Simon's Struggles - 3. Opportunity Knocks

He stared at the screen blankly. It had been so long since his last job search, and Simon felt overwhelmed. Where should he start? He had taken long enough getting over the issue of using another person’s computer and he wanted to get something done before Tristan got back.

Did he need a resume? Should he even try for a job in a career that was no doubt dominated by women?

Sighing, he decided to at least look at the job opportunities. Typing on the keyboard, he was surprised to find a lot of the jobs that came up were for movies. It wasn’t quite what he had in mind, but he guessed those could work. If he could even get in. He had no hope of that.

A door opened, making Simon jump.

“Good news!” Tristan called, stepping into the small office where the computer sat. “I might have gotten you a job.”

Simon’s jaw dropped.

“Seriously? How?”

“Well, I will take you to an interview at the mall in two days. You will use me as a model and if they like what you do, you’ll have the job,” Tristan smiled.

“I use you as… And you’re okay with this?”

“Hey, if you can make me look like a girl, you can do anything,” Tristan said.

“How did you do this?”

“I have my ways,” Tristan grinned. “Now, at the end of today, how are you feeling?”

Simon looked at the ground, thinking.

“Honestly, I feel like I shouldn’t hope. It’s just going to hurt more in the end.”

Tristan shrugged.

“Maybe, maybe not. So today isn’t the best day.”

“But it isn’t the worst,” Simon admitted.

“That’s good enough for me.”

Simon sat at the kitchen table the next day, pencil gliding over a sheet of paper. He was definitely rusty, but if he practiced more, Simon knew he’d be able to improve his drawing.

A face took shape on the paper, Tristan’s face. It wasn’t the best drawing Simon had ever done, but he was able to get the contours of Tristan’s face correct. Practice for tomorrow.

He felt good. For once, he was allowing himself to hope. The very idea seemed alien to him after almost a year of losing hope. Simon would get the job tomorrow and prove his worth to himself.

The front door opened, signalling Tristan’s return to the house.

“Honey, I’m home!” his rich voice sang out.

Simon snorted as the man entered the kitchen, a bag held in his hands. He glanced at the bag questioningly, inhaling the aroma of burgers.

“You did well yesterday. I figured I’d reward it with food,” Tristan explained, setting the bag down.

“And you ate yours in the car?” Simon asked, pointing at a brown stain on Tristan’s shirt.

“Guilty,” Tristan shrugged.

He removed his shirt, his body flexing, muscles taut. Simon wished he could look that good, but no matter how much he tried, he never got muscular, only thinner.

“I’ll be back,” Tristan said, turning away.

He left the room and Simon set his notepad aside, looking through the bag. Unwrapping the burger inside, he began eating.

“Wow, these are really good.”

Simon yelped, inhaling the burger. He coughed, throat burning as he tried to dislodge the food.

“Shit, sorry,” Tristan said, grabbing a glass of water.

He handed it to Simon, who took a gulp of the liquid, grimacing.

“You are way too silent. I think we need to tie a bell to you,” he scowled.

“Oh hey Tristan, thanks for the food,” Tristan said sarcastically.

Simon glared at him.

“Thanks,” he muttered a moment later.

“You’re welcome. Seriously though, these pictures are awesome,” Tristan continued. “You drew them?”

“No, I have no idea where they came from. They just appeared randomly a minute ago.”

Tristan snorted.

“You ass.”

He sat across from Simon, watching him eat.

“So how long have you been drawing?”

Simon shrugged.

“I picked it up as a teen, but I stopped after Sarah left,” he said.

“That was your wife?”

Simon nodded with a sigh.

“I don’t suppose you want to talk about it.”

“Maybe. I don’t know. She just decided she didn’t want to be with someone who couldn’t hold down a job.”

“Maybe she wasn’t the right kind of incentive,” Tristan suggested.

“And what is the right kind? You?” Simon snorted.

“You seem to think I want to sleep with you,” Tristan smirked.

“So you aren’t gay then?”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t. But I’m starting to wonder if you might be bi, the way you’re talking.”

Simon shook his head.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered.

“Hey, I think it’s a reasonable assumption,” Tristan defended. “Are you saying you’ve never thought about what it might be like to sleep with a man?”

A memory sprang into Simon’s mind of himself as a teen, jacking off to an image of one of his classmates. He scowled at Tristan, who looked victorious.

“That’s what I thought.”

“So what? That doesn’t mean I’m bi!” Simon snapped.

“Au contraire my friend. When you’re ready to face the truth, you know where to find me.”

Tristan walked out of the kitchen, swaying his hips seductively, and Simon groaned.

“Today just went down the drain!” he called after Tristan.

“Bite me!” came the response.

Simon leaned against Tristan’s car, his legs trembling.

“Dude, you are either the worst driver I’ve ever met, or one of the best. I don’t know how we’re still alive.”

“Oh calm down, I saw her coming,” Tristan said.

Simon shook his head, trying to erase the image of the semi nearly slamming into them.

“You are insane,” he muttered.

“Whatever. Are you coming?”

Simon grunted, following Tristan into the mall. They walked quickly toward the end of the building, entering a store Simon dimly recalled visiting with Sarah years ago.

“Tristan, this is one of the most expensive stores in town,” Simon hissed.

“What’s your point?”

“What if I fuck this up? I’m not getting a second chance.”

Tristan stopped, placing a hand on Simon’s shoulder.

“Calm down. You can do this. Take a deep breath.”

Simon sucked in a breath, releasing it slowly. What did he have to lose? Three days ago he was going to kill himself.

“Fuck it,” he said, straightening. “Let’s do this.”

“That’s the spirit,” Tristan grinned.

They continued their walk, Simon holding to the thought that if he did fail, it wouldn’t matter. He would be no worse off than he already was.

Approaching a section of the store he had never been in, the two were stopped by a young woman.

“Hello, can I help you?” she smiled, dimples appearing around her mouth.

“Hi, I was here two days ago about a job opportunity.” Tristan smiled back.

The woman’s eyes glazed over briefly and Simon frowned, concerned.

“Oh yes, I remember,” the woman smiled. “You’re Tristan, and this must be Simon. I’m May. It’s nice to meet you.”

She held out her hand and Simon shook it, fixing a smile on his face that he hoped was warm.

“Well, why don’t we get started? Follow me please.”

Following May, they found themselves in a small alcove, a bright light sitting over a chair in front of a counter.

“Tristan, if you would sit in the chair please,” May requested. “Simon, I want you to help Tristan with his look. Treat him just as you would any customer.”

Simon took a breath, scanning the counter. He found many of the same general items Sarah had used, though these were much better quality.

Clearing his throat, he turned back to Tristan.

“So, what are you looking for? Something for work? A casual night out?”

“Something to make me more appealing to a certain someone,” Tristan grinned.

Simon studied Tristan’s face, narrow with high cheekbones and bright blue eyes. Instantly he got an idea.

“I think I have just the thing,” he smiled, grabbing some concealer.

Checking the tone against Tristan’s face, Simon frowned slightly. He corrected his choice, grabbing another bottle of concealer a couple shades lighter. He hadn’t realised how pale Tristan was.

“I’m going to keep it light. You don’t want to scare people away with concealer caked all over your face,” he said, dabbing a sponge across Tristan’s face to spread the concealer.

A minute later, he stood back, satisfied. Tristan’s face was now a relatively blank slate to work with.

Grabbing a highlighter, Simon traced over spots on Tristan’s face. He blended the makeup in until the man’s face fairly glowed. Tristan’s lips posed a problem though, a red that was too vibrant against the rest of his face.

A dab of concealer on his finger, Simon ran his finger gently over Tristan’s lips, muting the red slightly. Tristan pressed his lips together, helping Simon spread the concealer over his lips.

“There we go. You look beautiful now,” Simon said.

Tristan looked in the mirror and grinned.

“I look like an elf with no hair,” he said. “I like it.”

“It does look good on you, especially if you let your hair grow out,” May agreed, examining Simon’s work. “I think we have a new artist.”

“That was easy,” Simon said as they walked out of the store. “I go in, paint your face, and suddenly I have a job starting next week?”

He stopped and stared at Tristan.

“Is there something you aren’t telling me?” he accused.

Tristan shrugged.

“I’m not telling you a lot of things,” he said. “But that? You got that job on your skill alone. And I will be wearing this face for the rest of the day. I feel like Orlando Bloom.”

Simon shook his head as they continued walking. He had a job. Things were looking up now. Maybe he wasn’t quite happy with life yet, but he was getting there.

A man shoved past him as they left the mall, muttering about fags polluting society. There was a sudden pop behind them and Simon felt something punch him.

He stumbled forward, his back burning in pain.

“Fuck! Simon!” Tristan yelped.

Simon heard a crack and a scream, and Tristan was suddenly holding him. He couldn’t breathe, staring dizzily at the blood covering Tristan’s hands. That was a gunshot...

“Hang on Simon!” Tristan said urgently.

A knife flashed in front of Simon, his eyes following it tiredly. Tristan’s arm suddenly covered Simon’s mouth, the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth.

Simon gulped, trying to breathe. It didn’t work. Something was wrong with his lungs. He had been shot? By who? Did he just swallow Tristan’s blood?

His eyes closed as Tristan lifted him in the air. The burning in his back seemed distant, a throbbing that was rapidly fading. His last thought was of course this happened when his life was starting to look up.