Don't Forget to Write

Bruno Gets Lucky

We rode the subway uptown until we hit the Colombia University area. Their apartment was in a nice building on a clean street with white lights shining from every lamppost. Their living room was cozy with a big couch and walls covered in art and tapestries. Bruno and I sat with Camila's roommate, whose name I finally learned was Dianne, while Camila went into the open kitchen next to the living room. "Drinks anyone? I have whiskey, I have vodka, and I have sodas."

Bruno and Diane requested vodka sodas. I asked for whiskey. "What kind of soda?" Camilla asked.

"No soda, just the whiskey." She raised her eyebrow at me. We all sat on the couch for a while, drinking and talking. Bruno's hand was on Diane's thigh. At one point Diane was talking about a trip her and Camila took to Costa Rica last summer. "I have some pictures of it up in my room, if you want to see it, Bruno?"

"I would love to."

They walked down the hall and Diane closed the door behind Bruno, I heard the unmistakable click of the door lock, and soon loud music was playing from her room accompanied by some bangs and grunts and moans that I didn't remember being in the song.

"Well," Camila said, "guess it's that kind of night."

"Is it?" I asked, moving closer.

"Ha, nice try big guy but I meant for them, not for us," she said.

"It was worth a shot. So, you went to Costa Rica?"

"Yes!" She told me about all of these stories from her travels, about monkeys crossing the street and sloths hanging from trees and the kindness of the people there. That conversation turned into speculations of where we wanted to go in the future, or where we would go right now if we could. She told me she wanted to go to Colombia, where her family came from, and backpack around the country to learn the culture. She mentioned wanting to live there. I told her about my family in Portugal, and about the life of my grandparents on their farm. We talked for a long time, holding a lot of eye contact, and we got closer to each other. There was a quiet point in the conversation for the first time since we started talking, and Camila smiled at me. We were only a few inches from each other's faces now. "You're not good for me."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, the worst student I've ever had." I brought my hand up around to the back of her head, and we leaned in until our lips met. It was gentle at first. But then we were pushing back and forth passionately, and she threw her leg up and sat on top of me. When I went to unbutton her pants she slapped my hand away. "No. No no no. We are done here. For god's sake, you are a student in a class that I have to T.A. in."

"Why should that matter?" It's not like you're my actual teacher?"

"Well, even all of that stuff aside, I don't move fast like that."

The door to Diane's room opened, and Camila jumped up and sat next to me on the couch. Diane ran to the bathroom. A few minutes later, her and Bruno came down the hallway, both a bit sweaty and with messy hair. Diane kissed him goodbye at the front door, Me and Camila were still sitting on the couch. "I guess I should go," I said. "Can we do this again?"

"I don't know," she wasn't looking into my eyes.

"Well maybe you could help me study? I have missed a lot the past couple of days due to some serious head trauma," I said, pointing at my skull, "it's your obligation as a blossoming educator to assist students in need. Maybe we could study over dinner and drinks."

"Dinner and drinks is an absolute no. Maybe over coffee." She smiled at me with sparkling white teeth. "Give me your phone, Casanova." When my phone returned, it had her number in it under the contact "Camila :)" I didn't want to look like an idiot, but I couldn't help but to smile. She pushed me away with a laugh, "get out of here, you're bad for me."

"But I'm also prettygood." I leaned in again, "one to keep me warm for the road?" She laughed andgave me a long, deep kiss. With the elation that can almost only come from afirst kiss, I floated out of the apartment to join Bruno in the street. We wereboth thinking about the ladies, lost in our own headspace until the subwayscreeched to a halt at 145th street