Friendships, Sex, and Nightclubs 1/?

[tinydroplets]

“So we're really doing this.” Dave sighed, leaning back against the bar counter.

“Yup. We are definitely doing this. No pulling out before the deal is done. Striders don't pull out.” Dirk answered as he moved down from the stairways that led up to the upper floor of the club.

“This is crazy. Mother fuckin' insanity.” Dave muttered, though there was a note of approval in his voice, holding out his hand Dave let his elder brother fist bump him as he passed.

“There's a loft behind this place too. Pack your bags, we're doing this shit fresh.” Raising an eyebrow Dave shrugged as the elder Strider moved to inspect the dance floor.

“Fresh shit is at least easier to clean up, Bro.” Dave turned, his shade covered eyes locked on the small booth up to the left over the dance floor. The glass would need to be replaced, and Dave stretched out his hands, spreading his fingers wide.

Clapping his hands on his younger brother's shoulders, Dirk quietly stared up with him, a small smirk spreading across his lips. After a few silent moments, the elder Strider ruffled Dave's hair as he turned.

“We need to find a staff. By we, I mean you little bro.”

Dave sighed as he reached up combing his blond locks back into place. Not bothering to turn around, he shrugged. “I'm sure I can call a few favors to start out.”

“No favors. Really workers, this is our fucking bread and butter. You may like your bread with butter, but I don't. Put ads in the paper.” Dirk called back towards him. Of course, this was a big step forward, and something both of the brothers had always wanted to try. Though their version of trying was jumping into it without a safety net. Striders didn't dip their toes into the water first, that was for pussies.

“Sure. I'll get right on it, as soon as you give me some money to run an ad.” Dave moved towards the door, the silence he heard didn't surprise him. After all this was his brother, and he could be such a bitch sometimes.

“Take it out of your first pay check.” Dirk waved a hand over his own shoulder dismissively, Dave gave a small huff as he adjusted his hair once more, and looked over his shoulder leaving his brother alone.

Once out of the club the younger male pulled out his cell phone and rifled through his contacts. “Ad in the paper my ass, if you wanted that you should have given me some money. Fucker.”

Finding just the person he wanted to talk to on his list, Dave swiped his finger over the face of the phone swiping the fucker over to talk. This shit was too epic for text.

***

John signed as he leaned back in his chair, balancing his pencil on his nose, feet kicked up on his desk. Work had been boring that day, and it wasn't the first time that he had been glared at as his manager had walked past. The whoopie cushion, while a classic had hardly filled up his trickster gambit that day. His boss hadn't enjoyed the prank as thoroughly as everyone else had in the office. In fact, if the glares she was sending his way over the wall of the cubical now was any indication, he was probably in serious trouble.

“It's been too long since sburb.” John sighed as he took the pencil and balanced it on his nose standing vertical now instead of horizontal. Now his neighbor was staring at him again, John waved a hand and smiled, the man frowned and turned his eyes away disregarding John as he continued to show off.

That was until his cell phone rang.

Sitting up quickly, his heels slipped from the top of the desk, and the chair flew backward and with a loud crash John was on the floor looking up at the ceiling. Still the phone continued to ring, and he sat up, his hand going into his pocket to draw out his old cellphone.

“This is John!”

“Oh. Is this John Egbert? I would have never of guessed. Totally slipped my mind, that you would answer since I put all my numbers in my phone to random. I just picked a random fucker and thought I'd brighten up someone's day just by calling and saying hi.” Dave responded as he leaned against the wall of the club.

John rubbed the back of his head, grinning as he listened to his best friend. “It's kind of hard to keep in touch with you sometimes anyway. How's Texas?”

“Hot. Okay Egbert, I'm going to cut out the meat from this dish and serve it cold. So I want you to listen to me.” John stopped what he was doing, Dave normally didn't sound so formal. Well, for as formal as Dave could sound. Raising both his eyebrows, he picked himself off the ground.

“What is it Dave? You're usually a little more silly than this.”

“Well this has to do with my bread and butter, and I'd rather not get into the logistics of things. Do you think you could quit your job and move to Texas in a week?”

John balked, his jaw nearly hitting the table. Grabbing his chair, and eying it warily, the trickster sat down and leaned forward covering his mouth along with the receiver of the phone. “What are you talking about Dave? That's crazy!”

“Yeah, but you're the only guy I know that could pull this ultimate stunt and come out smelling like a rose. Come on, you can't tell me your gambit gets full sitting there working for the man. That man sucks and soon he'll suck out your soul making you a husk. I don't hang out with husks man.” Dave sighed as he rubbed his forehead, his brow wrinkling.

“That's really sweet Dave. But, I don't have anything lined up even if I did move down here.” John looked over his shoulder. His manager was tapping her fingers on the wall of his cubicle, and she was frowning.

“Dude, I got you covered. Just quit your job. Trust me. Have I ever steered you wrong? Get back at your bitch of a manager, play your best prank, and abscond the fuck out.”

“You're talking crazy. I'll call you when I'm off, and we'll talk then. I'm getting glared at, so bye!” John whispered quickly as he looked over his shoulder, and hung up the phone. His manager narrowed her eyes and tsked as she held out her hand. Sighing and lowering his head between his shoulders, John handed over his phone.

The day, went by slowly as John found himself looking at the clock. Biting his lower lip, it was as if he was in a stupid cartoon. He looked up at the clock, could hear it audibly ticking, and he sighed letting his head hit the desk.

“I won't look good as a husk. A twenty two year old husk looks just like a thousand year old mummy. ”

“Egbert get back to work. You are nothing like your father at least he's a hard worker.” His manager growled at him, as she moved past his desk. John sighed as he leaned back in his chair removing his glasses.

Just trust me.

Something about the way Dave had been talking had stuck with him all day. From a few desks away, on his managers desk his cell phone started to ring again. That combined with the ticking of the clock, Egbert stood up and put his hands on his desk, “No way I'm going to be a husk!”

The manager had stepped out on her smoking break, so John had only a few minutes. As he moved to the janitors closed, he grabbed a big yellow rubber bucket. Filling it with the water from the water tank, he moved to fix the bucket over the doorway. Everyone stopped and stared as he got off the step ladder and moved towards the side.

“Honestly, if he doesn't do a one eighty Mr. Egbert we are going to have to let him go.”

There she was. Mrs. Prissy pants, and it sounded as if she was talking to his father. Most likely, since there was a soft hum at her words. “You should talk some sense into your son.”

Just as she put her hand on the doorknob, John jumped back, and the door swung back to being open, and with it, the bucket tumbled down landing on her head, and drenching his manager. His father watched from the door way. There was silence, just a lovely lovely silence from then on.

John took a step back, as his manager took the bucket off her head, if there had been a way for her to channel flames, she would have singed off her eyebrows and most of her drenched hair would have been frazzled. “JOHN EGBERT!”

The office launched into laughter, as he smiled and bowed. That had definitely felt good, and his prankster gambit was now off the chart. “Thank you! I'll be here all week. Only not."

Play a prank. Check. Get revenge. Check. Abscond the fuck out. CHECK.

"No you don't you're fired!" screeched his mortified employer.

Moving towards her desk, he grinned and snatched up his phone. His heart was pounding as he turned triumphantly lifting the phone, which was still playing "Barbie Girl" by Aqua over and over again, he jumped onto his desk.

"No, I'm absconding. For the record take this prank as my resignation, so I QUIT! I'm moving to Texas!" Bouncing off of his desk, he moved passed the drenched woman who no longer matter. His father reached up wiping a proud tear from his eye. What a man he'd raised.

As he jogged towards the elevator, John answered the phone.

"What the fuck man? You hung up on my ass! You never hang up on a Strider." Dave bitched as John chuckled pressing the groundfloor button and the elevator let out a satisfying ding.

"Sorry. I was handling a few things at the office." John smiled as he stepped into the elevator and it jerked and moved down the floors what seemed impossibly slow.

"Oh yeah? So you decided to stay?" Dave pushed away from the dessert he had been enjoying when he had decided to give Egbert one more call.

"I actually just absconded. I'll be the talk of the office for weeks."

"Does that mean what I think it does?" Dave could hardly believe his ears.

"Yup. That means I'm moving to Texas. Give me three days and I'll be there." John answered as he moved out of the elevator and past security as he took off his name tag and tossed it to a security guard, not looking back.