The Nerd, The Player, And The Pinky Rose

 

The Nerd and the Player

Kola is an average guy. He is quiet, timid, and a down-to-earth kind of guy. He loves solving complex math problems—sometimes people even call him a nerd because of the way he can solve any equation put in front of him. His main hobby is playing basketball and, to be honest, he’s a natural at it. Standing 6ft tall with a muscular physique and strong cheekbones, he looks more like a pro athlete than a math whiz. He wears glasses and is incredibly handsome, but to cap it all off, he is painfully shy; he can’t manage more than three words whenever a girl is around.

An Unlikely Duo

It was one evening during their sophomore year of college when he met a guy named Danny. Danny is a cocky guy—the type who knows how to give good or bad advice depending on what you lay on his table. Kola had been at the school for two years before Danny arrived as a transfer student, which landed him in the same year as Kola. It turned out they were assigned as roommates. From the first night, it wasn’t a smooth relationship due to Kola’s shyness and Danny’s total lack of concern for anyone around him.

A Midnight Awakening

Danny was having a nice dream about one of his recent conquests named Faith when he heard a muffled whimper. At first, he thought he was still dreaming, imagining how he had played Faith and how she had whimpered and whispered about how she loved him. But the sound came again, sharper this time. He thought it was The Night Two Thieves Got Busted. He groaned, rolling over in his bunk, and saw his roommate, Kola, slumped over and crying.

Thinking something serious had happened, Danny jumped up. "Hey Kola, what’s the matter with you, man?"

Kola didn't answer; he just kept sobbing while staring at his phone. Danny snatched the phone out of his hand and saw a text from a girl named Justina. It read: I'm sorry about this Kola, but I don't think I can continue with this relationship. I have met another guy. Please move on and leave me alone.

The Harsh Reality

Kola is the kind of guy who sticks to one girl. He doesn't cheat or do anything to make a woman uncomfortable, and seeing him suffer this heartbreak felt pathetic to Danny. Danny suddenly slapped him across the cheek. "Get your head out of your ass! How can you cry over a woman?"

"But I love her," Kola choked out before he started sobbing all over again.

Danny laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "How pathetic can you be? What do you even know about love? You’re not married to the woman and you’re preaching love? Shit, man, you’re being stupid."

"I thought I was going to marry her. She is all I live for," Kola said, clutching his chest as if he wanted to wrench his own heart out.

"Love? That word is as useless as the letter P in Psychology," Danny snapped.

"What can I do?" Kola asked, looking lost.

"Get another girl."

"But how? Justina is all I think about. She’s the ground I walk on."

"Shut up, you fool! What do you even know about love?"

"I just know she’s the one I love."

"Come with me," Danny said, grabbing Kola by the arm and dragging him toward the door.

"Where are we going?" Kola asked, stumbling after him.

Danny didn't answer. He just kept pulling him along until they reached the edge of the city, in the middle of The Wrong Side Of Town.

The Pinky Rose

Danny wasn't happy about having to help Kola. He didn't understand how a guy could cry over a woman. There are so many women in the world and you can pick anyone you want—why would a guy stick to just one? he wondered. He shook his head, looking at Kola sideways, and groaned when he saw him dialing a number. He guessed the fool was still trying to call Justina.

"Stop fooling around, man. Why are you bothering the girl when she’s busy with another guy?" Danny asked him.

"Wait!" Kola exclaimed. "You mean she is with another man right now?"

"Of course. Are you blind? Why would a guy leave her alone on a cold night like this? It’s a night of bliss for them."

Danny couldn’t help laughing internally as he watched the fool try to hold back tears. He led him toward one of the best bars in the district, a place called The Pinky Rose.

Entering the Den

Kola finally looked up as they neared the establishment. He stared at the sign—a woman holding a rose, wearing a pink crochet outfit. "What is this place?" he asked Danny.

"Don't tell me you're that dumb, man. How can you look at all these ladies and still ask me stupid questions?"

"I have never been here before," Kola said, trying to stay behind Danny as his roommate pushed the door open with a grin.

"Obviously, I can see that," Danny replied.

"What are we supposed to do here?"

"Listen, pal, I dragged you out of the dorm so you could drown your sorrows with either a beer or a 'Pinky.' Please don’t make me regret it."

"Regret what?"

Danny could only groan as he walked up to the bar and ordered the strongest drink they had.

The Trade

"Bad day, huh?" the bartender asked.

"A very bad one," Danny replied. "Turns out I’m stuck with an innocent cub."

The bartender looked at Kola and could see everything Danny didn't even have to say. He watched as Kola averted his eyes from the smiling ladies, keeping his head down. "Do you want to break him?"

"Yeah, that’s why I brought him here."

"Good idea."

"He just got dumped by his girl, so I figured a 'night of bliss' would cure him of that malady."

"I think Rinny can handle him," the bartender suggested. "In that case, call her over, please."

The bartender clicked a button under the bar, and a petite, stunning woman—no older than they were—stepped out. She had a look that said: This is sin in the flesh; do your worst.

"You called?" she asked in a sultry voice.

"Yeah. Take this flop and make him a changed man by morning," Danny said before the bartender could even speak.

The "Kidnapping"

Rinny wasted no time dragging Kola away. He protested, running back toward Danny. "Danny! I’m being kidnapped!"

"By who?" Danny asked, deadpan.

"Her!" Kola said, pointing at Rinny.

Danny sighed and looked Kola in the eye. "Just follow her and she will make you happy. Don’t worry, I’ll be there with you shortly."

"You promise?"

"Of course. My word is my bond." He beckoned for Rinny to take him away.

"Poor fool," the bartender said once they were gone. "I can see why he was dumped."

"Yeah," Danny said, leaving the rest of the sentence unfinished as he reached for his drink.

The Innocent Cub

Danny watched the barman from the corner of his eye. He noted the heavy ink and wondered why bartenders always seemed to love tattoos. He briefly considered starting a research project on the subject but thought better of it; he’d probably just get a black eye for his curiosity.

His thoughts were interrupted when the barman leaned in. "Wanna bet?"

"About what?" Danny asked.

"That the kid doesn't last more than two seconds."

"I’ll pass," Danny said with a grin.

Just as the words left his mouth, he saw Kola sprinting toward him, wearing nothing but his boxers. Danny groaned inwardly and looked at the barman, who couldn't hold back a laugh. The tattoo on the man's cheek—a laughing skull—seemed to mimic the bartender's expression, making him look like a grinning zombie.

The Problem with Physics

"Danny, you will never believe what happened!" Kola panted, completely out of breath.

"Oh, really? What happened?" Danny asked, rolling his eyes at the barman, who was now covering his mouth to stay quiet.

"That Rinny girl... well, she was trying to get my clothes off. I wasn't really happy about it at first, but then she started playing with me and I felt like I was getting high."

"Have you ever even been high before?" Danny asked.

"No!"

"So how would you know the feeling?"

"Well, I got this sensation that... well, you know how it rises... eh..." Kola gestured vaguely, his face turning red.

"And?" Danny pressed.

"I just didn't know where to put it!" Kola blurted out.

The Song of the "Homecoming"

At this, the barman lost it. He started laughing so hard he had to lean on the counter. Even Danny, who was trying to maintain his "cool guy" persona, couldn't stop a wicked laugh from escaping.

"Oh boy," Danny chuckled. "Where have you been all these years?"

"I don't understand," Kola said, frowning deeply. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Never mind, man. Just go back in there and tell Rinny to do all the work. You just need to relax, and she’ll put it in the right place for you."

"Okay... but do I have to sing?" Kola asked tentatively. "Because I heard someone next door singing a song about 'coming home.'"

Danny nearly choked on his drink. "Don't worry about the singing. Just go back, let her work her magic, and you’ll find your bliss."

As Kola shuffled back toward the rooms, Danny looked at the barman. "Please. Don't say a word."

But the barman didn't have to say anything. He just grinned, the skull on his cheek laughing right at Danny.