Page 29 of Out of Office

“Mira, why are you on me right now, Shakira? I have nothing to give.” I shrugged and gulped down my beer.

“What are y’all talking about?” Julín approached, leaving our two friends embroiled in a third domino match.

“Julín, you’re looking especially dapper today with those white shorts and blue shirt. They really do make your pretty deep brown skin glow,” Shakira cooed.

“Thanks, querida,” Julín said and pulled a bench to sit across from them and clinked his bottle against hers.

“Ya’ll so queer,” I said, laughing.

“You’re so queer,” she said back, laughing. I was so glad I had my circle of friends who got me and understood me, but right now, I didn’t need them to understand me this much.

“What? Is he doing his whole ‘I don’t wanna talk’ thing?” Julín asked.

“You know it,” Shakira said, shaking her head.

“Damn. Can I go home now?” I said, annoyed and feeling loved all the way.

“No. Let’s figure out how to contact her. Didn’t she introduce you to the GM at the Tropics?” Shakira asked.

“She did.”

“Okay then, let’s see if we can go there on Monday and ask her if she is down to help contact her. I mean, it’s been five weeks, and you just work, work out, and eat. Hopefully, you shower...” Shakira said in a wishful tone, and I refused to engage.

“Are y’all trying to contact that woman?” Julín asked.

“Yes,” Shakira said.

“No,” I said.

“Yes, you are. You’re miserable,” Shakira insisted.

“Well...” Julín dragged that well a little too suspiciously. My senses heightened at his lack of eye contact.

“Oh shit,” Shakira mumbled.

“What did you do, Julín?” I asked, dreading the answer.

“Well, we got this email...” Julín said.

“When?” both Shakira and I asked at the same time.

“Two weeks ago.”

“Oh shit,” Shakira murmured. My stomach plummeted at the thought of letting two weeks pass on a potential reach out from Gen.

“Yeah, two weeks ago, we got an email from Genevieve asking for your contact information for personal reasons.”

“Did you respond?”

“I...might have.”

Thanks for reaching out to LasDell. Currently, we are not able to provide Adrián Nicolas’s information. I will make sure to share this email at some moment with him.

Kindly,

Julín Ridell

“Share this email at some moment? When is that moment?” I asked Julín, breathing hard as I imagined Genevieve waiting for my response, realizing it wouldn’t come. Fuck. A sense of possibility rose around me at the mere thought of Gen reaching out. Was she as miserable as I was?

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