with you because you make me wet.” Julio smiled as he tore off the receipt and handed it to Chulito.
“You wish I was a bugarrón.”
Chulito didn’t know what bugarrón meant, but he wondered if Brick might be gay on the low. He seemed comfortable and playful with Julio, and Chulito didn’t know any other man who behaved like that with a gay guy.
“Check the tickets, Chulito, to make sure everything is O.K.,” Julio said.
Chulito nodded. Brick sat on the desk and put his bare foot on the chair he had just been sitting on. The flip flop remained on the floor. Chulito checked the tickets and stole glances at Brick’s bare foot.
“Get your ass off my desk,” Julio said playfully.
“Chill, Julio. I’m bouncin’,” Brick said with a smile. Chulito had never seen Brick so relaxed. He usually walked around with a scowl.
Jennifer, Brick’s woman, popped into the shop mid-smile. “Brick, how long you gonna make me wait, it’s hot out here.”
“Be right there.” He flashed her a stern look—a look that Chulito was much more familiar seeing on him.
“What the fuck are you doing? Did you get it?” Jennifer asked.
“Yes, I’ll be right out.” Brick turned to Julio. “Sorry.” Then he gave Julio a kiss on the cheek and left. Through the travel agency’s large window covered with posters, Chulito watched Brick and Jennifer continue to argue. Their voices were muffled and the loud, rattling air conditioner made it difficult to make out their words.
“What took you so fucking long, Brick?”
“Enough, Jennifer. Ya, let’s go.”
“If you don’t want to go shopping, just give me the money and you stay here. I don’t care. Crystal needs shoes.”
Julio talked to Chulito but watched the argument. “Have a good trip and tell your mother to call me if she needs anything.”
The fellas from the corner walked up and pretended to pass by but watched the spectacle.
“Jennifer, don’t raise your voice to me.”
“I’m not raising my voice,” Jennifer shouted. “I just want to go and you’re sitting in there hanging out and taking your time. Just give me the money and let me go.”
“Jennifer, chill.”
Chulito felt like he was trapped in the agency by the argument. “Brick’s woman is pretty tough.”
Julio nodded. “To be with Brick, a woman has to be strong.”
A small crowd had formed.
“Fuck you, just give me the fucking money so I can go,” Jennifer said.
Without warning, Brick’s large hand swiped Jennifer’s face. For a moment she stood there stunned. The crowd recoiled. Julio ran out front. Jennifer’s eyes narrowed and she lunged at Brick. Brick lifted his hand.
“Brick, no!” Julio cried out, but Brick’s hand came down on Jennifer and she fell to the ground. Crystal wailed and ran to her mother. Jennifer’s mouth was bleeding and her teeth were red.
“Let him go, you motherfuckin’ faggot,” Jennifer yelled. “Don’t hurt my baby.”
“Brick!” Julio shouted.
Brick gave Julio a look that warned him to stay out of it.
Chulito took two steps toward the door and Julio stopped him.
Someone yelled, “Call the cops!” Jennifer got up and pulled Crystal to her.
Jennifer looked at Brick with defiance as she walked past him with her child sobbing. He glared at her with his hands balled into fists.
Jennifer spit at Brick. The red bloodied glob landed on his cheek right below his eye. He flinched as if to lunge at Jennifer, but held back. The spit slipped down his face and stained his white T-shirt. Brick’s eyes were closed and flickering as if he were having a seizure. Jennifer walked toward their building.
Julio led Brick back into the travel agency. He sat on the couch, covered his face with his big hands and cried, his whole body shaking. The crowd peered into the shop through the posters. Chulito wanted to chase them away but he couldn’t take his eyes off Brick. He’d never seen him so broken and vulnerable, and at the same time Chulito despised
“You wish I was a bugarrón.”
Chulito didn’t know what bugarrón meant, but he wondered if Brick might be gay on the low. He seemed comfortable and playful with Julio, and Chulito didn’t know any other man who behaved like that with a gay guy.
“Check the tickets, Chulito, to make sure everything is O.K.,” Julio said.
Chulito nodded. Brick sat on the desk and put his bare foot on the chair he had just been sitting on. The flip flop remained on the floor. Chulito checked the tickets and stole glances at Brick’s bare foot.
“Get your ass off my desk,” Julio said playfully.
“Chill, Julio. I’m bouncin’,” Brick said with a smile. Chulito had never seen Brick so relaxed. He usually walked around with a scowl.
Jennifer, Brick’s woman, popped into the shop mid-smile. “Brick, how long you gonna make me wait, it’s hot out here.”
“Be right there.” He flashed her a stern look—a look that Chulito was much more familiar seeing on him.
“What the fuck are you doing? Did you get it?” Jennifer asked.
“Yes, I’ll be right out.” Brick turned to Julio. “Sorry.” Then he gave Julio a kiss on the cheek and left. Through the travel agency’s large window covered with posters, Chulito watched Brick and Jennifer continue to argue. Their voices were muffled and the loud, rattling air conditioner made it difficult to make out their words.
“What took you so fucking long, Brick?”
“Enough, Jennifer. Ya, let’s go.”
“If you don’t want to go shopping, just give me the money and you stay here. I don’t care. Crystal needs shoes.”
Julio talked to Chulito but watched the argument. “Have a good trip and tell your mother to call me if she needs anything.”
The fellas from the corner walked up and pretended to pass by but watched the spectacle.
“Jennifer, don’t raise your voice to me.”
“I’m not raising my voice,” Jennifer shouted. “I just want to go and you’re sitting in there hanging out and taking your time. Just give me the money and let me go.”
“Jennifer, chill.”
Chulito felt like he was trapped in the agency by the argument. “Brick’s woman is pretty tough.”
Julio nodded. “To be with Brick, a woman has to be strong.”
A small crowd had formed.
“Fuck you, just give me the fucking money so I can go,” Jennifer said.
Without warning, Brick’s large hand swiped Jennifer’s face. For a moment she stood there stunned. The crowd recoiled. Julio ran out front. Jennifer’s eyes narrowed and she lunged at Brick. Brick lifted his hand.
“Brick, no!” Julio cried out, but Brick’s hand came down on Jennifer and she fell to the ground. Crystal wailed and ran to her mother. Jennifer’s mouth was bleeding and her teeth were red.
“Let him go, you motherfuckin’ faggot,” Jennifer yelled. “Don’t hurt my baby.”
“Brick!” Julio shouted.
Brick gave Julio a look that warned him to stay out of it.
Chulito took two steps toward the door and Julio stopped him.
Someone yelled, “Call the cops!” Jennifer got up and pulled Crystal to her.
Jennifer looked at Brick with defiance as she walked past him with her child sobbing. He glared at her with his hands balled into fists.
Jennifer spit at Brick. The red bloodied glob landed on his cheek right below his eye. He flinched as if to lunge at Jennifer, but held back. The spit slipped down his face and stained his white T-shirt. Brick’s eyes were closed and flickering as if he were having a seizure. Jennifer walked toward their building.
Julio led Brick back into the travel agency. He sat on the couch, covered his face with his big hands and cried, his whole body shaking. The crowd peered into the shop through the posters. Chulito wanted to chase them away but he couldn’t take his eyes off Brick. He’d never seen him so broken and vulnerable, and at the same time Chulito despised
Similar Books
