11:25 pm

"Finally!" Guillermo stood up. "We were already thinking you'll never come."

Valenzuela got near him, said hi to Richi and Don Luis, took a chair from an empty table and sat with them.

"But I'm only staying for an hour."

Guillermo, Richi and Don Luis booed him.

"What?" he asked. "I have to wake up at 6."

"Me too", said Guillermo, "and I'm gonna stay."

Valenzuela sighed. He looked around until he met a waiter, and asked him for a beer. The waiter gave it to him after a brief moment.

"So, how's work?" asked Guillermo. "Are you done?"

Richi and Don Luis laughted. Valenzuela flipped him off.

"I can't just leave it undone", he said.

"Why not?" asked Don Luis. "They're gonna pay you the same anyway. The only thing is not get fired."

"I hope they'll pay us more", Richi said, and then drank. "That way I'd really do my job."

Everyone laughed.

"Yeah", Richi showed his empty mug to the waiter. "Imagine if they'd pay us for each thing we'd do."

"Like middleman?" asked Valenzuela.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, because they make a shit ton of money", said Valenzuela, and everyone laughed.

"Well, yeah, but if they'd pay us our salary and a bonus for everything it'd be nice, right?" asked Richi.

"And why is that?" asked Don Luis.

"What do you mean?" asked Richi. "They'd pay us way more."

"So what?"

There was a momento of silence.

The waiter got near, put a mug in front of Rich and took the empty one.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Everything's fine. Thanks", said Valenzuela.

The waiter smiled and left. Guillermo laughed.

"sO wHaT?" he mocked Don Luis.

"Leave him be; he's senile", said Valenzuela. "He can't remember how money works anymore."

Don Luis looked at Valenzuela, and Valenzuela shut up.

"Look", Don Luis looked at Richi. "It doesn't matter how much money you make; in the end nothing will be left. Don't believe me. Ok. Tell me: where does your money go?"

"Let's see… my car's montly payments, child support, electricity, water."

"Folicure", interrupted Guillermo.

Everyone but Richi laughed.

"What else?" asked Don Luis.

"Well… cable, Netflix, Spotify, my PS4 loan; water, electricity, rent, whores, booze", he raised his mug.

"Cheers!" yelled Guillermo, and everyone cheered and drank until they finished their mugs. "Another round!" yelled Guillermo, and the waiter took the empty mugs and filled them up.

"And what's left?" asked Don Luis.

"Of what? My salary? Barely anything", Richi answered.

"There it is! And if got a raise, do you know what'd happen?"

"He'll finally pay me back?" asked Valenzuela.

Everyone laughed.

"But seriously", said Don Luis. "Every penny you make will go to your wife, your kids, your loans. It's always like that."

"Yeah, tell me about it", answered Richi.

"They���ve taken everything from you", said Guillermo to Richi. "Even your hair."

Everyone but Richi laughed.

"But don't worry", said Don Luis. "Do you know how much time I've been working?"

"All of it", said Guillermo, and everyone except Don Luis started laughing.

"Fuck you, guys", yelled Don Luis.

"Oh, come on, old man", Guillermo put his hand over Don Luis' shoulder. "Can't take it anymore?"

Don Luis shove Guillermo's hand away.

"He's already senile", laughed Valenzuela.

"Speak to him closer", said Richi to Valenzuela; "maybe he can't hear you."

"Hey, hey, hey", Guillermo raised his hands. "Let's listen to him: maybe he'll say his last words."

Everyone but Don Luis laughed.

"Ok, ok, ok", said Guillermo. "Tell us, old man: how much have you been working?"

"More than 20 años, and do you know what I do so they don't get all of it?"

"What?" asked Richi.

"This" Don Luis raised his mug and drank it all. "What they'll take away now?"

Richi laughed and shooked Don Luis' hand. Guillermo got up and clapped his hands.

"Master. Cheers!" yelled Guillermo, and everyone but Don Luis cheered and drank all their beers. "Another round!" yelled Guillermo, and the waiter took the empty mugs and filled them up.

Guillermo sat down and took his mug.

"So, we're gonna end up like you, you say?" asked Valenzuela. "Great. That's fucking great, don't you think."

Everyone but Don Luis laughed.

"Don't mock me kid", Don Luis said. "'Cause you're the dumbest of us all."

"Why? Who's gonna take my money away? My imaginary girlfriend?"

"What?!" asked Guillermo. "Did you broke up with your right hand?"

Richi and Don Luis laughted. Valenzuela flipped him off.

"No one's gonna take your money", said Don Luis. "But that's not the point: you're working for nothing."

Guillermo and Richi nodded and cheered for that.

"What's the point of working so hard? Nobody cares. They'll just make you do their jobs. If you keep working like this in 20 years maybe you'll end up in an office like his", Don Luis pointed at Guillermo. Guillermo looked at Valenzuela, smiled at him and raised his mug, "but that'll be it."

Valenzuela stared at Don Luis. Then took his mug and drank it all.

"Cheers!" yelled Guillermo, and everyone but Valenzuela cheered and drank until they emptied their mugs. "Another round!" yelled Guillermo, and the waiter took the empty mugs and filled them up.

Everyone but Valenzuela took their respective mugs and drank.

Valenzuela stared at Don Luis.

—You're the fucking dumbest of us all.

"What?", Don Luis got up from his chair. "What did you say?"

"Hey, hey, hey", Guillermo got up from his chair and put his hand on Don Luis' shoulder. "He didn't say anything."

"Yes, I did", Valenzuela said. "I said you're the dumbest of us all, you fuck!"

Don Luis shove Guillermo's hand off.

"Fucking kid."

"What? Am I wrong? Everything you do goes to your wife or that fucking meth head you have for a son.

"Hey, come on, take it easy", said Guillermo. "Why don't you calm down."

"That motherfucker started", Valenzuela got up from his chair.

"I'm doing you a favor", replied Don Luis. "You're just wasting your life."

"Well, that's my fucking business, isn't it?"

"Hey, hey, calm down; we're buddies", Guillermo put his hand on Don Luis' shoulder, and he sat down slowly.

"You too. Come on", Richi said to Valenzuela, and he stared at Richi, sighed and sit down. "And don't worry; you're still young. Enjoy life: focus on you and only you."

"And stop being such a dick", Guillermo put his hand on Valenzuela's shoulder. "Hang out more with us; we always have a fucking blast. And if you want an office like mine, tell me; maybe I can pull some strings."

"I'm fine like this", Valenzuela shove Guillermo's hand off. "Why would I want a shitty office like yours?"

Guillermo looked at him surprised.

And laughed.

"This dude", Guillermo took his mug and drank it all. He showed it to the waiter and got up from his chair. "I'll be back in a sec. I'll just go feed the monster," he groped his crotch.

Richi, Don Luis and Valenzuela fake laughed.

Guillermo walked through the tables and entered the bathroom. He went to the urinal, unzipped his pants and peed.

When he was over, he zipped his pants and went to the sink. He looked at himself in the mirror. His eye bags were bigger and darker, and his bald spots, way more prominent. He opened the sink and washed his face.

He looked at himself in the mirror and yawned again.

We went out of the bathroom and return to his table.

"A couple shots or what?"