Out Of Focus (Wattys 2023)

24. Definitely Hate To Burst Your Bubble.

"God I wish I had more normal clothes."

Oliver has already torn through a majority of the closet in his hotel room, another fancy shirt joining the pile forming on the floor. He's not sure why he cares so much about dressing down for his dinner (maybe a date) with Shayne. Part of him just wants to look as normal as he wishes he could be, and the other just wants to see the look on the other man's face if he shows up looking like a Joe Schmo.

"What do you both think about this?" Oliver says while heading over to where he's propped up his phone on a wireless charging stand.

The faces of Carmen and Clide are staring back at him over FaceTime, and he's also pretty sure he can hear Benji barking in the background. They've been helping him go through options for the past 20 minutes. All they know is that it's a real date outside of the show. He figures they can go over the internal crisis he's having over liking a guy later.

"Well, I don't hate it," Carmen's voice says, leaning in as Oliver holds the shirt closer.

"Don't you have anything a little bit more boring?" Clide asks. "This mystery girl must be pretty special to have you going through all of this mess."

Oliver laughs nervously, wanting to correct his friend, while also knowing the cost of anyone knowing who doesn't already at this point could be disastrous.

"They are pretty special," his words aren't exactly a lie, but they aren't the truth either. "What's more boring than a shirt with stripes and khaki pants?"

"Ditch the khakis," Carmen's voice cuts in. "Do you have any jeans? Also, let's get you in a solid t-shirt; maybe a v-neck?"

"Where do you think we're going; a Wendy's?" Oliver asks.

"I mean a milk bar does sound pretty tasty right now," Carmen says.

Oliver groans, falling back into his pile of fancy clothes with a thud (he'll have to iron them later).

Clide chuckles from the screen. "Come on, Oliver, you can pull off a casual look. Just go for it! Show your date a different side of you."

Oliver sighs, knowing they're right. He rummages through his suitcase, finding a pair of dark-washed jeans and a simple black V-neck t-shirt. He holds them up to the camera, seeking their approval.

Carmen nods with a smirk. "That's more like it! Now, lose the fancy shoes and go for something comfortable. Maybe a pair of sneakers?"

Oliver grumbles but complies, swapping his polished dress shoes for a pair of worn-in sneakers that he usually reserves for gym sessions. He looks at himself in the mirror, the new outfit looking pretty damn normal if he says so himself. All it's missing is his trademark baseball cap and sunglasses to disguise himself.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," he mutters under his breath.

Clide's voice rings with amusement. "Relax, mate. You're just going on a date. It's not the end of the world. Besides, you deserve a bit of normalcy in your life."

Oliver's eyes meet his reflection in the mirror, and he takes a deep breath. He's ready to face this, ready to explore what it means to be true to himself off-camera.

"Thanks, guys," he says, genuine gratitude in his voice. "I don't know what I'd do without you back in my life."

Carmen smiles. "That's what friends are for, Oli. We'll always have your back, no matter what. Just as long as you don't forget about us again."

Oliver apologizes profusely before he ends the call, feeling a surge of confidence coursing through his veins. He checks the time and realizes he's running late, so he quickly grabs his wallet, and phone before he heads out of the hotel room.