"Eddy"
"Hey, Brett, how are you."
"I'm okay"
Eddy bit his lower lip.
"Brett, can we facetime please?"
"Again? We just did yesterday."
"I know. I.. I just want to see your face."
Eddy heard Brett's soft chuckle.
"Um.. yeah.. sure. I'll call you back in 5?"
"Okay."
"Brett"
"Eddy. Sorry, I'm a bit late. I had to shave."
"That's alright. Looking good dude."
Brett chuckled.
"You would not have said that if you saw me 10 minutes ago. I looked like sh*t."
"Well, I guess it's good that you've made yourself beautiful for me."
"Eeeeew Eddy cut that crap."
They both let out a giggle.
"Brett? Where are you? I don't recognise the background behind you."
"Oh.. I'm out of the studio and back at my place. I had to come back, I don't have a washing machine in my studio."
"Oh yeah... So are you going back once you've done your laundry?"
"Nah.. I've brought home my pen tablet kit and hooked it up at my place.. I'll just stay here till the restrictions are lifted. It cuts down the number of times I'd have to go out to do laundry and grocery shopping since I have a bigger fridge at home as well."
"I suppose that makes sense. I think you're doing the right thing. So how's the digital drawing set up?"
"It's okay.. I've managed to set it up very similarly to my studio. I just like all my stuff arranged the same way..."
Eddy smiled.
"Yeah, I think I can understand that"
"So.. Eddy, have you been drawing?"
"Just the digital stuff I'm doing with you Brett.. I haven't had the motivation to sketch unless I have a doodle session with you."
"So the last time would've been.. like 3 days ago? Oh no, that's not good. I... I should give you homework for you to do every day."
"Every day?"
"Yeah, y'know, we gotta keep PrAcTiCiNg !!!"
"Okay, okay..!! But you'll have to do it as well then!"
"Of course. How about we take turns setting a theme of what we're gonna draw?"
"You're on. So what's today's theme gonna be?"
"Hmm.. I can't think of anything."
"YOU? Cannot think of anything? Man this stay home isolation must be getting you real bad."
Eddy chuckled, expecting Brett to as well. Instead he heard nothing. He quickly shifted his gaze back to his phone.
"Brett?"
"Y, yeah?"
"Are you alright?"
"Um.. yeah, of course I am."
"Brett.. when was the last time you saw someone?"
"What?"
"When was the last time you saw someone in person? Not just walking past them in a supermarket but y'know, actually interacted with someone."
"Um...um.. wait.. oh, geez, f*ck... when did we go into lockdown?"
"5 weeks ago."
"Well then it would've been 5 weeks ago. When you and I were still in the studio. We went into lockdown shortly after that. Geez you really lose track of time..."
"F*ck"
"What"
"You haven't been with anyone since??"
"Well.. I saw my GP last week to get my first vaccine shot? Does that count?"
"Did you have a conversation with him?"
"Nah, we were instructed to minimise talking."
"Well then, no it doesn't count..!"
"Geez this sucks. I didn't realise I hadn't seen anyone.. I mean I still feel like I see you everyday because you call me everyday and lately you've been insisting we show video while collaborating or do facetime...Eddy?"
"W, what?"
"Have you been doing that for my sake?"
Eddy shifted his eyes, then grimaced. He knew he must have looked like a manga character caught out lying. He blushed a little as he stammered.
"N, not entirely.. Brett, ..I've also been getting a bit stir crazy due to lack of company, so..."
"You seem to be holding up okay though?"
"Well.. I'm still working my other job as well so I'm still interacting with people, even though they're colleagues.. at least there are a couple of them I get along with okay and known for while."
Eddy worked as a freelancing financial adviser, though work was scarce, he still had opportunities to speak to his regular clients and customers.
"Geez, cos y'know while I do know my editor's full name, we still call each other by our alias.. it's a very detached relationship, if you can even call it one. I mean we rarely interact..."
Eddy bit his lower lip, then looked up into his phone. Brett would've seen a very determined look from him.
"Brett.. "
"Yeah..?"
"Will you form a singles bubble with me?"
"..A what?"
"Single people who live alone can now nominate one person to visit you once a day. It's a new initiative to help them from feeling isolated."
"Oh. I haven't been paying attention to the news much."
Eddy chuckled.
"Yeah, I know you're a bit like that Brett."
"So, what, this thing....?"
"I want you to be my singles' bubble partner, Brett."
"You do?!"
"Yeah. Unless you have someone else in mind, like one of your family members?"
"No.. you're the person I've been seeing the most before lockdown and the one I miss the most."
Brett realised what he had said and had to resist the temptation of covering up his camera so that Eddy wouldn't see him blushing.
"OMG Brett"
Brett stammered.
"I, I mean, Eddy, of course, naturally, right? Since, y'know, I've been seeing you the most till this lockdown happened..."
"Y, yeah, Brett, of course, it's just natural that.. we'd miss each other the most.. because, y'know, we'd been seeing each other the most. Yeah, absolutely."
"Yeah, absolutely."
"Too right"
"Good. I mean, great"
"Yeah, fan-bloody-tastic"
Brett shook his head to refocus.
"So.. Eddy, if we're on a mutual agreement, when can I see you in person?"
"Well.. I could come by this afternoon if you want?"
Brett perked up. His change in mood was instantaneous and clearly visible.
"Really?! You'd do that??"
"Yeah, of course"
"That would be fantastic. So I'll see you in a few hours? A couple of hours?"
"I'll see you in a couple of hours, Brett."
"Awesome!! Great!! I'm really looking forward to it! So I'll see you in a bit, yeah?"
"Brett...!!"
Brett had hung up already.
Eddy rolled his eyes, then started texting.
Gimme your home address Brett, I've never been to your place!