Congratulations (Part 4)

Later at the bar, Dinah is laying out Nick's situation to all her friends over drinks. "Nick, here is my good friend from college. He is now, the ultimate cliche; CIS, (murmurs from the women at the table begin), middle aged, (more murmurs), white, (grumbles), male, (shouts), and, as if the universe didn't give this man enough of a privileged station in life, he just won over 2 million dollars in a divorce settlement...."

One of her friends interjects, "Drinks on him tonight!" Nick agrees, and there is much rejoicing.

Nick is all smiles, he feels like he's at the Comedy Central Roast of himself. "And this guy is your new project? Good Luck, girli!" one friend mentions.

"Yeah, she's gonna need it!" Nick jokes, "I want to star in porn, and I just bought a Bentley, too, did she tell you that?" Nick was going to need an uber home. He was trying to be ironic with that last joke, but it came out like gloating, so they cut him down to size.

"OK boomer, a mid-life crisis car is a cry for help, not a status symbol." said one of the younger women at the table. "Ohhh's" and "Daaaaamn's" flooded the table, and Nick tried to keep his head above water, while treading lightly. "I take exception to that, I'm a proud member of Generation X."

Dinah wants to make this one point she felt went unnoticed with Steve in the car. "I said something earlier about him only missing out on having a 19 year old girlfriend in the back seat of that same midlife crises mobile, and he had the nerve to get excited by the prospect." Her stern voice put Nick on the spot. Her lawyer friend was about to say something and then kept quiet. Nick noticed this and pressed his luck. "What? May/December relationships have become popular. Young women sing songs about it on the radio. What's wrong with it?" They had all heard the song but weren't as into it as some of the bands other songs, especially since it fit his narrative and not theirs, at the moment, but the song was one of the bands most popular, which lent to Nick's point.

"OK, since you asked," the lawyer said, "while you may be right about the age gap, being attractive, you couldn't even bring her here. So have fun with that curfew. But I'm sure there isn't enough young girl / old man porn out there?"

Laughs fill the air again. Nick even feels that last one was funny and felt his cheeks get red with a touch of embarrassment. "Fuck," Nick said it out loud, "...I am a cliche!"

The table erupts with laughter and Dinah mentions, "I've been telling you that all day Nick!" And the laughs continue as Nick accepts that he's not the first or last man in this world to go through some shit and have it leave him feeling worthless, only to rebuild in the same way so many others have as well. Else, it wouldn't be a cliche. Nick began to laugh with them, at himself.

A young woman arrives and kisses the lawyer. Nick nods to her, in an acknowledgement of her presence, then nods again, with a smirk, at the lawyer. The lawyer shrugs.

***

A few hours later, Dinah and Nick are both, in the back seat of a lyft, and piss drunk. Nick has left his car in the parking garage downtown. "... and after I set up the bedroom, and get a GoPro, you can take over the lesbian interest division." Nick had it all figured out in his golden moment of inebriation. He was looking forward to hiring all his friends and put ads online for talent.

Dinah has been, saying "sure, why not" and "yeah, sounds fun" for most of the night, thinking that an effort in reverse psychology would be more effective, but it seemed to only enable him being stupid, as far as she was concerned. So she hit him with a harder question. "How about business licenses, and a real studio, if you want me to be part of this, you're gonna do it right."

Nick pauses his ramblings for a moment. "The business set up stuff can be handled by Doug, but you're right... We should get a real studio."

"And seriously, a GoPro? You need a better setup than that. Will you hire camera people? Can you have sex in front of others like that?

Nick was quiet again. She had him thinking. Dinah noticed he is really serious about this right now. As silly as it seemed to her, she couldn't help but see the same determination in his eyes, as she saw when he was buying an engagement ring for the evil ex.

"He wouldn't really, would he?" She thought. He'd been through some really rough times in life over the last few years, and none of it was Nick's fault, but was he really going to show his dick to the world? He was really rich and really, really, hurt. Yet it wasn't revenge, it was more like he lost so much of his life to another, he never wanted to feel that again. He wants to make up for lost time, and that was fair. Dinah just doesn't think she is going to be able to be a part of this new world he was about to make for himself. She could see, she might be losing her friend; if he goes this direction.

The lyft pulls over and the driver let Nick out. "Congratulations on your new business, sir!" the driver said. Dinah's eyes roll. She did not need this guy encouraging Nick any further. "Thanks man! Hey, Dinah, make sure Bob here get's 5 stars. And Bob, here this is for you..." and pulls out $50, handing it to Bob. "You make sure you get my best friend home."

"You got it, sir!" Says Bob. "I'll keep an eye out for your films too." With a "My man!" Nick ends his night.

Dinah rolls her eyes again, she was not giving this guy 5 stars.