“Totally,” Mario says as we get on line. “I ran into Louie outside a movie theater and—”
“Louie?”
“My first boyfriend.”
First boyfriend implies there’s a second out there. Maybe more. But that’s not what I’m fixed on right now.
“Please tell me his name is short for Luigi.”
Dylan is going to love this detail more than he loves Samantha.
Mario laughs and shakes his head. “Lo siento, Alejo.”
Dylan is going to hate that more than decaf coffee. Maybe even more than Patrick.
“What happened when you bumped into Not-Luigi?”
Mario grins, like he’s transported back to that moment. “I was so happy to see him, but strictly as a friend. It helps that we were only seventeen when we dated and it only lasted two months. Nothing serious.”
Nothing serious? Arthur and I were seventeen when we dated. It wasn’t even for two months, but I would definitely say it was serious. Not that I have to defend how that summer once felt like everything to me. How after our time together I wished I could have jumped through my phone screen while on FaceTime with Arthur and slept next to him in his bed. How I wished his family had moved to New York for good.
I’m sure we would still be together if I hadn’t been so out of sight, out of mind.
That doesn’t matter anymore.
Eyes on the prize, Alejo.
“Arthur seems really cool,” Mario says.
“He is.”
Arthur did seem cool, but the Arthur I knew had no chill. Maybe he’s grounded himself a bit. But would someone who’s grounded hurry to surprise their ex-boyfriend? I don’t know. I really don’t know who Arthur Seuss is these days.
I tried to stay in touch, I did. But talking about Mikey got too hard. I was in this tough place where I had to support Arthur like a good friend even when I was still working through my own feelings for him. Then they broke up and it gave me hope that the door on us wasn’t completely shut. But ever since they got back together, it’s been clear that we aren’t the great love story I thought we were.
A teller window opens and I help Mario unload the boxes before stepping aside so he can handle his business. I look around the post office, wondering what straight-out-of-a-movie thing will happen. Another flash mob proposal? Then it quickly hits me. The straight-out-of-a-movie thing already happened.
My ex-boyfriend bumped into me with my potential next-boyfriend.
Mario charms his way through the rest of his transaction and we go outside. He taps the empty shopping cart. “Your chariot awaits, Alejo.”
“No way. I’ll push you.”
“No, no, no. I got this.”
“Is this some weird macho thing you’re doing?”
Mario steps around the cart and rests his hand on my shoulder. “Hold up, Benjamin Hugo Alejo. Who taught you ‘macho’？ Do you have another Spanish tutor?”
“Uh, ‘macho’ is an English word, too.”
“Sure, but you said it in your Spanish voice. Don’t think I can’t tell the difference.”
I don’t know if he can tell the difference. But I definitely know when Mario’s voice shifts from friendly to flirty. My face flushes while chills run up my arms, and it always takes me an extra few seconds to find my next words.
“Tengo una pregunta.”
I stare into his hazel eyes as my heart hammers. Of all the questions.
Maybe he’s going to ask if he can be my boyfriend.
“？Sí?”
“Do you think hanging out with Arthur would make things less weird? Maybe even meeting his boyfriend? I’ll shut up if this is too much for you.”
So he’s not asking to be my boyfriend. He’s pointing out how weird I’m being since bumping into my ex.
Mario removes his hand from my shoulder and looks away. “Never mind. I’m shutting up starting now.”
“Please don’t shut up,” I say. “Hanging out with Arthur and Mikey might be good for me.”
“If you want some backup, I can go with you. Maybe Friday before I fly out on Saturday?”
“Yeah. That would be fun.”
Translation: double date.
“Any chance you’ve also met your ex’s new boyfriend?” I ask.
Mario smiles and pulls me into a hug. “I’m afraid I haven’t crossed that road yet, Alejo.”
I rest my chin on his shoulder, breathing in his shampoo and not wanting to move. I pull back from him and we stare into each other’s eyes again as we smile together. I’m not normally the best at initiating affectionate moments with Mario because I don’t want to risk rejection, but I’m so grateful for how compassionate he’s being that I feel magnetized to him. I kiss him and linger on his lips long enough so he knows that I’m not trying to be mistaken as a friend. I’m nervous when we stop kissing, wishing we could live in that space where we’re locked into each other.