The Job

“I’m going to call my mom,” Joe says, as they pack their bags.

This time, Mike pays for their tickets, and they are both getting ready to leave the hotel. Mike almost drops his suitcase as he hears this, and says, “Your mom?”

Joe nods. “To tell her about you.”

Mike is speechless. Not unlike earlier that day, when Joe surprised him again, helping a woman and her fussy kids across the street, and even proceeded to buy the kids ice cream just because.

Mike is glad that Joe is learning how good it feels to help others.

They decide to settle in Lourmarin, a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Joe tells Mike that he had heard from his grandmother, who had travelled all over France when she was young, that Lourmarin was beautiful and quiet, and peaceful.

“A perfect place for us to finally settle,” Joe states. “We can get a farm house together. Build it up. Have animals. You know, be farmers and shit.”

Mike laughs, “You, a farmer?”

“Fuck yeah! My grandmother taught me all kinds of stuff.”

“Wow. I’m impressed. What kind of stuff?”

“How to till a garden, the right kind of soil that you need for different kind of plants, and how much sunlight and all that science bullshit. We will even have a pear tree.”

“A pear tree?! That’s cute!” Mike grins, and Joe takes it upon himself to make the call now.

But he kisses Mike first.

“I love you, Mike,” Joe say after they kiss.

Mike is ecstatic to hear Joe say it first, and it reaffirms his trust in this person, and how deep their bond goes.

“I love you, too.”

Joe grins, and they hug. “So... I’m calling her.”

“Joe, are you sure?”

“Yeah. I am.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

Joe dials on the hotel phone.

“Mom?” Joe says. “It’s Joe.”

Mike can’t hear Joe’s mom, but Joe starts to talk about his plans. About France.

“And mom? I got a...” Joe pauses and looks at Mike. “I got someone in my life.”

“Yeah. It’s great,” Joe says quietly. “Mom? It’s a guy. I’m with a guy. He’s wonderful. His name is Mike. He’s a cop. But, mom, please, don’t hang up...”

Mike steps over and places his hand on Joe’s shoulder. Joe puts the phone down, and looks at Mike.

“Joe, I’ll talk to her.”

Joe looks terrified. “What?” He mouths out.

Mike takes the phone gently from Joe.

“Hello?” Mike says.

“Who are you?” A woman’s voice asks. The tone is accusatory.

“I’m Mike.”

“You perverted my son, didn’t you?”

“Excuse me, ma’am. I didn’t,” Mike takes in a deep breath. “I have nothing but honest and true intentions with your son. I have nothing but goodness in my heart for him. I want him to succeed, and be happy. He’s the most loyal and true friend I’ve ever had. And I’m in love with him,” Mike’s emotions pour out, and suddenly, Joe and him lock eyes, and Joe is flushed in his cheeks.

There is a long pause, and then, Joe’s mother sighs. “It’s the first time since Carl died, Joe’s father, that I’ve talked to my son, Mike. I don’t think... I don’t know... I don’t understand anything about what two guys can have together... at all.”

“Well, it’s like two married people. They have their ups and downs. They fight, they disagree, they love and laugh. But, your son literally has opened up to you, as you said, and it’s been years since that’s happened. We’re leaving soon to go on our flight. We’re staying in France indefinitely. So... what do you want? Your last conversation with Joe to end with him upset? Denied your love once again? After everything he had been put through?”

“I’m Deidre, Mike. Look, I don’t understand it. I don’t. But... damnit, I know what you’re saying is right. I think... you are someone that speaks from the heart.”

“I try, Deirdre,” Mike says with a soft chuckle.

Joe looks at Mike, astonished. “How did you do that?” He whispers.

Mike shrugs. “Deidre, do you want to visit us one day? Once we settle in Lourmarin?”

“Oh my goodness! No! Not there!” She laughs, the name very familiar to her. “My mother traveled there. She was in the army as a nurse and traveled all over France and Europe in general. So... yes. I can. Send me the address.”

“Great. I’ll send you over to Joe again. Nice talking to you. Uh huh. Bye.” Mike grins and hands over the phone to Joe.

“Thank you!” Joe whispers to Mike and takes the phone. “Mom?”

Joe smiles. “Yeah, he’s great, mom. Yeah. I love him. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. I love you, too. Okay, bye. Yes, we will. Bye.”

He hangs up, and rushes up to Mike, hugging him so tight, he picks him up and spins them around.

“Holy shit! How’d you do that?!”

Mike laughs. “Oh, Joe! I’m gonna hurl!”

“I love you so much!” Joe says happily.

Mike grins as Joe puts him down.

“Joe, your mom seems reasonable after all.”

Joe just looks impressed, but shocked. “You turned her around!”

“Yeah, but... come on, she missed you. I could tell.”

“But you gave her... man, you have guts!”

“Yeah. But, still. I’m glad you kind of reconciled.”

They both grinned, and kiss.

They get their bags and check out of the hotel, and hail a taxi.

Joe is feeling on top of the world, proud that Mike is his, and extremely happy.

“Hey, Joe, I think... shit...” Mike whispers as they start to get in the taxi.

“Huh?” Joe says a bit absentmindedly.

“I think I left one of my bags in the reception area at the hotel, damn,” Mike says, looking frustrated.

Joe sighs. “Okay, let’s go get it. We can get another taxi.”

“Just wait, I’ll get it quickly. Okay?” Mike says.

Joe nods, and tells the taxi driver to wait a moment.

The taxi driver agrees and they strike up a conversation while Mike goes back to the hotel.

After about five minutes, Joe stops talking to the driver, and stands up straighter, looking around for Mike.

“Fuck, Mike, where are you?” Joe says under his breath.

All of sudden, there is a loud boom in the air. Two. Three.

Gunshots, Joe thinks in a panic.

He drops everything and runs back to the hotel. He doesn’t see Mike.

Joe is having a panic attack now, and is running around, asking random passerby’s if they’ve seen a slightly shorter gentleman with long, curly brown hair and green grayish eyes.

He is wearing dark jeans and a black tee shirt, Joe says out of breath. Everyone shakes their head no.

He keeps picturing Mike, earlier, in bed with him—-grinning and laughing, and they kiss over and over, and Joe can hardly believe how lucky he felt.

Then, all of a sudden, he turns a corner, and he sees Mike finally in an alleyway.

He almost trips on his own feet in terror and shock, and his mouth opens, but no sound comes out.

He is lying on the floor, blood everywhere, and Mike is barely breathing.

He unfreezes, and runs over to Mike, and cradles his head under arm, unsure of how to hold him.

“Mi-Mike?” Joe says in a stutter.

“Mrrr—-mmmphhhhh...” Mike is barely coherent, making wordless sounds, his eyes half open.

“Fuck, Mike... please, sta-stay with me!” Joe’s voice breaks and he can’t stop the tears from falling from his face. “Oh, my God, Mike, why couldn’t it have be me? Oh, God...”

Joe sobs for a minute. But, soon, his paranoia kicks in and he surveys the area for gunmen and looks over Mike, and it looks to him like he got shot in the stomach and the shoulder.

“Not the most fatal places to get shot...” Joe says out loud, his brain starting to become more logical. “But, still, he needs to be seen by a doctor... now..”

Joe decides to lift up Mike carefully and get help.

“Stay with me, baby, I’m going to get you help!” Joe whispers in Mike’s ear.

He sees a woman and pleads, “Please, lady, call 9-1-1! He needs an ambulance!”

She looks shocked but nods. “Follow me! We’ll go into the flower shop! They have a phone. My uncle owns the store.”

Joe runs, carrying Mike in his arms, and blood is getting all over his clothes —- everything is a blur.

He swears he hears Mike say Joe, but then it might’ve been his imagination.

“Shit! When is the ambulance coming?!” Joe says, after the lady calls.

“Soon, I believe. What happened to him?” She asks.

“I don’t fucking know! We... he went to go get his luggage and didn’t come back. I heard gunshots... I found.... I found him this way...” Joe says darkly. His sadness and fear turns to anger.

“Was it a robbery?”

Joe shakes his head. “I don’t think so. Thank you, for calling the ambulance.”

The woman asks him another question but he doesn’t hear it and stops to look at Mike. He maneuvers Mike against his shoulders a bit and gently caresses his hair, now matted with blood and gravel. He moves it away from his face.

Mike is breathing, but shallowly, and barely conscious.

“Kid? You awake? Please answer me...” Joe says, still caressing his hair, and now his face.

“Mmmm.... Jo... Joe?” Mike says with a whimper, his eyes closed.

“Yes! It’s Joe! Open your eyes! Please. Tell me who did this! Please, be okay, Mike!”

The woman frowns, and walks away, feeling like the scene between the two men is too intimate for her to watch.

Mike stirs a bit and winces in pain.

“Please, Mike... oh, God, please.... baby... baby.... please don’t die....” Joe starts to sob again, not caring who hears him anymore.

A man walks in to the flower shop, and overhears Joe, and then stops in his tracks when he sees the bloody scene.

“Baby... please... wake up, come on, the ambulance is comin’...”

“What the hell is going on?” The man says.

Joe looks up, seething. “Shut the fuck up. The owner’s niece called an ambulance for us.”

The man gives him a disgusted look. “Fuck you. What are you, his lover?”

“No, fuck you! And yes, I’m his lover, you twit! And he is the love of my life! Ain’t ya ever seen two queers before, you stupid asshole! Get the fuck away from him! He needs air,” Joe says hysterically, and holds Mike closer.

The man’s eyes widen, not expecting such a blunt answer. “Sorry.” The man walks off, feeling like a fool.

The lady comes up to him and says, “I’m sorry.”

Joe nods. “S’Okay.”

“Sometimes people are so backwards.”

Finally, the ambulance pulls up, with the police.

Joe helps the paramedics put Mike on the stretcher.

“Please, may I come? I... I’m fuckin’ terrified of hospitals but I need to go.”

The driver talks to a paramedic.

“What’s your relationship to this man?” The paramedic asks.

“I’m... his fri... I’m his... he’s my...”

The paramedic sighs, “Family only.”

“Please?!” Joe almost begs.

“I’m so sorry. You may meet us at the hospital.” He gave Joe the address.

“Look at me! I’m covered in blood! How will this look?” Joe asks the driver.

“Are you hurt too?”

Joe almost lies, but shakes his head no.

“He’s stable. We need to go, now.” The paramedic says.

Joe bites his lip. “Lemme talk to him really quick.”

The paramedic nods.

Joe goes over to Mike and says, “I’m going to meet you at the hospital, Mike, okay? I love you. I love you so much. You are gonna be okay.” And he kisses him on the forehead. “I’ll see you soon, kid.”

And then Joe walks off, leaving the paramedics and the driver confused.

Then, the doors close and the ambulance drives away.

He feels like a piece of himself is gone, too.