Quarantine swipe

What's that smell?

"What?" His face expression changed drastically.
His body turned still.
He grabbed my arm pulling me to the alley behind his bar so no one could hear us.
"Who told you that?" He asked almost whispering.
"Answer me!" He yelled. He looked mad.
"You answer me first, are you or are you not a drug dealer?" I asked firmly.
He closed his eyes harshly, he turned giving me his back, then he relaxed his shoulders letting out a big breath as he told me.
"I was" he said more calmly
"Back in Cali" he added painfully.
"But I'm not anymore, that's why I came here" he said finally turning to me, he's eyes looking so honest.
"That's why you're brother is in jail, isn't it?" I said realizing it.
"Yes, I left cali two years ago because I wanted an out, I didn't wanted to be the local drug dealer anymore, I wanted to start over. So I came here, opened this little bar, and here I am, my brother didn't wanted to get out, he liked the easy money, he's still selling there"
"and that's why I feel responsable of him, because he was just a kid when I got him into the business" tears started to come out of his eyes "what kind of brother got his own brother into selling drugs?"

"We weren't dangerous or anything, we're just dealers around our block" he said.
"But I stopped, I am done Andy, I swear, I don't do that anymore" he affirmed.
I stood quiet.
"Please tell me what you're thinking" he plead.
"I just.. don't know what to think" I said honestly.
"I mean, you always ask me for honesty? and this.. this is a big deal, Emerson, why didn't you tell me?" I said.
"How could I tell you Andy?" He said with a desperate tone.
"It's not like I go around telling people that I was a drug dealer, that's exactly why I came here, because I wanted a clean slate" he said then added "back In Cali, everyone knew me and my brother, they called us the candy men"
"I was very well known there, I could've never had a chance there for a normal life, and Andy I want a normal boring life, I want to have a wife someday and have kids" he paused then added
"And there was not a chance for me there, so I left".

I kept quiet looking at him.
"Please say something" he said while he wiped his tears.
I didn't say anything, I couldn't, there was nothing to say.
I just walked straight to him and hugged him. Because that was all That I felt for him, the urge to hug him, to comfort him.
His body stilled for a second at the touch of our bodies then he put his arms around my waist and hugged me back, relaxing his shoulders.
"I don't want to loose you Andy, I know I screwed up in not telling you, but I just couldn't" he said to my ear.
"I know" I said.
How could I be mad at him. I mean we all have baggage, we all have something we regret doing in the past. And he was just a kid with too much responsibilities. He had to find a way to take care of him and his brother, he was just the consequence of a bad system, and irresponsible parents.
He rested his head on mine as he hugged me, and I could swear that I could feel how he smelled my hair. Then his body stilled again and pulled away, as if my hair was smelling bad. He intertwined his finger with mine and said
"Come on let's go home"
Emerson said goodbye to Corbin and we walked together to the building.

"Noah's coming for diner, he's bringing some dishes his mom made" I said to Emerson as we walked into my apartment.
"Really? That thing again? I didn't thought you were still craving chole?" Emerson said mocking me.
"I'm not, but he insisted, I couldn't say no" I said.
"Well we can order a pizza after he's gone" Emerson said and I laughed.

When Noah came, we sat on the kitchen table at my apartment, we opened a bottle of wine. And Noah put out the meal he brought.

"Ok so I brought something different this time" Noah said.
"This is called naan it's an Indian bread, my mom makes it with her own hands" he said.
He pulled the bread out of the container and It smelled amazing, then he continued pulling things out of the bag and he surprised us with two double burgers and fries
"I brought this for the two of you" Noah said as he handed us the burgers.
"Noah, you my friend, are the best friend I could ever ask for" Emerson said as he grabbed his burger and looked at it like he was in love.

Emerson gave a big bite to his burger but then his eyes widened, his eyes became more worried at every chew he made to his burger. Like if he found a bug or a hair inside his food.

"What's wrong? It's something wrong with your burger?" I asked
"Hand me that Indian bread" he said desperately, then he did the weirdest thing, he started sniffing the bread like a dog.
Emerson stood up, looking around desperately, he took the dish soap he opened it and started smelling it, then the bananas, then he opened the fridge opened a jar of oiled minced garlic and do the same thing.
Noah and I looked at him with concern, then looked at each other with questionable eyes, what the hell was wrong with him.
Then Emerson looked at me with fear, then at Noah.
He stood quiet for a second then he said.

"I can't smell anything".

"What do you mean?" I asked

Noah's eyes widened with fear, he stood up from the chair and started walking backwards away from Emerson.
"Man" Noah said putting on his face mask
"What is happening?" I asked desperately
"If I'm not wrong, Emerson caught the virus"
I stood up from my chair walking away from Emerson as if he was the plague.
Emerson quickly pulled up his tshirt covering his mouth and nose.
"I'm sorry guys, I'm gonna get tested, I had a suspicion when I smelled your hair earlier, it didn't smell like it always smell" he said
"And what is my usual smell?" I asked
"Like strawberries" he said
And I laugh for a minute then fear got into me, realizing what was happening. He could have covid 19.
"I'll see you later" Emerson said and got out of my apartment.
"I think I'll get going too" Noah said
And then I was there left alone at my apartment.
What the hell just happened?