"I'M MOVING..." Hugo and David decided to walk through Guinle Park, in the middle of the path that was all surrounded by greenery. "...And the only reason I'm not inviting you to my apartment is because there's no place to sit anymore" he finished.
"No problem" David shrugged. "If you don't mind answering... Where are you moving to?"
"Sao Paulo."
"I see."
"Because of work."
They walked slowly. The park was relatively empty.
"So..." Hugo stopped in front of him. "What do you want to talk to me about?"
As they stopped in front of a park bench, they sat down.
"It's about Aron" David replied.
Hugo grimaced.
"If it's a message from him, you can forget it."
"It's not, no."
The somewhat incisive tone of voice caught Hugo's attention. He stared at him, as if waiting for a further answer.
"Are you two still talking?"
"From time to time" David looked out at the lake ahead. He picked up a pebble and threw it. There were no geese, for now. Just some birds that flew away. And he continued: "The last time was yesterday, in Leblon."
"I saw him there too. But I left soon after."
"He saw you too."
"I imagined."
"Me too."
There was a moment of silence.
"But you were a little farther away. Even so, I recognized you."
"Nice" Hugo said without any expression, his voice dry.
"I want to talk to you about something serious."
"That's what I wanted to hear" Hugo leaned back on the bench. "Talk."
"Be careful with him."
"I know that. And I want distance."
"I'm serious" David touched the base of his knee.
"Get your hand off me."
"Sorry."
Another moment of silence. This time, a little embarrassing. Hugo blurted out:
"One day you're defending a guy who gets out of jail after getting a habeas corpus to be released... After breaking into my house and trying to kill me, by the way... Then the next you call me to talk, asking me to be careful. Seriously?"
"I know things didn't turn out the way you wanted them to, but... What can I do? He was my client." David shrugged.
"Was?"
"Was. We grew apart. The case isn't mine anymore."
"How so?"
"He dismissed me." He said that... "David hesitated." He said that he only resorted to me because I was the closest option. And that he still hasn't forgiven what... What ended up happening. Between us.
Hugo knew exactly what it was. Aron was capable of provoking him in different ways — and some of them quite blatantly. He didn't want that to come up again, continuing:
"But you met at the beach yesterday."
"By coincidence."
"And what did he say to you to make you come here?"
David told him about his conversation with Aron at the beach. Hugo asked:
"And you think he's capable of doing anything else? Be honest."
"I think so."
"Hmm."
"If I didn't think so, I wouldn't be here."
"He's no longer a danger to me."
"I hope so."
"The less he knows about me, the better" Hugo paused for effect, in order to stare at David. "You understand what I'm saying."
"I would never do that."
"Good."
"Never" he emphasized, his hand on Hugo's knee again.
When Hugo made a move to remove it, Diego intertwined his fingers with his. They stayed there, for a fraction of a minute, holding each other's gaze.
"I'm leaving" Hugo said quietly. He stood up. "Thanks for your concern, even if it came a little late."
He walked on. David hesitated there for a moment. But he decided to follow the boy, quickly. He grabbed his arm.
Hugo couldn't think of a way to slip away. His deep gaze caught his attention. There was feeling there.
"We could have worked out" he said.
They had stopped under a tree. Hugo, feeling a little of the weight of the words David wanted to convey, leaned back against the trunk. They were closer now. Before David could make a move to kiss him, Hugo turned his face away.
"You've crossed a dangerous line" he said dryly.
"I'm sorry." David backed away a little.
As soon as Hugo met his gaze, David began to hold it.
"You know."
"Yes" Hugo admitted. "You, deep down, are a very... Very good guy. Nice. You just chose to hang out with the wrong kind of friend."
"If it wasn't for him, I'd never have met you."
"Lie."
David let out a chuckle.
"We'd end up meeting one way or another" Hugo stressed. "We work in the same field, in the same city..."
"If I didn't know you yet, it would be harder. You're moving to another city."
"Life takes care of making things happen."
"True" David leaned against the side of the trunk. "Destiny."
Silence. The park remained calm. The sunless afternoon was pleasant.
"What I'm going to tell you now, you're only going to hear once. Only this once."
David turned to look at him.
"Tell me."
Hugo hesitated. Something that rarely happened.
"If it were under very different circumstances, I would have loved to have liked you. Probably built something with you. For real."
More silence. Hugo glanced at him.
"I believe so" was all David said.
This time, it was Hugo who took the initiative to hold his hand. Although they were only two hand spans apart, they stayed that way for a while.
"I know it's not possible anymore" David admitted. "That's what my rational side says, and it's okay. But the feeling is still there."
"I know it's there" Hugo said softly. "In me too, just a little. But it's there. However, I see that it just gets to be too much."
Taking the man by surprise, Hugo directed his gaze to his own using his index finger.
"You would be a good boyfriend and even a good husband" Hugo stated with a half smile.
David took his hand. He intertwined their fingers again.
"I would live for that" David held his gaze. Before Hugo could decide to slip away, he kissed his hand.
But he was caught off guard by the boy placing a single kiss on his face. He closed his eyes.
"I have to go."
Hugo walked on. David allowed himself to stand there for a while longer, the breeze now blowing lightly on his face.
...****************...
"CAN WE TALK?" Pedro rested his hand on the service counter. Eliza, for a moment, froze. The boutique was empty. A woman in a lilac pantsuit approached her. She must be the owner or manager of the establishment. Pedro watched from where he stood.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
The woman walked away with Eliza. The two of them, from a distance, began to whisper for a good while. The manager approached Pedro.
"It's about Janine, isn't it?"
"Exactly."
"I want to point out that I was very surprised by her sudden dismissal" the woman began. "I only found out about this job offer, outside Brazil, on the day she came to my office to resign."
"I imagined so."
"Eliza is going to cooperate in this case" she looked back at the girl who was still far away. "Whether she likes it or not."
"She has nothing to fear" Pedro assured her. "The case is under wraps."
"I imagine so" the manager adjusted her suit jacket. "There's a private room back here. Would you like to use it?"
"Sure. Please."
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