by Plakcy, Neil
“Can’t you get another loan?”
He shook his head. “Not quickly enough. And in this economic climate it’s hard to get financing. I thought I lucked out because Sal was my old friend, and he pushed the loan through for me. I had no idea I was part of some big discrimination scheme.”
Walter picked up the phone. “You’d better go,” he said to me. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”
I walked out of his office in a daze. Everything had been going so well. I loved my job, and I was learning new things every day. Construction had been proceeding smoothly, with only minor hiccups. I had fallen in love with Walter Loredo, and even my parents seemed to like him and accept me. I was on top of the world.
Now, with one visit from a newspaper reporter, everything was falling apart. What was Walter going to do? What if he pushed me away? I’d be jobless and brokenhearted at the same time.
“What’s up?” Estefani asked as I stepped into the lobby.
I shook my head. “Walter will have to tell you.”
I went back to my office. I looked around at the plans on the wall, the hard hat on top of the file cabinet. The trappings of the job I had been so excited to get. And now it looked like I’d be unemployed in two weeks.
Once I didn’t work for him anymore, it would be impossible for him to maintain the pretense that I was living with him to take care of him. And he might have to preserve the illusion that he was straight in order to get another job or another project.
I’d have to go back to the apartment on South Beach. I had a little money in the bank—not much, just what I’d saved from my first two months of work. I had no idea how much unemployment compensation was, or even if I’d qualify—I doubted I’d worked long enough.
Maybe Gavin could get me a job as a barista. Would you like room for milk?
Walter broke the news to the construction managers at the lunch meeting. When he had finished, Camilo stood up. “This is God’s retribution,” he said in Spanish. “Because you are a homosexual and a sodomist and you are unclean in God’s eyes.”
Walter shook his head and said, “Not now, Camilo.”
“Yes, now. You have ruined the lives of all of us here.” He glared at me. “This is your fault, Manny. Walter was a good Christian heterosexual before you came along.”
“Camilo.” Walter’s voice was ominously quiet, and the room looked at him. “You’re fired, effective immediately. Get your fat bigoted ass off my site.”
Camilo sneered at him. “You are no boss to me. I hope you roast in hell.”
Then he stood up and stormed out of the room.
“Anyone else have an opinion to share?” Walter asked.
No one spoke up.
“I wish I could say I’m going to try and save things,” Walter said. “But I don’t see any way to do that. I won’t blame any of you who want to leave now. But I do have enough money to make payroll for the next two weeks.”
Adrian stood up. “You’re a great boss, Walter. I have faith in you.”
The other supers and managers agreed, and Walter smiled. “Thank you all.” Then he stood up and walked out, using the cane more than I wished he had to.
I went back to my office. I wanted to do something, anything, to help Walter. But what could I do? I didn’t have the money to lend him. Neither did anyone in my family. My friends were all as broke as I was.
Except for Roberto, I thought. He had told me his job was to put together investments for his rich clients. Maybe he could find someone to lend Walter the money he needed.
I hadn’t left Roberto on the best of terms, though—I’d broken up with him over the phone. Would he even talk to me?
I decided to send him a text. I agonized over the wording for an hour or more. I wanted to say that I needed his help. But I had to phrase it like an opportunity for him. I didn’t know much about the project’s financials, but if I could get Roberto’s attention and introduce him to Walter, then maybe they could work something out.
I finally composed my text and sent it.
Then Adrian radioed for me to come to the back of the site, and I went out there with my phone attached to my belt. “Look what I found, at the back of the shed where Camilo kept the site plans.” He held out a can of spray paint and squirted a bit on the ground.
“That’s the same color the graffiti guy used,” I said. “You think Camilo was Taco22?”
“Makes sense, doesn’t it?” Adrian asked. “He’s the guy who had a big problem with you.” He put the cap back on the can. “I’ll make sure the jefe sees this.” He held out his hand to me. “You’re all right, Manny. I just want you to know that the other guys and I don’t feel the way Camilo does.”
I shook his hand and thanked him. As I walked back to the trailer, my phone buzzed with a received text.
Roberto was willing to meet with me at six that evening, at the bar where we’d gone after we met at the Biltmore.
Now I had to figure out a way to get there without Walter.
Lover Boy
As the afternoon ticked away, I couldn’t come up with a plausible reason to drop Walter at his townhouse and go meet Roberto. And the more I thought about it, the more I knew the best thing to do was introduce the two of them. Walter would know how much money he needed and how he could repay it.
So I had to convince him to go with me.
I kept trying out different ideas until I realized that all I was doing, in Walter’s words, was delaying the inevitable. I walked down to his office as Estefani was packing up for the day. “This is so terrible,” she said.
“I know. But don’t count Walter out yet. He’s a fighter.”
“I hope so. I love this job. And if I lose it, my mother will make me go to beauty school.”
“We can’t have that,” I said and smiled.
I stuck my head in Walter’s door. “Can I talk to you?”
“I’m talked out, Manny.”
I walked in anyway and sat down in front of him. “I know this guy. His job is in wealth management. He puts together deals for foreign investors.”
“It’s kind of you to try and help, Manny, but really—”
I interrupted him. “I’m meeting him tonight at six. You have to come with me and explain to him how much money you need and what you can give him in return.”
“Manny.”
“Please, Walter?”
He sighed deeply. “I don’t think it’ll do any good, but if it will make you happy.”
“It will. Thank you.”
I stood up. “Have you got the numbers together?”
“I’ll print some spreadsheets,” he said.
“Good. We’ll have to leave here at five thirty.”
Walter didn’t say anything as we drove from the site down into Coral Gables. As we pulled up in front of the bar, though, he said, “Wait a second. This is a gay bar.”
“I know.”
“This guy you’re introducing me to…”
“His name is Roberto Arroyo. I went out with him a couple of times, but I broke up with him before I did anything with you.”
“I can’t do this, Manny. Go into a gay bar. Meet a guy you used to sleep with.” He shook his head. “Take me home.”
“You have to do it, Walter. You owe it to Adrian and Estefani and everyone on that site, not to mention me, and yourself. You have to do everything you can to save the project. If you don’t, you’ll never forgive yourself.”
He stared out the window for a while. I fidgeted in my seat. What if he refused to speak to Roberto? I couldn’t go in there without him; I didn’t know anything about the financial side of the project, and I didn’t want Roberto to think I was making some kind of play to get back together with him.
Finally Walter turned to me. “When did you get so smart?”
“I’ve always been this smart. You were just too blinded by my good looks to notice. Now get out of the car.”
I grabbed his leather messenger bag and slung it over my s
houlder. We walked into the dim bar together, Walter leaning on his cane. Roberto was already there, at a corner table, with a cup of espresso in front of him. I felt a pang of uncertainty. What was I doing here? How did I ever think I was going to pull this off? Roberto had probably only agreed to meet with me in order to reject me.
Or what if he had figured out I was now sleeping with Walter, and wanted to see his rival? Walter looked like he’d aged ten years as he followed me to Roberto’s table, leaning heavily on his cane. I was afraid that Roberto would think I was some kind of gold digger who liked older men for their money and power.
Roberto looked up as we reached his table, and I introduced him to Walter.
“Manuelito says you have a business proposition for me?” Roberto asked.
I could tell Walter didn’t like to hear Roberto call me by that diminutive, and I was afraid for a moment he’d bolt. “I do. I understand you represent investors?”
“I work for an international wealth management group based in Spain. Because of the problems there, we have been increasing our presence in this market, to take advantage of Europeans and Latin Americans coming here to establish second homes or escape political trouble. My clients are high net worth individuals, family companies, pension funds, and endowments.”
“Sounds good to me,” Walter said and sat down next to Roberto. “I have the numbers for my current project here.” I handed him the messenger bag, and he pulled out the spreadsheets he had printed.
I hovered there for a moment, uncertain of what I was supposed to do. Then Walter said, “I’d kill for a cup of coffee, Manny.” He turned to Roberto. “You need a refill?”
Roberto looked at me and smiled. “Yes, please.”
I got coffee for both of them from the bartender, and brought them a dish of peanuts to nibble on. I felt like a third wheel, so I wandered into the back room of the bar and ordered a rum and Coke. I found myself a seat that gave me a view through to the front bar where Walter and Roberto spoke.
Occasionally glancing through to make sure they were still engaged, I watched a video that began with dark-haired guys hanging around in a living room with a blond friend who was naked. The blond lay down on the sofa and spread his legs, and my dick began to harden. One guy unzipped his pants and offered his dick to the blond’s mouth, while the other began fingering the blond’s hole, eventually progressing to sticking his dick there.
After an extensive session, the two dark-haired guys both pulled out of the blond and jerked themselves to completion on his chest. When I looked out at the front bar again, Roberto was gathering up the spreadsheets Walter had brought. I walked back out there and arrived at the table as Roberto said, “I will have to make some phone calls tomorrow.”
“You think you can help?” I asked him.
“The financials are very sound, even without the first building generating rent. And Mr. Loredo has already displayed admirable judgment in hiring you, Manuelito. That is something to trust.”
I blushed as Roberto stood up. “You are a lucky man, Walter. Don’t let my Manuelito slip away from you.”
Walter grimaced and reached out to shake Roberto’s hand. “I’ll do my best,” he said. Then Roberto walked out.
I sat across from Walter. “That was intense,” he said. “He’s a smart guy, and he asked a lot of tough questions.” He looked at me. “But I don’t get what attracted you to him. He must be fifty years old. I’ll bet his balls sag.”
“Walter. That’s crude.”
“Well, it’s true, isn’t it? He has gray hair, and he’s out of shape.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “He’s very suave and sophisticated. And I’m attracted to older men.”
“But he’s old enough to be your father,” Walter protested. “Don’t you think that’s weird? I mean, yeah, I’m older than you are, but not by that much.” He groaned and flexed his back muscles. “Though sometimes I admit I feel ancient. I need something to perk me up. You think they can make a mojito here?”
“I’ll see. How about if I get two of them, and we repair to the back room?”
“What’s back there?”
I smiled. “I’ll show you in a minute.”
I picked up the two drinks, and as I returned to the table Walter stood up. I wondered how long he would want me to stay with him now that he was getting around better on his own, and whether we would begin to date like any new couple. But all that was in the future. Now we were going to celebrate, even if it was premature.
“Oh,” Walter said when we entered the back room, where a fuck film was playing on a wide-screen TV. “I had no idea they had this kind of thing.”
“You’ve never been to a gay bar before?”
He sipped his drink, then shook his head. “I told you, I was married.”
“So you never had sex with a guy after Chucho?”
He looked down at his drink. “I’m not proud of what I did,” he said.
“What?”
“There’s a truck stop way out west,” he said. “By Krome Avenue. If you get there after dark…”
“No,” I said. “You didn’t.”
“I did. More than once.”
“That’s dirty.” I smiled. “But kind of sexy too.”
“I can show you dirty and sexy,” he said. “Back at my house.”
“How about a sneak preview?” I leaned over and kissed him, but he backed away.
“Manny. We’re in public.”
“We’re in the back room of a gay bar. Look around you.”
He looked. Two grizzled older guys sat at the bar, with several stools between them. A pair of twinks nestled together in the corner, swapping spit. One had his hand on the other’s crotch, and he was rubbing it slowly.
“You’re too much,” Walter said, but he did lean into me and we kissed.
Then my phone rang.
I looked at the display. “Shit, it’s my sister,” I said. “I should probably take it.”
“Go ahead,” Walter said. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”
I got up and walked outside where it was quieter. “Beatriz? What’s up?”
“I broke up with Jesus.” She sniffled and then burst into sobs.
“I’m sorry, mi ’mana. What happened?”
“He said terrible things about you. That horrible man at his church said you had ruined your boss’s life.”
“Camilo?”
“That’s the one. Jesus worships him.”
“Oh, mi amor, I’m sorry to have gotten in the way.”
She gulped. “No, it’s better to know he’s an asshole now than to find it out later.”
“Can I do anything to help you?”
“Are you really in love with Mr. Loredo?”
“With Walter?” I asked. I looked back at the front door of the bar and imagined Walter sitting at the table, waiting for me to return. “Yeah, I am.”
“Then I don’t mind losing Jesus. You deserve to be happy.”
“So do you, Beatriz. You’ll find a great guy.”
“Does Walter have any brothers? Straight ones?”
“Sorry, only sisters. But he does have a bunch of friends.”
When I went back inside, I told Walter about Jesus. “Camilo is a good man,” Walter said. “Underneath. I’m sorry his religion has him so mixed up.”
“I believe that things are changing. Look at the way my parents reacted to you. I could never have anticipated that just a couple of years ago.” I stood up. “But I don’t want to think about anyone but you now. We should get back to your house and see what comes up. These movies are getting me too horny.”
He laughed and stood. “Then let’s go, lover boy.”
He’d said it, I thought. The L word. Even if it wasn’t phrased the way I’d hoped. But that would come in time, I thought.
Partnership
I woke up early Tuesday morning and jumped in the shower. When I got out I was surprised to see Walter nearly dressed. “How’s your
ankle?” I asked.
“It’s fine.” He looked down at the floor. “It’s been fine for a few days. But I didn’t want to say anything because I figured then you’d want to go back to your own apartment.”
“I’m happy to stay here as long as you want,” I said. “Do you think Dolores still has someone watching you?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. But that’s the least of my worries right now.” He stood up. “Get your cute self dressed so we can get to work.”
He walked downstairs by himself, and I threw my clothes on. He was waiting by the door with his car keys in his hand. “I’m driving,” he said.
I didn’t argue. As we headed to the site I asked, “Do you think Roberto is going to be able to help you?”
“I hope so. No hay que poner todos los huevos en una canasta, though. I’m going to make some calls and see if I can spread my eggs around into some other baskets. Maybe there’s another banker out there besides Sal who I can convince.”
He looked over at me. “Thanks for the kick in the ass yesterday, Manny. I needed that. But I don’t want to say anything to the managers this morning. I don’t want to get anybody’s hopes up until I have a deal in hand.”
“But what if the guys start to bail? You could end up with money but no staff.”
“If that happens, I’ll hire new guys. Even if I do get a new lender, it may take a while before the money is available.”
I thought about that as Walter navigated under the Palmetto and to the site. What would I do if he ran out of money? I’d stay with him, of course. But how long could I hold out? I pulled out my cell phone and accessed my mobile banking app. I’d just paid Gavin my share of the rent and the electric, and I had a full tank of gas in my car. If I lived with Walter, he’d pay for our food—for as long as he had money to spend. I had one credit card, and I supposed I could run it up for a month or two. But after that?
I took a deep breath and closed the app. The future was way too uncertain to worry about. Better to concentrate on the present.
Our morning meeting was subdued. Nobody seemed willing to bring up problems, and we finished quickly. Walter locked himself in his office, and as I stood beside Estefani’s desk later in the morning I heard him on the phone, though I had no idea who he was talking to.
