by SL Huang
“Hi,” she said. “What’s this?”
“A present.” Didn’t normal people give presents? I must’ve given someone a present at some point, right?
“You got me something?” Pilar’s face broke into a wide grin. “I feel so special! You got me a present!”
“Shut up. Now you can practice on your own.”
Her teasing smile flickered. “Wait—you’re not—”
“I’m going to be scarce for a few weeks,” I continued. “I’m letting you know so you don’t come break into my apartment.”
“Are you working? Or just, um, avoiding us?” Concern had started tugging at her voice.
“Hopefully both,” I said. I turned to go.
“Cas! Wait!”
“What is it?”
Pilar was struggling with something behind her desk. “I, uh, I actually got you something, too. To say thank you. For the teaching, and, um, the other stuff, and if I’m not going to be seeing you I guess I’d better give it to you now—” She heaved a large basket onto her desk, its contents a riot of pastels. Her color heightened. “I know this probably isn’t your thing, but, I thought maybe you’d get a kick out of it, or enjoy it, ’specially if you don’t buy this kind of thing for yourself, and that’s what gifts are about, right?”
I approached the desk and poked at the basket. It appeared to be a large collection of scented soaps and shampoos and…other things. “What is this?”
“A loofah!” Pilar said. “Or, oh, you mean, the whole thing? Just, you know. A gift basket. Only use the bits you want. If you don’t like any of it that’s okay, too, but I know you can afford almost anything you’d look to buy for yourself, so I thought I’d try to get you something, um, different. If you want it.”
A bright yellow rubber duck grinned up cheerfully from among the collection of bath items. I pinched it. It squeaked.
“Thanks,” I said.
“You’re welcome!” She beamed at me.
I picked up the basket and balanced it against a hip. It was heavier than it looked.
“And, um. Thank you. For this,” Pilar added, picking up the slip of paper I had brought and waving it. “It’s really—thanks. I don’t know what to say.”
We stood awkwardly for a moment, across the desk from each other. Then I nodded to her and moved to leave.
I stopped when I reached the door. “Hey. Velasquez.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re a good person,” I said. “Don’t let it fuck you over, okay?”
She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but then she didn’t. When the door swung closed behind me, she was still standing behind her desk, the slip of paper in her hand.
THE END
More from SL Huang
Fiction by SL Huang
For new release announcements, subscribe to my mailing list at www.slhuang.com!
The Russell’s Attic Series
Novels
Zero Sum Game
Half Life
Root of Unity
Plastic Smile – coming 2016
Short Stories
Rio Adopts a Puppy
Ladies’ Day Out
Other Works
Hunting Monsters [Book Smugglers Publishing]
Fighting Demons [Book Smugglers Publishing]
About the Author
SL Huang majored in mathematics at MIT. The program did not include training to become a superpowered assassin-type. Sadly.
You can find out more about SL Huang than you ever wanted to know by visiting www.slhuang.com or by following @sl_huang on Twitter.
