The vibrating buzz of Oliver's phone shattered the silence of the evening as he stepped into the cool night air outside the gay nightclub. With a furrowed brow, he glanced at the screen, surprised to see his manager's name flashing across it. With a sense of foreboding, he answered the call.
"Hello?" Oliver greeted tentatively, his voice tight with apprehension.
"Oliver, it's Rebecca," his manager's voice came through the line, sounding unusually solemn.
Oliver's heart sank at the serious tone in her voice. "Hey, Rebecca. What's going on?" he asked, his mind racing with possibilities.
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Rebecca spoke again, her voice heavy with regret. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this over the phone, but we've had to make a difficult decision. We're going to have to let you go."
Oliver felt as if the ground had been pulled out from beneath him. "What? Why?" he spluttered, disbelief coloring his words.
"It's not about your performance, Oliver. It's just that... well, the club is going in a different direction, and we feel that it's time for a change," Rebecca explained, her tone apologetic.
A knot of anxiety twisted in Oliver's stomach as he tried to process the news. "But... what am I supposed to do now?" he asked, his voice trembling with uncertainty.
Rebecca sighed, her voice softening with sympathy. "I know it's tough, Oliver. But you're talented and hardworking, and I'm confident that you'll find something even better than this."
As Oliver hung up the phone, a sense of disorientation washed over him. He had never imagined that his job at the nightclub would come to an end like this, with a simple phone call in the dead of night. And as he stood on the sidewalk, the neon lights of the club casting eerie shadows around him, he couldn't help but wonder what the future held in store.
Moments later, Aaron emerged from the bathroom, a towel still wrapped around his waist as he approached Oliver. "Everything okay?" he asked, his eyes flickering with concern.
Oliver shook his head, a mix of frustration and sadness clouding his features. "Not really. I just got fired," he admitted, his voice heavy with disappointment.
Aaron's expression softened, and he reached out to wrap Oliver in a comforting hug. "I'm so sorry, Oliver. That's rough," he murmured, offering his support.
As Oliver leaned into Aaron's embrace, he felt a glimmer of hope flicker in his chest. Despite the uncertainty of the future, he knew that with Aaron by his side, they would face whatever challenges came their way, together. And as they stood there, arms wrapped around each other, Oliver felt a sense of strength and determination wash over him. No matter what lay ahead, they would navigate it together.
