4

Julio was deep in thought about the benefits of having so many siblings, as he anxiously secured once more all of the ratchet straps that held down all of his camping gear. As soon as all coordinates were logged on a GPS device he had in the truck, he recalled helping his father with the installation of similar devices on all the company vehicles after an incident with an employee who took a vehicle off road and wrapped it around a light post.

Vincent's excitement grew double fold the moment he left the terminal and saw his friend patiently waiting next to a grey colored 450 GM pickup. His face brandished an honest grin, waving a six-pack of beer, the same kind they often drank while growing up.

Both friends hugged tight. They chugged a beer like old times and eventually got on the vehicle, embarking on their first road trip after so many years. The truck Julio had borrowed was a beast on wheels that had tremendous torque, its tires gripped the road as the vehicle accelerated, leaving nothing behind but puffs of dust.

"I brought a great mix that I think should last us the entire trip!" Exclaimed Julio as he fiddled with a flash drive and struggled to plug it into the stereo while simultaneously tried to shift gears.

Vincent thought about how much he disliked multitasking, especially while driving. He took the thumb drive from Julio's hand and eased it into the MP3 player instead. Almost instantly a popular tune that was a current radio hit began to play, prompting Julio to sing along as he sped off and headed towards city limits and into the unknown.

"So, you never really told me what we are doing... Where exactly in Rio Negro are we going again?" Asked Julio as he maintained his eyes on the road and waited for his friend to reveal the location of their adventure together.

"We need to go to the city of Bariloche." Said Vincent without hesitation.

"That far? But...why?"

"I tried to tell you last time we spoke but you just jumped at the suggestion of a road trip and didn't let me finish my sentence." Said Vincent surprised at the question.

"Like I said a few months ago, we are headed there to retrieve some antiques for Don Lorenzo. My grandfather's birthday is coming up and after doing some extensive research I found some very interesting items that I wish to give to him as a gift."

"But he is so old. Do you really think any of it will make any difference?" Asked Julio incredulously, insinuating the trip could be a waste of his time.

"Although that has occurred to me before, yes, I think he will appreciate that I went out of my way to find these particular items. Wouldn't you if your grandson did the same?" Enquired Vincent, somewhat unsure of Julio's intention and cold reception.

"No! Not really. I'll be lucky if I make it to 80! In fact, I'll probably pay my grandson to just drug me!" Replied Julio, teasing his friend.

Vincent nodded in disgust at Julio's inappropriate comment and demanded seriousness.

"I even had to give up the idea of purchasing the motorcycle this summer." Replied Vincent while thinking about the ad for sale he'd seen online of a rare 1948 Chief motorbike.

"What the fuck! ...Are you crazy? You had your eye on that bike for so long Vinny! Do I need to remind you all sales are final? Look…If it's worth saying, buying a quad was the best decision I've made in a while. I wouldn't want to see you make the mistake of giving up your dream." Exclaimed Julio in a burst of joy while totally dismissing the point his friend was trying to make.

"Listen, my grandpa is the only blood family I have and I think it's the right thing to do. Besides, I can't save up to keep my grandfather alive, but I can save for another bike some other time." Said Vincent with resignation but still determined to better explain his intentions.

"Besides, now that we are here, I also had other plans in mind. I thought we could stop by the lake on our way there and visit Camila and her sister. You do remember meeting them, right?" Said Vincent, elbowing his friend in search of a reaction.

For some reason it took his friend a while to locate the memory of the two gorgeous brunettes both friends had met through a freak accident no less, months prior to Vincent's departure to university. They were both vacationing in Mar del Plata, Argentina's Atlantic coast and home to a string of famous resorts. It had been a perfect day at the beach except for the tide, which took Julio by surprise. Without much time to react, he was swallowed with extreme prejudice by a powerful force beneath him, furiously thrusting his lifeless body out onto the shore.

Only a photographic memory could scan the water and realize within seconds that a person went missing from the last location moments earlier. An astute lifeguard noticed the change in tide and saw the rogue wave that quickly devoured its victim. Leaping off the tower from where lifeguards watched over the beach, she took a blanket and simultaneously grabbed a portable respirator that hung from the side of the deck, urgently darting towards the water to help, cutting through the crowd that had gathered around an unconscious man.

Someone offered to help but the lifeguard quickly took charge of the situation by tilting the man's head backwards and opening his airways. She checked for a pulse, any signs of breathing or dilated pupils but found none. The condition of his pupils being of importance because it meant the patient still had a fighting chance as long as he could begin breathing again. By quickly repositioning herself on top of the man, she began performing CPR. It took about ninety compressions for Julio to come to, immediately coughing and vomiting pints of salt water as he lay on his side, slowly recovering. The crowd that had gathered and quickly doubled in size began to applaud and cheer with joy at the sight of a miracle right before their eyes.

Vincent had been oblivious and a short distance away buying some beer, unaware of the situation until he saw a commotion and a group of lifeguards carrying Julio on a gurney off the beach and into an ambulance for a series of follow up checkups. Immediately realizing the seriousness, he dropped the cans and ran towards his friend while also demanding an explanation, almost shouting at everyone around in frustration. Unable to speak, Julio simply motioned for him to be let through and everyone got cozy in the back of the van.

If it hadn't been for the accident, Julio would not have met Mariana, whose sister also drove the ambulance. Although they weren't exactly twins, both women shared the same beautiful personality and a physical appearance designed to intimidate even the most confident man around.

"Of course, I remember Mariana!" Said Julio sounding somewhat unsure.

"Well, it took you long enough!"

"I remember her. How could I forget? She almost drowned if it wasn't for me!" Exclaimed Julio while giving Vincent a stupid look, refusing to accept he had been saved by the opposite sex.

"Yeah sure. Do you still keep in touch with her?"

"And I'll smack you again if you say no."

"Yes, of course. From time to time, I send her likes and such on Facebook but I think she was a bit turned off by all the attention I got from so many other women and the posts that are constantly on my wall." Replied Julio in a playful tone.

"You mean the posts regarding your man whore status? Why keep all that stuff for everyone to see? They are the equivalent of having hickeys on your neck! You do realize you can change the settings to all of that, right? That way you can prevent other people from seeing what you don't want them to look at." Said Vincent somewhat confused at his friend´s lack of basic social media knowledge.

"Well, I actually don't bother with changing any of that because it's the perfect tool for keeping other girls at bay. Jealousy my friend can be very beneficial!" Said Julio, audacious all of a sudden.

Vincent couldn't believe what he had just heard but given his friend's track record he wasn't at all surprised. Julio had always been a lady's man and thought Mariana was probably another one of his exploits.

"So, let me get this straight. This girl saves your life, turns out to be way hotter than the last girlfriend you had…and you just treat it as another conquest? Is that it? How do you even sleep at night man?" Asked Vincent now a bit annoyed that his friend could be so superficial.

"Well, to answer your question, I usually sleep lying down or next to another babe!"

Vincent just shook his head and wondered if his friend would ever give him a straight answer and not the same series of frivolous and somewhat childish responses.

"I haven't yet told you this but last year I bumped into her in Paris. It was a serendipitous encounter that took us both by surprise." Said Vincent, his eyes transfixed as if lost in search of those memories.

"Huh? What were you doing there?" Replied Julio, his ears perked up with interest.

"I had the weekend off and hopped on a train. I had never been to some of the most popular attractions and was standing in line to go up the Eiffel Tower when suddenly I heard someone arguing in Spanish. To my surprise there she was with some random guy. A real douche by the way. Sort of like you now that I think of it." Said Vincent laughing a bit at the condescending last-minute comparison.

"Hey! This douche is basically driving you 1,600 kilometers so you can go pick up furniture!" Exclaimed Julio pointing towards himself, somewhat annoyed at his friend's passive aggressive suggestion.

"Sorry, I misspoke. I meant to say "douche" in the sense that you don't really appreciate what you have when it's in front of you. And that guy definitely did not appreciate her the way I would have, in Paris of all places!"

"Listen. I enjoy the chase and I might be addicted to it. What do you want me to tell you? You on the other hand like cookie cutter relationships and stability, but I don't hold it against you. So, what's the big deal?" Replied Julio, his tone firm as his conviction.

"I tend to make assumptions based on what I see, and your behavior towards women has always been somewhat superficial, but then again it's who you are and I'll never again bring it up. Ok? And if I didn't make it clear earlier, I am thankful for driving me all the way there."

"So, then what happened?" Asked Julio, still intrigued by his friend's anecdote.

"Well, it's funny how small the world is and at the same time how ironic life can be. Camila was indeed arguing with the guy, who then began yelling at her. I went over to them to say hello and ease the tension, which caught her by surprise and was unable to say much before a guard approached us and warned her friend to calm down or risk being kicked out of the line. He got all up in my face instead, but was quickly pulled aside by another person in line who turned out to be an undercover cop. The guy was livid as you can imagine but to my surprise, French police does not fuck around either."

"Did you manage to reach the top?" Asked Julio with a suggestive wink.

"What do you think? Camila was obviously distraught after that ordeal and later told me horror stories of how her trip turned out despite all the plans she made. I took it as a sign that the universe was pointing me towards a chance to right those wrongs, so we spent the entire day together catching up, eating, drinking, laughing and at the very end we even kissed. But it was awkward nonetheless. She was there for work and was surprised when her boyfriend showed up unannounced and apparently made a scene with one of the photographers out of jealousy."

"Are you serious? …what a tool! Said Julio shaking his head in disapproval.

"I've always wondered if his intentions were to propose to her. Otherwise, why go as a couple to the Eiffel Tower?" Said Vincent with some doubt.

"Do you know what happened to them after that?"

"Honestly I don't think it worked out. But we kept in touch and that's why I hope to see her now that I'm back."

After driving for nearly eight hours, Vincent woke up realizing he had slept for the majority of the way and found his friend had stopped at a gas station. After using the restroom, Vincent ate a sandwich while Julio bought a couple of beers instead, one for the moment and another for the road ahead. Unlike most parts of the civilized world, Vincent always looked forward to many of the cultural freedoms he could still enjoy at home and without reprimand. Drinking a few beers while driving through country roads was one of them perks and something most folks turned a blind eye to.