The Foreigner

15

  I had my data on, multiple notifications seeping through my phone. They came from TikTok, the video had gone viral in just some hours. And it drove me crazy some of the comments, assuming we were a couple. It just confused me. Others, who had no idea what was happening between us, could see something beyond what we truly were.
Some commented on how he looked at me and it got me thinking about it. It wasn't news to anyone that we felt attracted to each other; physical and emotionally. We were, since meeting, drawn to the other. I could assume it for the both of us. Sometimes it was the touch of the legs, the need to be touching each other at all times, his body always being directed my way.

  "Hey, are you okay?", the reason of my internal conflict came up behind me. "They're just getting some beers and lupin beans so that we can play cards."

  We were located on the beach of Matosinhos, the little café installed there had the classic chairs and tables, above wood on the sand. The smell of salt water rounded our environment. It had the feeling of home.
Lucas sat by my side, taking the view of the sea and sun setting above it. He shuffled the cards with some blue designs on the back. His movements showed the years of this activity.

  "4 finos!" Jota put down every pint of pressured beer on the table. "This was incredibly hard work."

  We awaited Sofia for a couple of minutes until she returned to our table, arriving with a couple of saucers full of lupin beans. It was tradition; a game of cards and pint accompanied by lupin beans.

  Biting down on the yellow bean, Lucas nodded in a thankful way. "Alright, let's play sueca. Jota?" Machado points to his best friend, as if asking to pair up.

  Apparently your teammate was the one on the diagonal. Rules were explained, but I didn't take too much of it because of Lucas Machado's hand being inches away from my leg, sometimes even touching me once or twice. He left the cards numbered from 8 to 10 out, while shuffling. After that, he broke the deck in half, putting it back together. "Up or down?" Lucas asked me, awaiting my response with impatient eyes.

  I answered rapidly the first option, up, and he took the first card from up the deck. They all took turns to explain the game, ranging from the value of each card to how to cut some cards with the trump if the other cards laid down were not the same suit as the trump, or trunfo - in portuguese.
  The said trunfo was put on the table for the exemplification, so we decided to just play with it - two of hearts. Every hearts card would be a trump for that game, then.

As the other cards were distributed, everyone grabbed the beer, alternating with some lupin beans. "This combination is amazing. Tastes like pure Summer."

All of my friends chuckled, Sofia added to my statement, "With Summer ending, even if it's actually Autumn already, you need to feel the warm one last time." She glanced over her cards, and then looked at me.

I analysed the set I had in hands, deciding which card to play, since I was the one to start this match. Finally making my mind, a three spades. The unnecessary cards need to be wasted now, no one would put their trunfos right out on the first round.

  I was right in doing that, because my partner, Sofia, assisted using the highest card she had for spades. None of us decided to play the most valuable suit, in that case, the hearts. Sofia placed the four cards, played by us, at her side.

  "We have someone famous here!" Jota pointed to my phone, noticing the bazillion notifications from TikTok. "Ai, filha! Those who can, can!" Jota, government name being João Rafael, joked, placing, quite aggressively, the card on the table, after Sofia's play.

  I followed suit, waiting for Lucas's decision towards the game. "Asshole, do you even know the card that you chose?!" His arms stretched, as if evidencing his confusion mixed with frustration. Resuming his focused face, he placed the last rectangle of this round the same way his friend did, throwing it.