Chapter Six
Victor returns home after a couple days of flying.
He opens the door to his apartment which feels empty, even though it’s fully furnished.
He’s still not used to living alone again, having been with James for almost three years.
Honestly, he doesn’t miss James as much as the dogs.
He would like to get a pet, but as he’s away from home so much now, it wouldn’t be fair to the animal.
Victor closes the door and walks deeper into his apartment.
He doesn’t turn on any lights on the way to the bedroom.
As he walks into it, there is a hint of tobacco; it smells like the same tobacco Madame Jeanette smokes.
He slowly looks around. He calls out to his Echo to turn on all the lights.
He looks over his shoulder into the living room but is all alone.
He shakes his head and plops his suitcase onto his bed.
Victor unzips his suitcase, collects his dirty clothes, and walks over to the hamper, but doesn’t notice that under those dirty clothes is the pack of tarot cards that Madame Jeanette handed him.
As he gets undressed, he turns on his Bluetooth to listen to his playlist and then turns on the shower.
While in the shower, he tries to clear his thoughts from the past couple of weeks.
This is the first time he is alone with his thoughts.
The break-up with James. The heartbreak when James started seeing someone else.
Victor keeps telling himself that James was insecure and couldn’t handle him being away from home for days at a time.
But he also feels he could have done more to keep the relationship afloat.
The move back home was rough since he didn’t want to live with his parents, even though his folks told him he should for the time being.
After what seemed like an eternity, he gets on his knees and washes the tears off his face.
For once, he feels a sense of clarity. He needed this good cry alone, with no one telling him how to act or feel.
He slowly picks himself up so as not to get dizzy from standing up too fast. His legs are still a little weak, but he is starting to regain his strength.
Victor finishes his shower, puts on some comfy pajama bottoms and a shirt, and stands in the doorway to his bedroom.
After a few moments to collect himself, he pulls the hamper behind him, Victor takes the first load of laundry to the washer.
When he walks back into the bedroom, he reaches for his suitcase.
He is about to set the suitcase on the floor, then freezes, noticing the tarot cards tucked under his clothes.
His hand shakes as he reaches to pick them up.
I thought it was a dream. How did these get here?
As he picks up the box, he notices it is the same one Madame Jeanette handed him. But now, it is tied with a small ribbon, which he unties and opens the box. As the deck slides into his hands, a small piece of paper drops with them. “A gift for you, chéri” is written in gold lettering.
He feels a piece of cardstock on the bottom of the deck. He turns the deck over to reveal the maroon business card. Looking at the card, he realizes it wasn’t a dream.
Victor sits on the side of his bed, taking the card in his other hand. He looks back and forth between the business card and the deck of tarot cards in his other hand.
Victor takes a deep breath and sets the deck down.
He reaches for his phone and dials the number.
He hovers his thumb over the call button and hesitates to tap it.
His breathing is calm, but his heart is racing and his hands are shaking.
After staring at his phone for several moments, he takes a dry gulp before finally calling the number.
Victor brings his phone up to his ear as it rings. It rings several times before someone answers, but they don’t speak.
“Hello?” he asks the person on the other end.
Silence.
“I was told to call this number.” Still waiting for an answer.
The call disconnects. He pulls the phone away to look at the screen, unsure of what happened. When he returns his phone to the charger, a text message comes from an unknown number.
I’ll see you soon. –L
Who’s L? Victor asks himself.
While Victor ponders the text he receives another text message.
“Trade request approved?” Victor is perplexed. “I don’t remember submitting a trip trade request.” He opens up his schedule to see that he is now working a flight to S?o Paulo, Brazil. “And I’m the Lead Flight Attendant? When did I put in this request?”
Five days later, Victor is working in First Class on his way to S?o Paulo. His passengers have just finished dinner and are drifting off to sleep on the long flight. He dims the lights in his cabin and gathers any dirty dishes or glasses from his sleeping passengers.
One of the flight attendants approaches him. “The gentleman in 11D would like to talk to you.”
“Do you know what he wants?” Victor asks as he places the dirty dishes on the counter in the galley.
The flight attendant shakes their head. “No, but he specifically said your name.”
Unsure of the request, Victor walks into business class.
When he approaches 11D, he stops and sees the mystery man sitting there reading a book.
He’s dressed in matching dark blue slacks and vest. His maroon shirt is a few shades lighter than his maroon tie.
Victor stands a few feet away for a moment.
The man looks up from his book and gives Victor a gentle smile. “Good evening, Victor,” he says in his Brazilian accent.
Victor snaps out of his trance and approaches the man. “Hello, sir. I understand you wanted to speak to me?”
The man closes his book and sets it in his lap. “Would you like to take a seat?” He gestures to the ottoman on the other side of his business class suite.
Victor hesitates at the offer. “Is there something I can do for you? Was there something wrong with the service?”
The man smiles and holds his gesture. “No, no, my friend, please have a seat.”
Victor cautiously takes a seat in front of the man. “I’m sorry, I didn’t have time to look at your name before I came over. My flight attendant made it sound like it was urgent.”
“My name is Leopold Oliveira. But you can call me Leo. And it’s not urgent at all.”
“How may I be of assistance to you, Leo?”
Leo takes a sip from his cocktail and keeps his hazel eyes on Victor. After a few small drinks, he finally asks, “Are you feeling any better?”
Victor seems confused and concerned but maintains eye contact with Leo. “I believe so. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I understand you’ve been dealing with some difficult life changes. Honestly, he was an asshole, and you deserve better.” Leo winks at Victor.
“Are . . . are you asking me out?” Victor is unsure where this conversation is going.
Leo chuckles, “I’m here to answer your call.”
Victor sits back, leaning against the wall behind him. “My call?”
“Yes, you did call, didn’t you?” Leo smiles whimsically.
Victor becomes puzzled. “What call are you talking about? I didn’t call you.”
“Of course you did, about five days ago,” Leo pauses, letting Victor connect the pieces. “Do you know how tricky it was to get on this flight? Unfortunately, all the first-class seats were booked, so I had to settle with business.”
“Was that you who answered the phone and didn’t speak?” Victor ponders.
“No, that was an assistant. But I was informed as soon as they hung up. I felt it was more proper to speak in person,” Leo explains as he sets his book down.
As they are talking, two flight attendants walk past them. Victor notices another attendant walking down the other aisle, trying to be inconspicuous. Victor knows they are hoping to listen in on their conversation.
“Do we have to talk about this now?” Victor asks softly. “I have a feeling my crew is trying to listen in.”
Leo notices another flight attendant trying to get a good look from behind a wall and smirks. “We can talk more while you’re on your layover.”
Victor cocks an eyebrow while he presses the tip of his tongue against one of his canines. “I have a feeling you already know where I’m staying in S?o Paulo?”
Leo tries to hold back his grin. “Of course I do. I used to live there as well. I’ll take you to breakfast at my favorite cafe near the hotel.” Leo finishes his drink and holds out the glass for Victor to take. “For now, I’m going to take a nap. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
Victor stands up, takes the glass from Leo, and smiles to give his crew the impression that the conversation was good.
He walks back into first class, where most of his crew awaits him when he turns into the galley.
“Shouldn’t you be taking care of our passengers?
” he exclaims. “And shouldn’t half of you be on break? ”
“Well, what did he want?” asks one of the other attendants.
“It was nothing,” Victor responds quickly. “We went to high school together. It took me a moment to realize who he was.”
“Are you going to meet up with him?” asks another with a smile. “He’s really cute too.”
“Will the four of you please get back to work or go on break?” Victor says, dismissing their inquisitions.
They begrudgingly leave the galley, hoping for more juicy details, but Victor knows he can’t talk about what has happened to him over the past few weeks.
After an exhausting flight and a long drive to the hotel, Victor finally walks into his room, completely spent.
He starts getting settled and unpacking when he receives a text message from Leo with the cafe’s location.
Victor sits at the foot of the bed, then falls back.
The café is close by. I just need to shut my eyes for a moment, he thinks.
An hour later, he is awakened by another text message.
Are you on your way? I just ordered for you.
“Shit!” He quickly changes his clothes, puts his phone in his pocket, and heads out to the cafe.
When he walks around the corner from the hotel, he sees Leo sitting on the cafe’s patio reading the same book he was reading on the plane. He is dressed casually in a button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone and light blue shorts.
“Wow, he wasn’t joking about it being close to the hotel,” he says aloud to himself. He walks up to the table and takes a seat across from Leo.
Leo looks up from his book and smiles at Victor. “Bom dia. Happy to see that you made it. Our food should be . . . there it is.”
As soon as the words leave Leo’s mouth, the server sets down two plates and places a glass of orange juice and a glass of water in front of Victor. Leo picks up his cup of coffee and toasts, “Provecho.”
“I didn’t think Brazilians said ‘Provecho,’” Victor comments as he picks up his utensils.
“Well, you are Mexican, aren’t you?” Leo asks.
“I’m half. The other half is Sicilian,” Victor responds, taking a bite of his food.
Leo picks up his juice and asks, “So, is your mother or father Mexican?”
“My father,” Victor answers with a mouth full of food.
“Really?” Leo ponders for a moment. “Russo isn’t a Mexican last name.”
Victor takes a drink of his orange juice before responding.
“My parents divorced while my mom was pregnant with me. When I was born, she gave me her maiden name. It was a little awkward when my father started to come back into the picture a few years after I was born. He wasn’t too happy when he learned I wasn’t given his last name. ”
Victor takes another bite and swallows before he continues.
“When my mom passed away, I moved in with my father and stepfamily. He wanted to change my last name, but because I was already 14, I was given a choice: Russo or Fernandez. Russo was easier to spell. Plus, it was my mom’s and grandma’s name, and I had no other family. It only felt right.”
“Were you close to your mother and grandmother?” Leo asks.
Victor fiddles with his food, reminiscing about the past. “I didn’t really get to know my grandmother.
She died after I turned five. But my mother was my world, as I was hers.
I was an only child and didn’t have that many friends or family growing up.
When she died, I felt like I was lost. Something was missing in my life, and it wasn’t just my mom; it felt like something more. ”
When Victor finishes talking, he begins to tear up. He tries to cover it up. “Sorry, I think I got something in my eye.”
Leo reaches out and places a hand on Victor’s. “It’s okay. You don’t need to excuse yourself.” He pats Victor’s hand as he leans back into his seat. “I lost my grandmother at a young age too. I miss her every day. But I know she’s still with me.”
Victor takes a deep breath to compose himself as he sips water. They finish their breakfast in silence. When the check arrives, Leo hands the server cash before Victor can say anything. The server walks away, thanking Leo in Portuguese.
“Wait, you don’t have to do that,” Victor explains.
Leo smiles at Victor as he puts his wallet away, “I invited you, didn’t I? Are you ready to go?”
“Where are we going?” Victor questions.
“Come with me. There’s something I want to show you,” Leo says mysteriously as they exit the cafe.