Benito shakes my hand vigorously, a huge grin covering his mouth. “Ah man, my wife, Camilla will die when I tell her I met you. She loves your music, man. Wow, what a trip. Are you and Camfamily?”
I can tell by the way he hesitated and enunciated the word that he assumes something entirely different. The world knows about my sexual tastes in relationships and I’ve never shied away from talking about my bisexual proclivities. But Cam identifies as a straight man, and I’m not going to be the one to out him in front of one of his coworkers. I don’t know or trust this guy.
“Cam and I go way back and grew up together. I love him like a brother.”
All truth. No lies hidden there, even if there’s more to the story than that. But it’s all this guy is gonna get.
I extract a black Sharpie from my back pocket and sign a Crenshaw photo card I always carry with me exactly for times like these.
“C-A-M-I-L-L-A? Is that how you spell your wife’s name?”
He nods enthusiastically, and I hand him the card for him to take home to his wife.
“Here you go. It was nice meeting you, man. And thanks for your service. You’re doing good stuff out there.”
Benito suddenly seems starstruck, stumbling over his words.
“Thanks man, I really appreciate this. I’ll send you the details once the funeral arrangements are made. Nice meeting you, Sage. And give my best to Cam.”
“Will do. Take care.”
I watch him walk off down the hallway, stopping to say something to the nurse at the station about the basket, and then I sit down, dropping my head back to rest against the wall. I suddenly feel like I haven’t slept in years. I’m so tired.
My thoughts float to Dom, a man I’ve never met, but who was a guardian angel to Cam. Without him, I would’ve lost my best friend once again.
And that’s one time too many times.
Fate has really fucked with my life once again.
But at least this time, I won’t have to go through the bad stuff alone. London is here with me and there is a good prognosis that Cam would recover and be practically good as new in a few months’ time.
And hopefully, we’d be able to pick up where things left off.
