I tip my glass toward Jake. “You deal with the domestic scum of the earth and Striker and I deal with the foreign, but one thing is for sure. When my time is up and I approach those pearly gates, I will be able to tell St. Peter that I’m another soldier reporting for duty and I’ve served my time in hell.”
“Seriously, I leave you two alone for five minutes and you get all morbid and shit,” Striker grumbles, walking up, carrying a pitcher of beer.
Jake looks at me. “He sounds jealous.”
“He does.” I nod my agreement.
“What the hell do I have to be jealous about?” Striker demands.
“The fact that your two best friends were bonding without you,” Jake quips, making him and I laugh.
“Fuck you.” Striker shakes his head, trying not to laugh.
“Nah, not my type,” I joke, making us all laugh.
We settle down, watching everyone around us.
“What’s up with that?” I ask without thinking.
“With what?” Striker asks while he and Jake look around.
“I’ve seen probably a dozen guys approach the girls, greet them, then take Shane’s friend for a spin on the dance floor, but never Shane.”
“Still?” Striker grumbles, looking at Jake.
Jake raises his hands in defense. “Hey, don’t blame me. I have nothing to do with it, but are you honestly surprised?”
“What am I missing?”
Striker looks down at his drink, so I look at Jake.
“Fuck,” he sighs. “Okay, we all love Shane as a person. She pays her taxes, she volunteers, she donates, and everything else, but guys around here won’t date her. She’s on the no-go list.”
“She wasn’t on the no-go list back in high school.” Striker glares.
“Dude, don’t shoot the messenger.”
“Why won’t anyone date her?” I ask, confused.
Jake looks around, making sure no one’s listening, leaning close. “Ever since she took over the adventure business, the guys have stayed away. They will go on trips with her. Hang out at parties and whatever, but they won’t get close to her.”
“But why?”
“Her job, man. Think about it, she takes complete strangers on tours doing all sorts of shit. You want to go skydiving? She can hook you up. Wanna go rock climbing or check out some caves or waterfalls? She’s the one you want leading the way. Shane’s the good-time girl and not the sexual kind. She’s your adventure buddy, not the girl you bring home to your mother. Shane goes up in the mountains with strangers five, sometimes six days a week. She’s a liability. She could fall to her death or worse, be killed by a psychopath.” Jake shrugs. “Do I agree with them? Hell no. I know Shane can handle herself, but at the same time, you can’t blame them.”
“It’s fucking bullshit,” Striker grumbles. “All she’s ever wanted was a family, but at this rate, it’s never going to happen, and we all know she won’t give up the business. She loves what she does.”
“You’re serious?” I frown.
“Trust me, Shane’s love life, or lack of love life isn’t something I would joke about. The only time she ever gets a little attention is if it’s a tourist on his way through town.” Jake shakes his head.
Striker randomly gets up without saying a thing and stalks off.
“And now I’ve pissed him off,” Jake sighs.
“Like you said, can’t hate on the messenger,” I tell him while watching Shane.
She sinks down into her chair a little more. Rests her shin on the table in front of her and picks at the label on her beer bottle.