Pol Rubio, a young philosophy graduate, isn't feeling his best lately. And he usually is. Working at a dead-end job and living an unfulfilling life was not what he had envisioned his life to be. Until one night, when he recalls a previous failed rel...
Did I die? Maybe I died and I just hadn't noticed. Because right now, this feels like heaven; dancing face to face with his arms on my shoulders, trying to sing along to an Italian song I don't even understand. The lights paint everything around us blue, purple, and white. And despite the shadows, I can see Bruno clearly; his smile visible on his face and his sweat highlighting his features.
If this is what an afterlife feels like, then I might turn into a believer.
My phone vibrates. I already know it's the alarm for my meds. I turn it off and put my phone back inside my pocket. "Hey! I have to drink my meds. I'll be right back!" I tell him, leaning close to his right ear so he can hear me.
He nods, wiping the some of the sweat off his face. "Okay. I'll come with you."
I check my pockets to see if I managed to bring my meds. Thankfully, I didn't forget. "Are you sure, Bruno? You can stay here if you want."
"No, I'm coming with you. I have to pee anyway," he says, adjusting his jacket and his hair. We make our way to the bar. Bruno helps me with asking the waiter for water. I'm so happy I don't have to speak a word English anymore. Well, at least, for now. I take my meds.
"What are those for? Anti-depressants?" Bruno asks.
"HIV."
He nods and stares at me for a bit. What's he thinking? I'm a bit worried. I never know how other people would react to it. Some instantly try to avoid me, others suddenly act awkward and immediately change the subject. Of course, I've gotten more used to it over the years. But this is Bruno. It's going to hurt like hell if he sees me in a different light because of this illness. I finish the glass of water.
He rolls his eyes. "Okay, Pol. We get it. You have a dangerous sex life." He smiles. "Show off." He bumps his shoulder against mine. I smile back. "I'm gonna go to the restroom," he says.
"Okay. I'll be right here," I tell him. He leaves and I give the empty glass back to the waiter. I take my phone out. I think I received a lot of notifications throughout the day but I was so caught up with everything that I forgot to check them. So far, it's just texts from my papá checking on me and asking when I'll be home. There are also messages from Óscar and Oksana asking me to buy some souvenirs for the kids. There's an email notification from earlier this day. I check to see what it is. It's an email from someone named Héctor Soto.
It's...
An invitation for an interview. It's a substitute teaching job, not a full time one.
But what the fuck? A teaching job! A philosophy teaching job!
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Bruno comes back from the restroom. Do I tell him or not? I want to tell him. But would that even change anything? So what if I have a new job waiting for me? Would that even make him want to take me back? "Do you want to buy more beer?" he asks.
