"Cory!" Shawn yelled, rushing through the apartment. He found Cory at the dining table with Eric and Josh. "I need to borrow ten bucks."
"What for? I gave you ten yesterday," Cory said. He didn't understand why the only person who actually worked a job needed petty cash.
"I promise, I'll repay you. I just don't have any cash on me," Shawn briefly explained.
For the past two weeks, he had spent his mornings visiting the Nighthawk Diner. Every morning he ordered the same cup of coffee at the same barstool. Though he had to get to work by nine for the small magazine company, Shawn made it priority to visit Katy each morning.
"Shawn, what's this really about?" Cory questioned. He had begun to notice something was off with his friend. It hadn't started until two weeks ago. His mind immediately went to a bad place. He wondered what trouble Shawn had got himself into if he was this worked up.
"Nothing," Shawn lied. He liked having Katy separate from his life at home. Him and Cory's lives had been so entwined that there was no time for Shawn to be his own person and for people to know him as such. Katy knew him as Shawn Hunter, not one half of the duo, Cory and Shawn.
"Oh, so this doesn't have anything to do with the pretty waitress down at the Nighthawk Diner," Eric casually mentioned as he spoon fed the highchair bound Josh his breakfast.
"Eric, I think Shawn would tell me if there was a girl in his life," Cory said. Shawn failed to hold back his guilt. Eric wasn't wrong in his assessment. "Say it isn't true, Shawnie."
"Eric's right," Shawn admitted as much as he hated saying those words. He had taken a liking to Katy from the moment he met her. Each time he visited her, his feelings intensified. He enjoyed their morning routine and getting to know more about her. "What I don't understand is how."
"They have pie. I like pie. And I was craving pie last week," Eric explained like it was the most simple thing in the world to comprehend.
"You had pie at eight in the morning?" Shawn questioned.
"Why not?" Eric shrugged. The talk of pie had got him hungry and not for the breakfast burrito he had just purchased outside the apartment. "Actually, I'm in the mood for some pie."
A lightbulb flashed in Cory's head. He smirked at Shawn. "Why don't we all go to the Nighthawk Diner?" Cory suggested. He desperately wanted to see who this mystery woman was and how she captured his best friend's heart.
Shawn's face went pale.
He didn't want to scare Katy off by introducing her to Cory and Eric. Shawn wanted to build a meaningful connection with her first, then maybe introduce her to his friends. This would have eventually led up to him asking her out. With Katy, he was in it for the long game. After Angela, he didn't want to immediately jump into a new relationship. Katy deserved more than being a rebound.
"Well, I guess it's settled," Cory smirked. He picked Josh up off his highchair and headed for the door with Eric leading the way. Sensing that Shawn wasn't following behind, Cory turned around. "You coming or not? I'm paying." Cory pulled out his wallet and shook it in the air for Shawn. If Shawn wanted the money, then Cory had to come with.
Eric popped up behind his brother and snatched the wallet from Cory's hands. "I'll be taking that," Eric announced, making a run for it out of the apartment.
"Eric!" Cory yelled. He handed Josh over to Shawn and ran out of the apartment following Eric's trail.
"At least I don't have to worry about you embarrassing me," Shawn said to his godson. Josh giggled and hugged his Uncle. Shawn figured with Josh by his side, he may be able to score brownie points with Katy. Women liked guys with kids, right?
Shawn locked up the apartment with being the last one out. He walked out of the apartment building and watched as Eric was getting honked at by the cars in the road. He blocked the flow of traffic while he ran around the street being chased by Cory, who was still trying to retrieve his wallet.
As much as Shawn wanted to see how this played out, he couldn't waste anymore time. He wanted to see Katy before work, so he headed to the diner with Josh.
Shawn took his seat at the familiar counter and waited for his waitress with Josh on his lap.
Katy had been walking around the diner all morning, taking orders and pouring drinks. Two girls called off before her shift, so Katy had to pick up the extra slack.
"Shawn?" Katy asked in disbelief. In the short two weeks she had known Shawn, he never mentioned that he had a baby. But at the same time, they had only known each other for two weeks. Shawn didn't owe her an explanation.
"Katy," Shawn greeted. He saw her eyes stare quizzically at Josh as she moved behind the counter. "This is Josh. Josh say 'hi' to Miss Katy."
Josh waved his tiny hand to Katy and then snuggled into his Uncle's chest sucking his thumb. She had never expected Shawn to be the paternal type, but it suited him well.
"Is he yours?" Katy asked. The question had loomed over her head since seeing the child rest in Shawn's lap.
"Oh no, he's my best friend's son. I'm his godfather," Shawn cleared up. He knew he should have said something earlier.
"So where is-" Katy began, but was distracted by the two newest patrons who entered the diner. They had entered yelling at each other, yet Katy was surprised because she knew one of them. "Kyle?"
"Hi, Katy," Eric grinned, waving to the waitress. He sat down onto the barstool next to Shawn.
"Kyle?" Shawn and Cory questioned simultaneously.
"That's what I call myself sometimes," Eric brushed off. He figured everyone knew that by now.
"Am I missing something?" Katy asked, staring at the three men and baby.
"Katy, this is Cory," Shawn introduced, taking it upon himself to explain the situation before Eric or Cory had the chance to. Cory smiled at the waitress as he took the other free seat next to Shawn. "He's the best friend I was telling you about and also Josh's dad. And the moron to my right is his brother, Eric."
"Eric?" Katy questioned. He had introduced himself as Kyle when she first met him.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted," Eric commented.
"Well, it's nice to meet Shawn's friends. He talks about you guys all the time," Katy revealed.
Cory's interest was piqued. He knew he was important to Shawn, but being topic of conversation with a girl Shawn was interested in made Cory blush. "Oh really?"
"Yeah, anyway, what can I get you guys?" Katy asked. She was on the clock and didn't want to get in trouble by her boss.
"I'll take a double foam latte and a slice of apple...no, cherry...no, triple chocolate fudge caramel cream pie," Eric battled with himself. Every time he visited the diner, he tended to struggled with choosing what pie to get.
"Gotcha," Katy wrote down after scribbling out Eric's first few requests. "What about you two?"
"I didn't know you guys served a double foam latte," Shawn said.
Katy leaned over the counter and placed her hand in front of her mouth so Eric wouldn't hear. "We don't. I tried to correct him once and he wouldn't have it, so I give him a coffee with whipped cream," Katy explained.
"Oh, I'll just take a coffee like usual," Shawn said.
"I'll have the same," Cory added.
"Okay, I'll have your coffees and pie out and ready in a minute. I need to check on my other tables first," Katy said putting in the order.
When Katy was out of earshot, Cory closed the gap between him and Shawn. "She seems very nice Shawnie, I didn't know you went for nice," Cory admitted.
Katy was a beautiful girl, there was no doubt about that, but she was not Shawn Hunter's typical type. Usually, there was some fire to each of his girlfriends. Cory could not immediately detect any fire in Katy, not that it was a bad thing. She was just nice.
"There's more to her than that," Shawn defended. On the surface, Katy was how Cory described - nice. However, Shawn could tell she had a fighting spirit in her. He was just waiting to unlock it.
"Guys, I made the Eiffel Tower," Eric said, pulling Cory and Shawn out of their conversation. They peered over to Eric's side of the counter and saw that he had used up all the toothpicks to create a giant letter A. It barely even resembled the tower.
Cory rolled his eyes and continued on his conversation with Shawn. "Just be careful," Cory warned.
"What?" Shawn asked, readjusting Josh on his lap.
"I just hope you're not doing this to replace Angela," Cory clarified. Katy seemed like the type of southern girl who was a best for a rebound. She was too nice for that. Cory didn't want to see either her or Shawn get hurt because he wasn't over his ex.
"Who's Angela?" Katy asked, coming back to the counter with a full pot of coffee.
"Someone from my past," Shawn explained vaguely.
"She must've been someone very special," Katy mused, pouring Shawn and Cory their drinks.
"She was," Shawn replied. He couldn't deny he still had feelings for Angela, but he felt less than he did two weeks ago. Katy was unknowingly helping him through it.
"What about you? Do you have anyone special?" Cory asked.
Katy grabbed Eric's pie and handed it to him. "Actually, I-" Katy began.
"Katy!" A deep voice rang out from the front door of the diner.
"Kermit?" Katy asked with a surprised smile. She left her station at the counter and met him halfway in the diner.
"Kermit?" Shawn, Cory, and Eric all questioned. The only Kermit they knew was the frog. For that reason, it didn't stop the three men from cracking a few laughs.
"What are you doing here?" Katy asked before getting enveloped in a passionate embrace and kiss in front of the diner patrons.
"Do I need a reason to see my girl?" Kermit replied, continuing to kiss his girlfriend.
"I'm at work. I'll see you tonight," Katy reassured him while slightly pushing him away. If her boss saw this, she'd be in trouble.
"It's a date," Kermit said before placing on last kiss on her forehead and then walking out.
Katy fixed her uniform and made her way back to behind the counter. Eric, being the only one who had the gall, had to ask, "Who was that?"
"That's my boyfriend," Katy explained. "We've been together for five months."
Shawn felt his heart drop to his stomach, a feeling he hadn't had much experience with until a few weeks ago. Finally he was starting to believe he could get over Angela and then the rug got pulled out from under him.