the pocket. After slipping on some jeans, boots, and sunglasses, he was ready to go.

The drive over to McCobb's was a quick one. It didn't give him much time to overanalyze Damien's text. Did he want to apologize? Was clarity needed about Kimmy? Would he warn Shayne to stay away from Courtney?

He sighed. There was no use getting all worked up for nothing.

Smiling fondly, he pulled into the little patch of gravel used for parking. The sunshine made the faded blue paint of the small one-story building brighten. It seemed to welcome him back like an old friend.

The quaint beach shack in Venice was Damien's and his favorite spot for post-Mercury Blue hangover brunch. The pair would sit in a corner booth overlooking the water, gorging over tater tots and scrambled eggs. They'd laugh loudly in the corner over the previous night's debauchery and plot Damien's flirtations with Kimmy.

The memories seemed farther away than he remembered.

He made his way through the door of the establishment, waving to the regulars and waitstaff that hadn't seen him in months. Some of the regulars offered him a warm smile, while others shook his hand or hugged him as if it was a family reunion.

"Hey, sweetheart! Welcome back," an elderly German woman said, clad in aged denim and striped apron. She stood behind the counter, beckoning him over for a proper hello.

The deep-set crinkles beside her eyes showed her contagious smile, well-worn over the decades. With her silvery hair cropped into a petite bob, Ingrid smiled at him as if he were her own son.

Ingrid dropped the plastic menus onto the long, L-shaped counter, arms extended wide for a bear hug. As he reciprocated, her sharp wit was quick to tease him.