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"Sergio, hermanito, how are you?" Ándres welcomed his younger brother with a cheerful grin and a firm embrace. They haven't seen each other in a long time between having to work late hours and living in two different cities, so when the opportunity to meet each other and the rest of their friends and family presented itself, Sergio simply couldn't say no. Although an evening with a good book and a glass of whiskey sounded more appealing, he already made up too many excuses for not showing up to those gatherings in the past.
"It's been a while," he concluded, patting Ándres on the back to signal him that his grip was a little too tight, although he couldn't blame him.
When they finally parted, Sergio noticed that his brother wore, as always, one of his elegant suits and held an almost empty glass of Dolcetto, which judging by his rather enthusiastic behavior, he already had plenty of before his arrival. It wasn't particularly surprising since he was a wine connoisseur.
"Why do we only see each other on birthdays and funerals?" Ándres asked him back with a raised brow, eyeing him from top to bottom as if still not quite believing that his 'hermanito' finally accepted one of his dinner invitations.
Sergio shrugged and drew his mouth into a thin line. "I'm glad it's for a birthday this time."
His older brother merely rolled his eyes at the remark and chuckled, shifting to the side to let him enter. "Optimistic as always. Come on in! Everyone's already waiting."
Sergio entered the rustic house in Toledo which Ándres and his boyfriend bought a month earlier and studied the interior with amazement. He knew that both had a rather expensive taste, and just by looking at the shelves with collections of various expensive wines and big chandeliers illuminating the hallway, he could tell that he had the right address.
"Professor!" A loud voice suddenly emerged from behind him, and a second later, he felt two strong arms wrapping around his body and lifting him in the air. Two years had passed since they saw each other for the last time, and yet, nothing changed, not even that stupid nickname.
"Hi, Mirko," Sergio finally replied once the man let him down onto the floor again and gave him a meek smile.
At the same moment, as if hearing her best friend's excited tone, Ágata appeared in the hallway with her husband she met on a trip to Bogotá by her side. Sergio hadn't met him before since their wedding was a private ceremony on some Caribbean island, but judging by their content smiles and her showing belly, he was a good catch.
"How's our future mother doing?" Sergio asked as he warmly hugged his cousin.
"I'm doing quite well, but you should ask the future father."
Her husband gave her a confused look and placed his arm over her shoulder. "What do you mean? I'm fine."
"You slept only six hours last week because you would wake up every time the baby kicked. Some of them even I didn't feel!" The four of them erupted into laughter at her comment, which only stopped when they heard little footsteps approaching them.
"Uncle Sergio, you're here!" the little boy exclaimed, a joyous grin spreading across his face when Sergio lowered himself to take him into his arms, and he couldn't help but reciprocate it.
"Cinci! How did you grow this much?" he inquired, genuinely surprised to see him so big, and he suddenly remembered that the last time he saw him was when the boy was still sleeping in a crib. It must have been at least four years ago. Where did all this time go?
"My daddy says that it's from all the steaks I eat," Cincinnati explained in a very earnest voice, and Sergio sighed fondly.
"Alright, big guy. And where are your parents?"
The boy pointed at the door to their right from which he came running just a moment ago. "In the dining room."
With Cincinnati still in his arms, Sergio entered the room somewhat shyly, and all heads immediately turned in his direction.
"Hello everybody," he greeted the rest of the group, interrupting what seemed to be a lively conversation between Daniel, Mónica, Ágata's sister Silene, and her boyfriend, Ánibal.
"Professor!" they exclaimed almost in perfect unison, and Sergio rolled his eyes at hearing that nickname again, letting Cincinnati down so he could return to playing with his toys in the living room.
"Sergio, I'm so glad you're finally here!" His brother's boyfriend, who seemed to be very busy preparing something in the kitchen, suddenly came running to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, almost losing the dishcloth he had hung over his shoulder. However, he disappeared just a second later when the smell of burned food filled the air, not even giving Sergio the chance to reply.
"I'm glad to be here too, Martín," he whispered to himself with a frown, a little bewildered by the rather unusual greeting.
Right after, the four who welcomed him in the hallway appeared in the dining room as well, sitting down by the large table and joining the others in their previous conversation. Feeling a little awkward in the presence of the many faces, which although were familiar, he hadn't seen some in ages, Sergio retreated to one corner of the room and poured himself a glass of an expensive wine - the only one available.
But it didn't take long until the group noticed his absence at the table, and Ándres gestured to him to come. "Sit down with us. Dinner will be ready soon."
Eventually deciding to join them, he took the last free seat between Mirko and Mónica, savoring the exquisite Chianti - he wasn't a wine guy, but he began to change his mind. However, he didn't participate in the discussion about some soccer game, merely listened. At least until he suddenly heard his name.
"So, Sergio, when will the day finally come that you'll bring some company with you?" Ágata inquired, bringing the attention of everyone at the table to him. Great.
That was what bothered him the most at their reunions, although every person who was present held a special place in his heart - the questions about his love life. It didn't come as a surprise that the topic came up again, considering the fact that he was the only person in the room who was still single. Even Mirko revealed he had a new boyfriend earlier that evening, and he hadn't mentioned having anyone once in the many years they had all known each other.
"We're going to talk about this again?"
"Come on, you're in your forties, smart, handsome, and not once did you bring or mention anyone," Mónica chimed in, getting some nods of approval from the others.
Sergio put down his glass on the table and avoided eye contact with anyone, looking down on his lap. "I just haven't found the one."
As if being summoned by his words, Martín came bursting into the room with a plate of Carpaccio in one hand and a plate of Paella in the other, and he scoffed with disbelief. "The one? And how will you find 'the one' if you won't even leave your apartment or the university?"
"I have other priorities."
Even Ándres rolled his eyes. "Live a little, hermanito! Life's more than just your books and studies, you know? Don't you want to have a little fun?"
"I have a lot of fun with my books," Sergio corrected, earning a questioning look from Silene.
"Listen, if you're asexual, you can tell us."
The entire table tried to hold back a snicker, and some even gave in to Sergio's discomfort. "I'm not! I just don't want to waste time on someone who's not worth it."
"And how do you know if someone's worth it?" Mirko asked with a mouth full of Prosciutto.
Sergio took a moment to think of an answer which would put this interrogation to an end once and for all, but the moment he opened his mouth to reply, his ringtone played instead. Somewhat frustrated, he looked at the screen, not expecting anything important. But when he noticed that it was his co-worker calling, he immediately stood up, entirely focused on his phone.
"Excuse me, I'll be right back," he quickly added before disappearing in the kitchen, and he could hear some muffled complaints behind him. However, he couldn't care less about them, and he picked up the phone once he closed the door behind him.
"Hi, Alicia, what's up?"
"Hi, I'm sorry to interrupt what must be a very busy Friday evening," she said in a slightly mocking tone, "but I just wanted to let you know that we found someone to replace Professor Prieto. She's an old friend of mine, and she can start working on Monday."
He clenched his hand into a fist and punched the air as a sign of victory. The university he worked at desperately needed a new teacher after one of their best retired, and he couldn't have received better news. "That's great! And just for your information, I'm at a family dinner."
He could almost hear her raise her brows in her sarcastic way. "Wow, that's something new. I won't bother you then, see you next week."
"See you."
And with that, he returned to the dining room with the corners of his mouth lifted. He kept his eyes on his phone at first, texting back a couple of colleagues who also celebrated the arrival of the new teacher. However, when he looked up and saw everyone's eyes glued on him and those mischievous smirks on their faces, he suspected that something happened in the two minutes he was absent. And when Silene couldn't hold back a giggle, his suspicions were confirmed.
"What's going on?" he asked, nervously putting his phone in the pocket of his blazer.
"We made you a Tinder account," Daniel answered with his characteristic laughter, and almost everyone joined him. Ágata almost spat out the water she was drinking, and their faces were red like tomatoes from having to hold it back for so long.
His eyes widened with shock. "A what?"
"A Tinder account. It's a dating website which-" Ánibal began to explain, but was quickly hindered by Sergio holding up a hand, indicating him to stop.
"I know what Tinder is, Ánibal, I just couldn't believe what I heard. Are you guys insane?"
Ágata scoffed and put down her glass of water. "Come on, it's just a harmless app that could help you find 'the one'," she added, emphasizing the last words derisively.
"I don't like this." Sergio shook his head in disbelief when they kept on staring at him with hope, and Daniel intervened by taking Ánibal's phone, starting to show him the features of the app.
"It's very easy. Look, this is your profile-"
"Where did you get that picture from?" he interrupted him when he noticed the unfamiliar photo on his profile. It was definitely him, he wore his favorite blue shirt and the same glasses as always, but he was a little younger, and the background was strange. The trees, the people, and the sea reminded him of something. Could it be-
"Mónica took it on our vacation to Italy, when we rented that monastery near Florence. It's a good picture, don't you think?" Daniel finished his thoughts, and when Sergio nodded ever so slightly, he continued.
"Anyway, here are the people in your area who also use Tinder. If you see someone you like, you swipe right. If you don't, just swipe left."
Sergio narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "This feels very wrong."
"And yet millions of people do this every day," Silene remarked as she chewed on a Grissini - how much food did Martín prepare?
"Listen, guys, I appreciate your concern, but I don't want your help with dating or anything related to that. It's only my business who-"
And once again, he was interrupted by a phone. However, this time, it wasn't his. All eyes were now on Ánibal, who curiously unlocked it while the entire room fell silent. For a few idle seconds, no one dared to make a single sound, except for Silene who kept on nibbling on that damn breadstick. Everyone seemed to sit on the edge of their seats, waiting with anticipation, and even Sergio subconsciously held in a breath.
"Holy shit!" the young man suddenly exclaimed, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.
"What is it?" Mónica was the first one to ask.
Ánibal simply turned the phone around to show the rest of the group the reason for his reaction. "Someone has a match!"
Everyone gathered around him within seconds to look at his supposed 'match', leaving their food and drinks behind. Sergio, who was still annoyed to the bone by their immature behavior, was determined not to join them, and stubbornly stood in the middle of the room, merely observing their reactions.
"Damn, she's a good-looker," Ándres commented, getting some murmurs of agreement.
"She really is hot," Silene added in awe once she finally got a glimpse of the picture by raising herself on her tiptoes.
Sergio was close to giving in and snatching that phone away from them to stop that madness, although curiosity was eating him alive as well. He felt extremely uncomfortable with how they invaded his privacy, making such delicate decisions without his consent, and choosing a woman for him like it was an exhibition.
"I think you should be the one admiring her though," Ágata suddenly turned to him and handed him the phone, and although he was still bothered by their impertinence, he accepted it nevertheless.
And once Sergio finally decided to look at it, he froze. His eyes were glued on the screen, drinking in the photo of who must have been the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She posed in front of a magnificent sunset, her golden hair flying around her from the wind, which she tried to control by putting a few strands behind her ear. She wore a smile so bright that it overshadowed the astonishing sight behind her, and it extended to her dark and alluring eyes. He could stare at the picture for hours without ever getting tired of it.
Then, he scrolled a little further down. Raquel Murillo. Even her name was gorgeous. She was also the same age as him and lived just two streets away from his apartment. How hadn't he met her before?
"Someone has heart eyes!" Ágata's husband - whose name he couldn't remember - pulled him back to reality, forcing him to take his eyes off the screen, and he finally noticed that everyone stared at him with excited smiles plastered on their faces.
"I don't." He tried his best to appear unbothered by the comment to brush it off, and he returned the phone to Ánibal. But, of course, no one bought it.
"Come on, ask her out!" Mirko encouraged him with exuberant gestures.
Panic seeped into Sergio's eyes in an instant, and he gulped as he fixed his glasses, feeling a sudden tightness around his throat. "What? How would I even do that?"
"Just text her a time and place. It's easy nowadays," Daniel elaborated, getting a punch in the shoulder from Silene.
"That's how you get your ladies?"
"I already have a lady whom I love dearly," he recited like from a textbook on how to be a good husband, getting a skeptical look from his wife in return.
And when after a while, nine pairs of puppy-eyes were on Sergio again, he repeated, "I won't text her."
Mónica sighed with disappointment. "Why not?"
"What would I even say to her on our date? 'Hi, the system of a dating website thinks we are compatible, and that's why I asked you out'?"
"First of all, you probably shouldn't say that. And second of all, there is no system. You only get matched with people you swiped right on," Ánibal corrected him as he typed something on his phone.
"So you swiped right without my consent?" Sergio questioned icily through gritted teeth, pressing his fingers to his forehead. He was dangerously close to just storming out of the house and driving back to his place, although he had two glasses of wine that evening.
" Profe, you sound as if you just accused him of murdering your father," Ágata laughed nervously in an attempt to lighten the mood a little.
"I'm sorry, but I simply do not approve of anything that's happening here!" he finally snapped, his voice louder and harsher than expected, and everyone stared at him in shock. They had never seen him so furious before, and even he was surprised by himself. And no one, not even Silene, was brave enough to even make the faintest sound this time.
That was at least the case until Ánibal, still staring at his device and not reading the room, broke the charged silence. "But she just approved your date invitation."
"Excuse me?" It came out as a whisper, although Sergio was on the verge of losing his mind.
"I texted her, and she said yes," the younger man revealed as if it wasn't a big deal.
Sergio squeezed his eyes shut as he ran his fingers through his beard and took a deep breath. This wasn't happening. It was just a bad dream. "This is going too far. Please, call it off."
"Sergio, listen to me. I saw how you looked at the picture of that woman, and she wants to meet with you. Do you really want to miss this amazing opportunity just because we gave you a little push?" Martín tried to enlighten him, his voice unusually calm, careful not to trigger another rage outburst.
"You guys didn't give me a little push, you threw me off a cliff."
Suddenly, Silene groaned with frustration and threw her head back, saying what everyone had on their mind at that moment. "Just go out with her! What's the worst that could happen?"
Sergio chuckled humorlessly. "I can give you at least fifty scenarios in which this will end terribly."
"And I can give you a hundred in which this will end as the best night in your life," Daniel joked, getting another punch in his shoulder, this time from Mónica.
Sergio fell quiet, clueless what he could possibly say to make them stop convincing him. It was ridiculous that nine people insisted he accept to go on a date. They weren't teenagers anymore, for god's sake! He almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation, but he was prevented from doing so when he unexpectedly felt his brother's piercing gaze on him.
"Hermanito, today is my birthday, right?" Ándres spoke, at last, taking a few steps in his direction and not breaking the intense eye contact.
Sergio frowned, unsure where the conversation was going. "Yes?"
"And my only birthday wish is for you to go on a date with that woman. If you decide that she's not worth your time, then you don't have to see her ever again. But give it a shot. Just this one evening. If you don't want to do this for yourself, then do it for your older brother."
He couldn't grasp what he had just heard. "Your birthday wish is for me to go out with someone? Seriously?"
"Yes." There wasn't a hint of uncertainty in Ándres' voice, and it made Sergio think. It still felt ludicrous, but he knew that he would regret not taking this chance to meet such a gorgeous woman for the rest of his life. It could end horribly, yet he wouldn't be able to look at himself in the mirror ever again if he didn't at least give it a try.
"Give me the phone," he ordered Ánibal with a sudden wave of confidence coursing through him. Once the younger man obeyed, he turned his back to the rest of the group and started typing.
"What are you doing?" Silene asked, a little dumbfounded.
"I just texted her the time and place, and that I'm looking forward to meeting her tomorrow," Sergio answered, facing them with a smirk. They couldn't have looked happier even if they were children opening presents on Christmas morning, and he suddenly felt a little overwhelmed by their glances, so he decided to change the topic.
"Now, let's finally celebrate Ándres' birthday. And you guys owe me."
Ágata shook her head and smiled. "Oh, I'm quite sure you'll be thanking us soon."