All Boys Occassion

colin didn't feel like going for lunch. he was really sick and tired of eating. besides, he had work to do in the office and having time to let his mind rest would mean thinking about megan and shayna again. this time he was in deep shit. megan is going to live less than a mile away from him and shayna was miles and acres away from him. why can't the both of them switch places? that would help. maybe he should reject the both of them and turn gay or become a hermit in the himalayas or something. that would make him stop thinking about women and cause more problems in his life. as he pondered over his crazy but possible options, his mobile started to ring. he looked at it, hoping it could be an answer to his problems but it was tyler. not a really great help but he picked up anyway.

"hey dude! want to have lunch together?" tyler asked, sounding very happy.
"my, you sound happy today," colin remarked, loosening the knot of his maroon tie.
"yeah. my girlfriend's invited us to her workplace for free lunch. come join us."
"don't you think i would be a little too 'bright' for the both of you? i sure do not want to play gooseberry," colin laughed.
"please stop being stupid. she's working her ass off there. we're just gonna eat what she serves us. anyway i have been your gooseberry once too many times. it should be your turn now," tyler joked back.
"alright alright. i'll go," colin answered reluctantly.
"great. i'll see you in five minutes at Soup Junction," tyler said.
"no. give me ten minutes. i want to finish up some stuff before i make my way there," colin said.

he didn't really want to go but it was tyler, his best friend. tyler was right. colin should start becoming the gooseberry for tyler. since they knew each other, tyler was always the one hanging out with colin and all his girlfriends. now tyler should be the one attached. he was glad that tyler was a good buddy. he never once complained about colin and yet gave him advice on relationships and helped him out in all the different areas of his life. he was a good friend indeed.

colin didn't drive to Soup Junction. He figured since it was around the area, he rather take in the extra fresh air and clear his mind off the megan and shayna issue. besides, tyler drives. it would be a different issue if colin was going to meet shayna there. that meant he would have to drive down and then after lunch send her back to her workplace before going back himself. since it was tyler, he could drive colin back instead.

"hey colin over here!" tyler waved, catching colin's attention.
"ok. so what's for lunch?" colin asked.
"here you go boys. lunch," alyssa said, righ ton cue with the hot piping soups and bread slices to go along. she served tyler with his favourite pumpkin soup and for colin she served clam chowder.
"thank darling," tyler said, pecking her on the cheek. alyssa flushed.
"but we haven't ordered!" colin said, teasingly.
"i know what both of you like. besides, your future girlfriend is my best friend. she tells me everything. and according to her, this is what you love most," alyssa said to colin, smirking.
"what if i didn't feel like having clam today?" colin said, trying to tease her back.
"live with it bugger. remember who is paying for this today," alyssa said, slapping colin playfully on the shoulder.

as alyssa left to get back to her customers, both men tucked into the hot delicious soup.
"good aye? that's my girlfriend for you," tyler commended, feeling really top of the world, "so what's with you today? you seem pretty clouded with things on your mind."
"i guess i have been thinking about stuff," colin said before taking another spoonful of soup.
"shayna?"
"yeah. and megan. meg's bought this apartment at the condominium directly opposite mine. i saw her this morning. she's gonne be less than a mile away from me," colin said.
"god. that's got to suck. i wouldn't want my ex-girlfriend living right across me."
"tell me about it. i would have to think of a way to avoid meg. maybe she's trying to find her way back into my life," colin assumed.
"maybe she just wants to keep an eye on you to see if you rebounded. she knows about shayna, so maybe she wants to see if you are with shayna. meg's a sly one," tyler said, waving his bread slice in the air as he talked.
"whatever it is, it's really freaky. i would have to get out of the house at an earlier time and change my whole life routine so as not to bump into her again. it's as though she knows when i get out of the apartment and she would be there," colin remarked.
"just watch your back. if you ever need help, you always have me," tyler said.
"thanks ty. maybe someday i might need you to pretend to be my gay partner so meg wouldn't try anything stupid with me again," colin joked.
"THAT," tyler said, pointing the spoon in colin's direction, "I would NEVER do."

they laughed. sometimes it's good to be with friends. they are the most important people that you can turn to when you need help. especially with problems.

***

Timothy slumped into the couch at the staff lounge. it was his first day and he had to do two shifts at the hospital. why was he tortured like this? thought he might still be under probation but two shifts? it's very long! he needed to get a rest before his next shift. he closed his eyes and leant back against the couch to relief the pressure off his back. he had been standing for ages, caring for his young patients and getting to know the hospital staff.

As he closed his eyes, he was reminded of Shayna's smile. He sure missed that for so many years. she was his good friend at college and still is ever since. but they lost contact when he flew to London to do his doctorate and somehow he missed her though he was miles away. there was something about Shayna that Timothy could not find in other girls he has dated or met. something about her that keeps him wanting to get to know her more.

She was the reason why he came back to get a job. Timothy was given a chance to persue paediatrics in London at one of their established hospitals but when an old college friend emailed him to tell him that Shayna was also working in healthcare, as a hospital paediatric ward counsellor, all Timothy wanted to do was to find a job at the same hospital and finally reunite with her. that was what he did and he was here, close to Shayna and a chance to know her better.

Once Timothy saw Shayna's face light up when he called her name, he knew he did not make a mistake coming to find her again. she was worth every effort and sacrifice that he made.