Chapter 4: Gambling
The summer air was beginning to cool down as the season slowly ended. Shawn's favorite thing about late summer was leaving his windows open so the air could fill his room. He loved waking up to the breeze that rolled in during those sub-sixty-degree mornings, and fall was his favorite time of year.
Despite their recent drama, it was an enjoyable summer for Shawn and Kendall. Summer was always slow in Shawn's field, so he wasn't working overtime or weekends. It was usually so slow in the summer that he could waste time chatting and playing video games with his friends while he worked. Product and service demands were low during these months, so he worked less and enjoyed his summer.
Kendall used her stacked-up vacation time to take paid leave for several weeks to deal with her breakup. She spent the first few days gathering her belongings from Bradley's apartment and moving them back home. She intended to use the rest of the time to focus on herself and restabilize her mental well-being. Breakups are never easy, but this was severe and caused her a lot of damage. It was good that she had Shawn to lean on during this raw emotion and grief; he intended to stay by her side through all of it. As devastated as Kendall was, Shawn could not help but silently rejoice over her finally being finished with Bradley. It was like a massive thorn in his emotions had finally been plucked.
The two spent most of their time together during the week. Shawn distracted her, convincing her to do every little errand with him. They loved cooking together and hated cleaning, but they always turned it into a game that kept them busy until they finished. Shawn's favorite thing to do was build a strange costume out of cleaning supplies and pretend to be some character he made up on the spot. Kendall would laugh hysterically and spray him with water from the sink while he made absurd voice impressions. She loved how goofy and creative he was.
Shawn and Kendall were bonding well, but strange friction formed between them. As much as they enjoyed being around each other, the recent events between them caused this silent pressure to build. Shawn had been feeling more paranoid lately about his feelings toward her, hoping his thoughts wouldn't cause more tension between them. Kendall was also beginning to notice how he looked at her. She occasionally caught him staring when she walked away or while half-dressed in the morning. It worried her that Shawn's behavior made her more curious than disgusted. She wondered how he felt about her in ways no sibling should, but she wasn't courageous enough to approach that line with him. She found herself itching to know what her brother thought about when he looked at her like he did, and the desire to approach forbidden lines slowly festered within her.
As Kendall reacclimated to living at home again, she assumed most of her usual activities. She loved bar hopping on the weekends and dancing with her friends. Kendall didn't drink often. She loved dancing, and it was about the music and the energy for her. Shawn always agreed to stay up and wait until she got home on those nights. Kendall wanted him to go out with her and her friends, but he would never agree. Bars and clubs were the furthest things from his scene, and those environments gave him a lot of social anxiety.
Her life at home was easy, peaceful, and full of support. During her time off, she helped their mom redo the entire landscape around the house. Kendall was brave enough to get filthy under her car with their dad as they tag-teamed her oil leak. Shawn always checked on her and rarely left her alone. She was reconnecting with her family again and beginning to heal. Kendall courageously told her parents she intended to have children with Bradley before things ended. Like Shawn, they were relieved it did not work out, but they still empathized with her.
Kendall's final weekend off work rolled around, and she wanted to end her break with a bang. Her friends and co-workers had organized a group event where they would have a nice dinner before hitting the club to welcome Kendall back to work. Her support system was vast through this breakup, which made her incredibly thankful. The damage Bradley caused her was absolute, but Kendall was on track to recover fully, and her friends and family kept her above water.
Shawn was amidst his typical Friday evening activity: fighting games. As he destroyed people online, Kendall suddenly came walking around the corner. She dressed nicely for the occasion, and her outfit ripped Shawn's attention away from his video game when she walked by.
"You going out?" He asked casually, trying not to sound too curious.
"Yeah," she responded, seemingly searching for something.
She wore a short, tight, black dress that ended just below her ass with short sleeves and a very flagrant front, showing off her perky breasts. The dress's color complimented her skin and her long, brunette hair, and her makeup was on point. She was gorgeous. Shawn could only imagine how many men and women would ogle her wherever she went tonight. He could not resist staring at her luscious curves that only an outfit like this could show. He did his best not to get caught staring as she turned to face him again.
"Have you seen my wallet?" She asked, standing next to him.
"Under your pants on the kitchen table," he answered with lightning precision, never looking away from his game.
Kendall wandered over to the kitchen. Shawn stared at her perfect, round ass bobbing side to side beneath her dress as she walked away. He could smell her sweet but luxurious perfume following her.
"Nice!" She called out from the kitchen, "how do you do that?" She asked with a smile on her face.
Shawn shrugged with a slight grin as he kept playing. He had a strange talent for always remembering where everything was, no matter how small or specific.
Kendall suddenly went from smiling to stressing as she fingered through her wallet.
"No, no, no! Shit!" She grunted as she closed it in her hand, "I forgot I don't have a debit card right now. Bradley removed me from the bank account, and my new bank card hasn't been mailed yet. Dammit!" She called out in frustration.
Shawn continued fighting, intentionally not speaking up to offer his money because his checks were substantially smaller in the summer due to lack of business, and he was nearly broke. He knew he was bad at saving money during the slow season and hated being lectured by Kendall or their parents when they found out he was spending poorly.
Shawn was still a week away from payday and knew he'd be screwed if Kendall took the last of his cash. With that money, he wanted to buy the newest installment of his favorite fighting game, which would launch the following week. Shawn had just enough money left to afford it. Kendall needing a spot was the perfect inconvenience for him because his friends were holding a tournament at launch, and he wanted to participate.
"Do you have any cash I could borrow?" Kendall asked in desperation.
It wasn't like her to ask for money because she was far better at managing finances than Shawn and paid quite well as a nurse.
"No way," he responded, "how can you be broke? I thought you made good money!"
"I'm not broke, you dork!" Kendall lashed out, "I have plenty of money! The problem is I don't have
access
to it. Besides, you know I'll pay you back. Just spot me!"
"If you've got money, why don't you stop at the bank and get cash on your way to the bar? Problem solved," Shawn answered, holding firm.
"We don't have time!" Kendall cried out, "we made a reservation at the restaurant. They'll keep our deposit, and we'll lose our spot if I make us late! Please, Shawn. They'll be here to pick me up soon. Just this once!"
Shawn couldn't find it in himself to bail her out. He wasn't willing to put anything in front of this new game. This tournament was important to him, and he took fighting games seriously. He didn't doubt that Kendall would pay him back, but he didn't know when he could expect the funds, and his friends would all be expecting him at launch.
