It was ten days since he had broken up with his girlfriend and still the coffee was bitter. Roger didn't complain though. Not out loud. He just drank it since his friends were nice enough to take him out. It was his birthday and though he preferred to stay at home and pine over Rosie, his friends still dragged him out kicking and screaming.
Roger looked around the coffee shop. Couldn't help it because his friends were looking around as well. There were a few girls splattered here and there. Mostly with tank tops and shorts and legs just dying for a tan. Why did it have to be summer? If it was winter, those legs would be covered, the chests would be covered as well. Big winter coats to hide breasts that reminded him of Rosie. The days when his mouth would caress them, or as Rosie would say "peck them as if eating birdfeed." He was never good enough for her, and he guessed that's why they broke up. Or more specifically, why she broke up with him. Maybe if he had lost his virginity in high school and had several notches on his belt like Randy and Jason (his version of Lenny and Squiggy that hung out with him - and was he lame that he still watched Laverne & Shirley?). He wasn't the kind of stud that they were. In fact, he had met them in College. They helped him meet Rosie and being with her was like being in heaven. The only problem was his sword was dull.
He watched as the girls in the coffee shop looked down on him, pinning him to his seat with their eyes. He looked away. "This is fun."
"Yes it is!" giggled Randy excitedly fixing his left short sleeve. The fold came down as he had waved his fist at a girl during Roger's introspection. It wasn't a "I'm gonna punch you" kind of fist, but a "come get some of this" fist. It was the kind of fist you joked around with your friends, not the kind you showed to the girls, unless you were as bold as Randy. Randy had blonde hair and a tan any girl would be jealous for. The only problem was, he was too forward. Who was Roger to judge though? Randy was laid more times than he could count.
"Come on, cheer up, Roger!" Jason bit his bottom lip then nodded to a girl wearing a black leather jacket. "It's too hot for her to be wearing that. I should take it off."
"Yeah, you should go over there," said Randy slapping Jason's back with his hand. "Go over there."
Roger stood up. "Well, this was fun. Another fun birthday. Well, see you guys."
"Sit back down," said Jason smirking. He grabbed Roger's shirt sleeve and Roger was back on his seat. "What kind of friends would we be if we just took you for coffee?"
"Really guys, this is okay," sighed Roger, "I'm glad you came and took me out, but really, I'm just happy to spend the night alone in my dorm. It's just another birthday."
"It's your twenty-first birthday," piped in Randy. "Man, when I was twenty-one, you know what I did?"
"Got laid." Roger rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Randy winked.
"Okay, okay, enough fooling around," said Jason. "We'd better tell him." Jason put his hands in his jeans pocket then took out three pieces of paper. He tossed one to Roger.
Roger scoffed before looking at the paper. "What's this? 1-800-hookers are us?"
"Don't be silly!" Jason shook his head. "Really? What do you take me for? Some kind of pimp? Puh-lease!"
"You'll like this, Roger," smiled Randy, nodding his head. "Jason's got connections. Take a look."
Roger picked up the piece of paper and looked at it. Greater Star Club Presents Ginger. "Nice, Ginger from Gilligan's Island."
Jason rolled his eyes. "This is why you don't get dates. Do me and the world a favor and don't mention any weird TV shows. Nerdiness isn't hot."
"What is it then?"
Randy shrugged. "It's nerdy. Anyway, what do you think?"
"What is it? Some kind of show?"
"Puh-lease!" Jason rolled his eyes. "Some kind of show? Some kind of show? Is Wrestlemania just some kind of show?"
Randy pointed at the ticket. "This piece of paper gets you into a night of debauchery or to put it in your terms, lots of sex! We're talking all the sex you can eat."
"All the pussy you can eat," added Jason. "Of course, that's after the show because the chicks will be so hot and drooling from their mouths and their nether regions that you won't know where to start."
Roger slid the ticket back to Jason. "I'll pass."
Jason slid the ticket back to Roger. "No, you won't. It's our gift for your birthday."
"Plus you have to get out of the house." Randy stretched. "We'll pick you up at seven. Dress is casual."
2
Roger had no idea what to wear. Actually, that wasn't true, they told him it'd be casual. Casual meant jeans. He settled for a black sweater to go with the blue jeans. That would be casual enough and besides, he wouldn't be out all that long, he thought to himself. Probably just some hour show on stage, then he would be safe to return home. He wasn't one to party. Going out for coffee had been a struggle in and of itself, but he couldn't turn down his friends, now could he? Yet, here they were with this extra silliness. Who was this Ginger person anyway?
The knock on the door meant he was now a prisoner and the guards were ready to take him away to jail. The jail of fun. He opened the door and standing there with goofy grins on their faces were his friends, Randy and Jason. Randy was the goofier one. Then again, he was the one who stood out more. Girls were suckers for the blonde guy. Jason was dark-haired. Tall, dark, and handsome. Roger wasn't sure what he was. His hair was brown, but he didn't really pay attention to it. There was no need to when there were no girls in his life.
"Ready to go, buddy?" asked Randy, elbowing Jason in his side. "He's ready to go."
"Yes," sighed Roger, "I'm ready to go. Take me to this Greater Star Club then." He shrugged. "Is this okay?"
Jason bit his bottom lip slightly, then nodded. "Yeah, that'll do fine. Could've just thrown on a T-shirt like us."
Roger smirked. "It's supposed to rain tonight."
"So what?" laughed Randy. "We'll be indoors and I'll be too busy to think about rain, if you catch my drift."
Roger shrugged it off and let them lead him to Jason's car. He leaned back looking out his side window as they drove. Once they reached the club, Roger stepped out of the car, looked around and saw the long line of people across the street.
Jason got of the car and put his arm around Roger. "There you go buddy. There it is, your initiation into adulthood."
"I'm already an adult," frowned Roger. He crossed his arms. "Not sure about you two."
"Hey birthday boy," laughed Randy whacking his friend across the back, "don't be so glum."
They crossed the street while Roger shook his head. He stood behind some fat girl with a skinny tank top. "Yeah, good idea. Do you realize how long this line is?"
Jason patted Roger's shoulder. "There, there, relax, Roger. I've been here before, it moves fast."
"Yeah, I guess." Roger looked in front of him and saw the fat girl was 2 meters ahead of him. He rushed up behind her and saw the line moving fast like Jason said it was.
The bouncer was the usual kind with the black T-shirt, bald and full of muscle. He nodded to Roger and punched his ticket with the puncher. "You boys are gonna have a good time tonight, eh?"
Randy giggled. "That we are, my man, that we are."
The bouncer punched Randy's ticket, and smiled. "Enjoy the show."
Jason led the way. Once inside the door, they had to climb stairs. It was an auditorium, as if they were going to see some play, thought Roger. He saw the stage get smaller and smaller as they climbed higher and higher. Great, he'd be watching an ant farm.
"Can't we go closer? Why are we sitting all the way up there?"
"One, because that's the number of our seats," said Jason, "and two, don't you know that the closer you sit, the more the illusion of the ballet lessens?"