Before I can even get a word in, Sofia has both hands pressed against my shoulders. Her cheeks are beet red and her messy bun is falling down the side of her head.
"Stupid, Gabriel!" she practically screams, pushing me back onto the couch, and not in a good way.
"Sofia–" I want to talk to try to leverage the situation, but it does not work.
"You stupid boy! I hope nothing in life works out for you!" Sofia points towards me accusingly, her bottom lip jutted in anger.
I grip the couch and watch her shake before she turns and grabs her purse from the kitchen island, swinging it over her shoulder.
Her left breast is about to pop out as she adjusts her bun and pulls down the hem of her dress, casting me one last devilish glare.
"Stupid!" She screams again, pulling the door open with enough force to shake the walls. It slams shut behind her and I am left alone.
"Jesus christ," I mutter, rubbing my face with my hand.
I sink down onto the couch a little more and look around. This is my life. Living in a studio apartment with rent that I can barely pay in the outskirts of Chicago.
Newly single, as of three minutes ago.
My phone suddenly rings, a welcome diversion from whatever just happened. It's Diego.
He is my only friend here – the rest are back home in San Francisco wondering what the hell happened to me.
I answer him and instead of hello, I just say three words: "She found out."
Diego is quiet on the line for a few seconds.
"I told you to delete my nudes and sexy videos, bro," is what he finally says, his accent oozing through just slightly.
I roll my eyes. Usually, I appreciate his attempts to lighten the mood and make things better, but this time I'm over it.
"Ah, shut up. You know I was going to break things off this weekend. She just took my phone while I was in the bathroom... and saw the messages."
Over the last week, I started orientation at a diner called Red Car. There were three of us hired at the same time – me, Sadie, and Arnold.
Sadie was this girl in her early 20's. I overheard her say she didn't want to go to college, she just wanted to start working, and the diner was the first place that responded to her application.
She had a dimple in her chin and light brown wavy hair that cascaded a few inches past her shoulders. She smelled like the candles my grandmother used to make back in California, the warm and spicy scent that overtook her home every time I visited.
The first day of orientation, I couldn't stop looking at her. By the end of it, she was looking at me, too.
That's when I noticed her eyes were an unusually bright green. They were captivating, and I had to pull my own away so I wouldn't stare too long and appear weird.
By the end of the third day, we all exchanged numbers and started texting in a group chat about orientation. I sent Sadie a separate message and she responded right away.
Arnold was a recently divorced 40 year old who didn't say much, but you could see his emotions through his body language. His shoulders were slumped and he fidgeted often. Whether he was rubbing his neck or tapping his fingers, something was always unsettled about him.
At the end of the fourth day of orientation, I texted Diego the following: There is this girl in orientation with me. I have a feeling she could be my future wife.
Of course, I was joking and being a little dramatic.
But this is the lucky message that Sofia saw. This is the message that lead to my demise.
Diego's response was, "Sofia?," which was the dumbest response ever because he knew first hand how bad our relationship was. I would never, ever, get down on one knee for her.
I reacted to the message with a thumbs down, because no, it wasn't Sofia.
It was Sadie.
Now, the whole thing is making my stomach twist in knots, because Sofia knows that Sadie exists. I never wanted them to become intertwined.
"It's for the better," Diego's voice floats through the speaker, "Sofia was bossy as hell."
I laugh, because it's true. She always demanded money from me, and I was too scared to tell her I'm broke. I went along with it for months, so I guess Sofia is right – stupid, Gabriel. You stupid boy.
"Damn, she really was," I say, exhausted, thinking about money now, "at least I'll be able to pay my rent on time."
"On another note, I bet you're excited to see Sadie tomorrow," Diego teases.
"Stop. No way," I lie, because I would like to see her.
The first day of work tomorrow, sans orientation, makes me feel like a teenager again. It feels like when I started my first job at a fast food restaurant just to appease my parents. All of the cute girls from high school worked there, and they'd flirt with the guys the entire shift. I almost lost my virginity in the janitor's closet. It was wonderful and terrible all at once.
"Good luck tomorrow," Diego says, "call or text if you need anything. I'm going to help prepare dinner."
The reception is becoming a little choppy now, which always happens when Diego is in his mother's kitchen.
Diego lives by himself above a convenience store a bit farther downtown than I am. He owns his own thrift store, a unique place that is his baby. He's one year older than me and the main reason I haven't packed my suitcase and flew off to a random country yet.
I say goodbye to him, wishing the smells of whatever they were cooking could waft through the phone.
Now, I navigate to my text messages with Sadie.
Ready for tomorrow? I type, but don't hit send. I stare at it. Usually, I am very confident. I have never had any problems with girls in the past, but Sadie makes all of that irrelevant and melt away.
Finally, I get frustrated and push send. I watch the screen and then look away, repeating this process a few times until the phone screen darkens.
I groan, getting ready to stand up from the couch I was humiliated on. I'll have to burn this if I ever want to live peacefully in my own apartment again.
But then, my phone lights up, and it's Sadie.
I think so :) is all she says.
I quickly grab my phone with both hands and I'm caught staring at the screen again. I decide not to say anything, because I don't want to come on too strong.
Instead, I do the most comforting thing after a breakup – order Chinese food. I call Eggroll Extravaganza to order a #8 meal with vegetable fried rice for delivery.
I walk across the floor to the sink and begin loading the dishwasher. Last night, Sofia and I made pasta together while sharing a bottle – or two – of wine. I find the remnants of those on the floor by my bed.
We ate dinner, and then had sex for most of the night. It was typical.
We were only together for four months, but in that four months, I can only think of two dates where we were sober.
The first time we had sex, we were sober, and zero times after that. I gained about five pounds from alcohol alone and drew the conclusion that Sofia was actually an alcoholic.
Naturally, I am skinny. I have a fast metabolism so it was always easy for me to stay in shape – a certain trait my mother's side of the family possesses. The only gripe I have is that I couldn't muster up another half inch to reach six feet tall.
I have strong features just like my grandfather, but I've got my dad's dark brown eyes and hair. I've been letting it grow lately so it's at a messy stage right now, displaying some waves and curls I never thought I had.
Sofia says it's "my look" and I should "make it stop growing," but Diego has been nagging me because he wants to shave the sides and give it some shape, whatever that means, but I trust his artful eye.
Back on the couch, my phone vibrates again. I pause what I'm doing to check it.
Sadie.
Did you get your uniform yet? Katie said I should wear it tomorrow.
I scratch my head. Uniform? I am going to be a dishwasher, making just above minimum wage. If they make me wear something stupid I'm moving to Canada. At my other kitchen jobs, we never had to wear anything special but slip resistant shoes.
No? I plan to show up naked if nothing is provided by tomorrow morning.
I smile to myself and lean back on the couch, watching Sadie's next message come in.
Ha ha. I would say I'd like to see that, but I don't :P
Sofia never texted me like this. She only sent me messages asking for things or occasionally (and usually very poorly timed) nudes. This was entirely different.
I start thinking of what I want to say next. Something fun, something flirty, or...
Someone knocks on my door which snaps me out of my train of thought. I was so consumed with my texts to Sadie that I forgot I had food on the way.
Eggroll Extravaganza is located across the street, so the delivery guy, usually Luke, offers complimentary delivery to my apartment complex.
"Thank you, Luke," I say while handing over his cash.
"I liked you better with a buzz cut," Luke knowingly nods and hands me the bag of food, "also extra broccoli for you."
I'm taken back that Luke remembers last year when my hair was buzzed. Diego and I got drunk in my apartment and did it to each other, laughing hysterically when we realized how botched it looked.
We ordered Chinese food at one in the morning, and after much haggling, they agreed to deliver it. We passed out horizontally on my bed afterwards, our heads and feet hanging off either end.
I woke up with a lo mein noodle stuck to my cheek and Diego had four packets of soy sauce in his hand.
That must have been the last time Luke delivered it to me.
"Enjoy," he flashes a smile and turns to leave down the hallway.