Frayed Edges

More of a bar guy

Jake had been lonely for a while. His marriage with Amy had seemed like a fairy tale ending but after she was promoted and sent to a new precinct the cracks began to show. What started as a few small fights soon turned to bigger ones as they realised the different paths they wanted to take. Amy was still insistent on starting a family, something that Jake still couldn't bring himself to do. Once Amy realised that Jake had no plans of leaving his Brooklyn suburb she called it quits. Jake was still trying to pick up the pieces of his broken heart, throwing himself into his work even more than usual and ignoring any form of personal life he once had.

After a year of failed blind dates and hopeless moping his friends had had enough. A harsh thud of files dropping on his desk broke Jake out of his zombie like trance.

"Go home and change we're going out tonight" the cool and collected voice came from his friend Rosa Diaz. Jake's eyes barely skimmed hers as he sighed leaning back in his chair.

"I can't Rosa, I have too much to do on this case" he said motioning to the files lit up across his computer screen.

"It's a simple street mugging. The lady got a full payout on the insurance and wasn't hurt, what's there to find?" She snapped back. "Look Joselyn and her friends are going to this club event downtown tonight and I promised I'd go. You'd be doing me a huge favour if you came with me, plus it would be good for you to get out and meet some people."

Jake spun in his chair "What do you mean I go out all the time!"

"Going to cooking classes with Charles and meeting widows doesn't count as going out" Rosa replied rolling her eyes.

"Some of those women still have a lot of fire in them!" Rosa stared back at him sternly. "Fine! I'll go but I can't promise I won't complain the whole time!" Jake snapped going back to his computer screen.

Back in his apartment alone, Jake adjusted his collar in front of a long mirror. He had put on a crisp blue shirt and dark jeans for the occasion but felt stupid making an effort for what felt like a futile experience. Grabbing his leather jacket and keys he headed for the door taking one last look at his empty apartment. Ever since he and Amy has split he had moved back into Gina's old apartment. It was only when he had sent the last of Amy possessions that he realised how little he actually owned.

A quick cab journey later and he was outside the club. The sign above the door read 'Lost' it felt fitting to Jake's current mood. The heavy thrum of music was echoing out into the street and a long line of highly dressed twenty somethings waited outside in outfits not suitable for the crisp September air. He quickly found Rosa stood alongside the line.

"This definitely doesn't seem like your sort of place" he asked motioning to the flashing lights and loud shrieks of excitement coming from the crowd.

"It's not" she said flatly "but one of Jocelyn's friends is running the event so free beer, that's good enough for me"

With a quick name drop to the bouncer the two of them slipped inside avoiding the queues. Inside was already packed with drunks already long gone, and the heat was more than he had expected. He slipped off his jacket and left it at the cloak room before heading to the bar with Rosa to meet Jocelyn and her friends. They handed him a beer and he threw it back as quickly as he could. Something to take the edge off, he thought to himself.

"How you feeling?" Rosa asked him. He wanted to answer honestly and say queasy and uncomfortable, but he reminded himself he was here to support Rosa more than anything else. Instead he just smiled and forced a reassuring response.

"I'm just more of a bar guy I guess"

The second beer went down even easier than the first. Jake had started to felt a little more comfortable in his surroundings. Jocelyn's friends were easy enough to get along with even if they weren't his crowd.