Out Of Focus (Wattys 2023)

24. Definitely Hate To Burst Your Bubble.

9:00 P.M.

BUTTHEAD KANGAROO

The Kangaroo has left the outback.

9:01 P.M.

GUY WHO PUT ME IN MY PLACE

???????? I am confusion. Is this a spy test? You know I'm not good at spying.

9:02 P.M.

BUTTHEAD KANGAROO

I'm sneaking out now. I'll meet you in the back kitchen ally. I've got a car waiting for us to borrow.

9:03 P.M.

GUY WHO PUT ME IN MY PLACE

Ohhhhhh, very well then. Don't keep me waiting too long Prince Charming.

As he makes his way to the agreed-upon meeting place, his nerves are on fire. On one hand, it'd be impossible to explain to anyone if he gets caught; but on another there's a certain trap of vulnerability here he knows he's practically walking into willingly. When he sneaks through the kitchen (he'll have to thank the waiter he bribed) and out the back door Oliver's heart skips a beat as he takes in the guy waiting for him; leaning against a blacked-out Maserati.

Shayne is wearing a simple button-down shirt paired with jeans. It's as if they both had the same idea, but Oliver has to remember that (as a production assistant) the guy is already probably a thousand times more normal than he can ever be.

"You clean up nice," Oliver teases, a playful glint in his eyes.

Shayne chuckles, running a hand through his hair. "You're not looking too shabby yourself. Seriously with the Maserati though?"

Oliver grins, walking forward and whipping out the keys, "It's a rental. A guy still needs his toys."

They both hop in, their fingers brushing as they both get settled in. Oliver swears he feels his soul leave his body briefly but pulls himself back together.

"Alright," Shayne says. "You've successfully convinced me to go batshit crazy, without the coffee you promised me mind you, so where to mister hotshot?"

Oliver can picture the night in the garden and the aftermath like it was yesterday. How Shayne had called him out that morning at the mansion for being so full of himself. How much of a wake-up call that was for him to start trying to feel again. It didn't make him quit the show, but it has brought him back here and reconnected him with friends he had all but thrown to the wind.

"Hello?" Shayne finally says as Oliver brings himself back to the present.

"Sorry, sorry," Oliver says. "Uh, I know a place; but it's a bit unconventional. It's just probably the only way I'm not going to be recognized honestly."

Shayne smirks, tilting his seat back, before playfully nudging Oliver on the shoulder. "Let's go then. To infinity and beyond and all that shit."

Oliver knows this man is still going to be the death of him, but he's not sure he cares too much anymore.

***
Oliver steers the Maserati through the city streets, the engine purring beneath them. He can't help but steal glances at Shayne out of the corner of his eye. There's a spark of excitement in Shayne's gaze, matching Oliver's adrenaline-fueled anticipation.

After a short drive, Oliver pulls up in front of an unassuming building that looks like an old-fashioned diner straight out of a horror movie. The flickering neon sign reads "Gutbuster Grill."

Shayne squints at the sign. "Uh, Oliver, are you sure about this place? It looks like the set of a B-grade slasher film."

Oliver grins mischievously, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Trust me, this place is legendary. It may not look like much, but the food is out of this world. Plus, the staff are good people. It's a hidden gem, I promise. Plus there's no way in hell they'll recognize me."