All-Nighters

by Meredith Taylor

  “From such a handsome stranger, I’d love a drink,” Luke smiled. The guy rushed to the bar and ordered two beers like the one Luke was still working to finish. Luke watched him as he moved. He had the type of confidence and charm that Luke knew many guys in Ridgemont would respond positively to. He seemed like the type of guy Luke would often meet at Hunters, getting by on their charm alone. Luke knew that the guy seemed like an easy target for a night of fun.

  The guy returned and handed Luke his beer. Luke took it with a nod, and the guy raised his drink in a toast. “To new encounters,” the guy said, clinking his beer against Luke’s.

  “To new encounters,” Luke responded. He looked the guy up and down, enjoying being pursued for a change. Usually, Luke enjoyed being the pursuer, but with someone as good-looking as the guy sitting across from him, he was willing to make an exception. “I’m Luke. What’s your name?”

  “Nice to meet you, Luke,” the guy responded. “I’m Martin. I hope you’re up for some fun tonight. It’s been a while since I’ve been out and I’m looking for someone to keep me entertained.”

  Luke played along: “I’m always up for some fun, Martin. Maybe we can entertain each other.” Luke thought for a bit, and added: “Just to be clear, I’m not up for anything more than some fun. I’ve had bad experiences where guys had expectations that things could turn into more than what they were. I’m not really into relationships.”

  Martin maintained his smile and responded: “Perfect. I’m not really into relationships either. I tried the whole relationship thing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have someone around just so you never have to be alone. But only being with one person… not for me.” Martin laughed out loud at what he was saying, and Luke forced a smile. “Can you ever see yourself settling down, Luke?”

  Luke’s mind immediately jumped to Jesse. He thought of the moment in the study room, when he saw something so beautiful in Jesse that he had to reach out to him and hold his hand. He thought about how he could never give Jesse what he deserved in a partner. Besides, Luke had no idea how long he would be around. Luke responded to Martin: “If it’s with the right guy. I could definitely see myself falling for someone. But I don’t think it’s in the cards for me.”

  Martin responded with animated gestures, his voice louder than it needed to be: “Oh yeah, definitely, I mean, sure! There’s this guy who likes me so much. Sometimes I feel sorry for him and keep him around, but he’s not really someone I could fall in love with. I’m a lone wolf. I need to be wild and free. Relationships just cause unnecessary drama.” Luke could tell that there was something about Martin that was completely insincere. He seemed vapid and like he had a huge ego. But he was cute, and he seemed uncomplicated, and that was exactly what Luke needed.

  Luke had a few more drinks with Martin, enjoying the empty conversation and the guy who was so eager to impress him. Martin was exactly what he was looking for in a casual hookup – someone who didn’t expect anything from Luke.

  After their third drink together, Martin said: “I have to get up for a test tomorrow, but I’d like to see you again and continue what we started tonight.”

  Luke was tipsy and eager to take things further with Martin. He said: “Tomorrow night? I’m meeting a friend to study for a few hours, but I should be free around ten.”

  “Excellent, sweet Luke,” Martin responded. “Why don’t you come over to my place when you finish studying. I’m just across the Square.” Martin gave his address to Luke, and they agreed to meet the following night. Luke walked home from Percy’s with mixed feelings. Martin had distracted him for a few hours, which was what Luke had wanted, but he was left feeling unsatisfied.

  Chapter 16

  Jesse and Phillip sat enjoying the sunlight on the veranda of the Bean Happy Coffee Shop, a small, rustic shop on Villier Street just off campus. They were taking a much-deserved break from studying after finishing a particularly challenging English test that morning. Phillip sat chewing on his scone and staring blankly at the passers-by. “I hate 19th century literature,” Phillip said, still staring off into the distance. “I just don’t get it. I’m glad that test is over so we can focus on our Psychology assignment. This test season is getting to me already.”

  “It wasn’t that bad,” Jesse responded, his blond hair looking lighter in the sunlight. It was nice that they were having a brief respite from the cold weather over the past few weeks. “Luckily the professor mostly asked questions about my favorite book, The Picture of Dorian Gray. You enjoyed that book, right?”

  “The one where the guy grows old but still looks young and beautiful? I read the summary online. It sounded boring. But I think I managed to answer most of the questions. You know the main skill to pass a Humanities degree is the ability to waffle with just enough facts thrown in that it sounds intelligent. We’re pros at that by now.”

  Jesse giggled, “I hope you’re kidding. Anyway, we won’t be able to waffle for our Psych assignment. Luke and I have been working really hard on it. There’s definitely more to him than I thought at the start.”

  Phillip’s eyebrow rose in interest as he said, “You’re not developing feelings for him, are you? I thought we agreed that he was bad news.”

  Jesse felt defensive, and said: “He’s not bad news. Just… not the kind of guy that I can develop feelings for. Besides, I told you I’m starting things up with Martin again. Giving him a chance.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Phillip said, rolling his eyes. “How is Prince Charming doing, anyway? Off roaming the streets sowing his wild oats already?” Phillip sipped on his coffee, seeming proud of himself for his biting comment.

  “Please, Phillip. You promised not to do that to me. I want to give Martin another chance. You don’t know him like I do.”

  “I know enough,” Phillip said, his mouth tensing into a glower. “But I promised. You’re right. I won’t say a bad word about him. I won’t tell you what I really think until you figure this all out. I’ll just let you go ahead and make the same mistake twice.”

  Jesse shook his head. “That’s not really helping, you know.”

  “All I’m saying is, keep your eyes open. Don’t let your guard down. Maybe he is the man you’ll end up marrying and he’ll be a perfect gentleman to you. But even if that’s the case, he has a lot of work to do to make up for what he did to you. He has to show you that he’s really changed. I hope, for your sake, that he has.”

  Jesse finished the final sip of his coffee and walked around to Phillip’s side of the table to give him a hug. “I know you’re just looking out for me, Phillip. And it means a lot to me. I’m not always good at saying such things, but you’re a great friend and I wouldn’t trade you for anything. Thanks for always being there for me.”

  Phillip’s tall, slender arms wrapped around Jesse’s body, and he said: “You’ll be okay. I just want you to keep your options open. And I’ll always be there for you because you’re always there for me. Just like you will be when you go over my notes for my French test with me. Tonight?”

  Jesse smiled and rolled his eyes playfully. “Always a catch, isn’t there? Wish I could help you tonight, but I’m seeing Luke for more work on the assignment. I’m heading back home now to take Scampers on a walk before I get ready for Luke to come over.”

  Phillip’s brown eyes widened and his slightly protruding ears flared. “He’s coming over to your place? Ooooohhhh! It sounds like things really are developing. Are you sure there’s nothing going on between the two of you? He really is very cute, and if you’ve forgiven him for that first night then it should all work out, right? Maybe have some fun when you put the books away.” Phillip gave a naughty smile and winked at Jesse.

  “Sis, Phillip. I don’t see Luke that way anymore,” Jesse lied. “We work well together and we both want to do well on this assignment. That’s all. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?” Jesse said as he grabbed his bag and waved goodbye to Phillip.

  “Okay, just be safe and don’t m
ove too fast with either of the men in your life,” Phillip called out as Jesse walked away. Jesse felt slightly embarrassed that Phillip was broadcasting his personal life in front of strangers who were within earshot, but he waved it off and walked briskly back to his flat.

  Jesse was looking forward to unwinding with a hike through the Yvette Uys mountain with Scampers. It had been a busy few weeks and Jesse had been more social than he wanted to be. He needed some alone time with his canine best friend to process everything that had happened to him. Jesse had finally started things up with Martin, something that he had promised himself months before that he would never do, and he wasn’t sure if it felt right yet. He just couldn’t bear the constant confusion of how strongly he felt for Luke. Jesse had become fully infatuated with Luke, watching his every move whenever they were studying together, hanging on his every word whenever Luke told Jesse about his life. Hearing the story of Luke’s late boyfriend Barend and seeing how much Luke’s relationship with his sister had soured only made him more intriguing. There was something vulnerable and beautiful in Luke that Jesse was falling for more and more. But he knew that Luke wasn’t able to be in a relationship with him, and now he had a better understanding of why that was. Luke was still in pain. He wasn’t ready for any relationship yet. Jesse had to move on, and starting things up with Martin would hopefully make it slightly easier.

  Jesse arrived at his front door as he saw rainclouds starting to pull in over the horizon. It looked like he and Scampers wouldn’t have enough sunshine to enjoy the mountain trail after all, and they would have to settle for a short walk on the edge of campus. Jesse opened the door to his flat and called out for Scampers: “Here, buddy! Where are you, boy?” Scampers was usually waiting for Jesse at the front door, barking, whenever he heard the key turning in the lock. This time, Jesse was only greeted by silence, and Scampers was nowhere in sight.

  “Scampers! Are you asleep, buddy? Let’s go for a walk, boy!” Jesse called as he put down his bag and went to find his dog’s leash. Still, there was no response. Scampers usually escaped onto the tiny back patio through his pet door when he needed to relieve himself, and Jesse headed to it to see if Scampers was out there. Still, Scampers was nowhere to be found. Jesse walked to his bedroom, his heartrate increasing and panic starting to rise in his body. He called out for a third time, “Come on, Scamp! I’m home. Where are you? Scampers?”

  As he walked into his bedroom, Jesse was greeted by a sight that drained all of the blood from his face. There, on the floor of his bedroom, was Scampers, lying motionless on his side, with a pool of vomit at his mouth.

  Tears immediately rushed out of Jesse’s eyes. He screamed: “Scampers!” and rushed to his dog’s side. Scampers was breathing, but he could hardly open his eyes. Something was terribly wrong. Jesse scooped Scampers up in his arms and ran through his living room, not even grabbing a coat, and put Scampers onto the passenger’s seat of his car. Scampers’s legs were hanging limply as Jesse moved him, and he seemed to be unable to even lift his head from the seat when Jesse lay him down. Jesse was crying heavily by that point, barely able to contain his sobs. “I’ll get you to the doctor, Scamp. You’ll be okay,” he said, and rushed to lock the door of his flat before speeding off down the road with a loud screech of his tires.

  A light rain had started to fall and heavy clouds had rolled in very suddenly. Jesse drove towards the far end of main campus, where the veterinary college was located; the local vet’s office was right next to the vet college. Jesse could hear the raindrops begin to beat down harder on the roof of his car, and his windscreen wipers were moving furiously from side to side. As he pulled up in the driveway of the vet’s office, he could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket. He ignored the phone and ran around the car to get Scampers from the passenger’s seat. As Jesse transported his dog inside of the vet’s office, Scampers’s long black and white fur became coated in rain. Jesse’s own face and clothes were becoming soaked, but he tried to cover Scampers as much as possible. It would’ve been wise to have brought a blanket, he thought, but rushing to the vet meant that he didn’t have much time to think about such things. He ran up to the receptionist, Scampers’s heavy body still limp in his arms, and said to her: “It’s an emergency! I don’t know what’s wrong with him but he’s not moving and he threw up.”

  The receptionist jumped up quickly and shouted back at Jesse as she left the room: “I’ll get the vet. Just hold on.”

  Everything happened quickly from that point onwards: a vet and her assistant came into the room to collect Scampers. Jesse had to sign forms and the vet ordered an IV line for the dog; he had lost too much fluids. Jesse called out for some information but the vet’s assistant just told him to hold tight. Jesse had nothing to do but sit sobbing in the waiting room of the vet’s office. His head was spinning. The image of Scampers on the floor, motionless, was etched in his mind.

  A few minutes after Scampers was admitted, Jesse’s phone rang again. He looked at the number on the screen and saw that it was Luke. He answered, still trying to fight back tears: “Luke, I have to cancel on you t-tonight. I’m sorry.”

  “What’s going on, Jesse?” Luke’s concerned voice came through the phone’s speaker. “Are you crying? What’s wrong?”

  Jesse held his hand over his face as he responded through sobs: “I-it’s Scampers. Something’s wrong with him. I’m at the vet right now. I d-d-don’t know what’s going on. They’re checking him out right now.”

  “Are you at the campus vet? The one next to the veterinary college?” Luke asked abruptly.

  “Y-yes,” Jesse responded.

  “I’ll be over in ten minutes. Just sit tight, okay? I’m on my way.”

  Before Jesse could respond he heard the phone click and the call was ended. Jesse sat back in his chair, feeling the hot tears on his cheeks, hardly able to string a coherent thought together. His best friend of seven years was in trouble. That was all he cared about in that moment.

  ***

  Luke rushed over to the vet clinic as the early evening rain was pouring down. The sky was grey with heavy clouds and Luke’s flimsy umbrella was barely withstanding the wind. He saw Jesse as soon as he walked through the door, his eyes puffy and red and his brow furrowed. Luke walked over to Jesse and sat down next to him: “Did you get any news yet?”

  Jesse’s voice was breaking as he responded: “They said it looks bad. Something with his stomach. I couldn’t really understand what they were talking about. I asked the vet if he would be okay, and she only told me that we would have to wait and see.”

  By the end of his final sentence, Jesse seemed ready to break down in tears again. Luke wiped some raindrops from his coat and sighed heavily. “I’ll stay here with you until they can tell you what’s going on. I know Scampers means a lot to you, and I don’t want you to be alone. Let me go and see if I can find out anything more.”

  Luke walked over to the receptionist and explained that Jesse couldn’t take in all of the information yet, he seemed to be in shock, and asked if they could explain to him what was happening with Scampers. The receptionist went through her files on her computer and told Luke that Scampers was in critical condition, that he was being treated intensively and that the vet would be out to update them as soon as she could spare a moment. Luke turned to glance over at Jesse. Jesse was rubbing his hands together, his jaw clenched. Jesse wasn’t wearing a coat over his long-sleeved shirt and must’ve been freezing, Luke thought. Luke walked to the bathroom of the vet clinic and stared at himself in the mirror. He felt so sorry for Jesse. He had seen the bond shared between Jesse and Scampers when they were at his flat. Luke had taken a special liking to the dog as well. Luke had to be there for Jesse. He vaguely remembered that he was supposed to meet the new guy he was flirting with, Martin, later that night, and he took out his phone and typed a text to Martin: Something’s come up. Might be held up until late tonight. Let’s meet tomorrow instead? Luke.

  With that, Luke remo
ved his coat and the thick winter pullover sweater he was wearing underneath. He put on his coat again and walked back into the waiting area. Luke handed the grey sweater to Jesse. “Put this on. You must’ve forgotten to grab something warm on your way over here. That shirt can’t possibly be warm enough.”

  Jesse took the sweater from Luke and pulled it over his head and shoulders without saying a word. He whispered something resembling a thank you and continued to stare at the wall once the warm pullover was on. Luke sat down next to Jesse again, pulling his coat tight around his shoulders, and they waited together.

  Twenty minutes went by in mostly silence before Jesse finally turned to Luke as though, at last, he fully realized that Luke was waiting with him: “Thank you for coming today, Luke. Thanks for being here for me. You really didn’t have to do that. You hardly know me.”

  “Of course I had to do it. Not just for you, but for Scampers too. We bonded a lot that night you guys found me, you know. If it weren’t for him, I might’ve caught my death at the side of the road. I owe him a lot. And I want to be here for you. Don’t even think about it.”

  Jesse nodded and Luke watched the dried tears on his puffy, rosy cheeks. His big brown eyes were red with worry. Luke had to resist hugging him at that moment.

  Jesse spoke again, absentmindedly, as though he were talking to himself: “When I was a kid I spent a lot of time alone. I guess I just got used to my own company. My parents were lawyers at the top law firm in Cape Town, working with clients like Terreblanche International. Their work took them all over the world, and I was left with nannies. I didn’t have a lot of friends, and I was bullied a lot for my stutter and because I was different.” At that comment Jesse turned to look at Luke, sincerity in his eyes. “I never really had anyone to rely on in my life. When I adopted Scampers at the start of high school, we were just instantly best friends. He was always loyal and would never betray me. When my parents were fighting a lot, he was the one I turned to. He was the best kind of friend. He was the only one I was ever completely honest with. It sounds strange. Even when I had friends and dated guys, I just couldn’t ever trust people. I always imagined that they would disappear like my parents always did, leaving me by myself. But Scampers was always there for me.” Jesse pushed his hand through his hair and choked on his words: “I just can’t lose him.”