Elysium Read Free Page A

barely looked at Adrian.

    Cool crisp air brushed against his cheeks. The trees were losing their green and turning gold and yellow. There was a tinge of the winter cold that was to come. It was bracing. The walk to the gym always cleared his head. He stopped at the front desk and the usual guy was there with his over-whitened teeth. Adrian handed him his gym ID card to wave over the scanner to a beep. White Teeth handed the card back and said, “Have a good workout” in a syrupy, synthetic voice. He knew. Everyone knew. It was a small neighborhood.
    “Thanks.”
    Adrian started his workout with a run on the treadmill. He selected the James Taylor playlist on his personal player and exercised to its sad, country-styled rhythms. He never told Antoine about his Taylor workouts. He would probably laugh and say, “I’m taking away your gay card.” Adrian smiled to himself at the untold joke. It was a strange feeling, to smile.
    He was hot and sweaty by the time he reached the weight room. “The boys” were all there. They waved hellos. Those guys seemed to live here. Muscles were flexing everywhere. The room smelled of men. Hot, sweaty men. It wasn’t a pleasant smell, in some ways. In others, it was irresistible. Adrian suddenly felt the need to focus.
    Hector waltzed over and slapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, Papi. How you doin’?”
    “Hi, Hector,” he said, his arm fully engaged in lifting a weight. He used that as an excuse to not look up.
    “What happen to your head?”
    “A small accident. It’s nothing.”
    “An accident? Oh, Papi, you know you gotta be careful.”
    “Yeah,” Adrian said, still not looking up.
    “Well, we goin’ to brunch in a few minits. You comin’?”
    “Where?”
    “The usual place. Notin’ special.”
    “Yeah, sure. Let me shower and I’ll be out.”
    “No problem, Papi. We wait for you.”
     
    The usual place was the brunch spot . Everyone from the neighborhood was there. Adrian and Antoine used to come here together back before he got sick. They would meet up with friends and laugh for hours on a Sunday mid-morning, as Adrian was about to do. The twelve of them asked for the big table in the corner. When they were seated Hector dropped himself into a chair far on the other side. Adrian was glad for that. It felt good to be out with the boys. They were buffed, beautiful men, and they knew it. The waiter flirted with them and wiggled his back feathers. They laughed at his antics. They laughed at each other. They just laughed. Especially Adrian. Once a week for this. This one time to forget about it all and laugh.
    It was lunch for Adrian — he’d been up since early. For the others, it was still breakfast time. Pancakes and waffles and scrambled eggs was the going fare. Adrian liked the blueberry pancakes here, so that’s what he ordered — to be one with the “fellas” — with a tall glass of orange juice.
    Adrian could feel everyone being extra nice to him. He did his best to ignore it. But once in a while, the heat of someone’s long stare burned the back of his neck, and he couldn’t help meeting the sympathetic eyes of a friend. Adrian would turn away quickly. He didn’t want sympathy. He wanted a normal time. His laugh was as loud as anyone’s — maybe a bit louder.
    When brunch was over, they settled up the bill and said their goodbyes. Tommy hugged him extra tight. The sound of him drawing back sniffles filled Adrian’s ear. When their embrace ended, he kissed Adrian on the cheek and was all smiles.
    “You be strong, ’kay,” Tommy said.
    Adrian watched the group file away into different directions until they were finally gone. Now it was just Adrian and Hector.
    They walked up the street together, glancing in the shop windows. This was an area for tea shoppes, clothing boutiques, antique stores, and such. They stopped at a store with a display of scarves and knickknacks.
    “Dey have the best candles in here,” Hector said and pulled open the