At the beginning of the crisis, the factory where I worked went under and laid off its employees.

I had no choice but to look for another job, and I managed to get a position with a cleaning company that worked in hospitals.

They sent me to the general hospital. To get there, I had to take the first subway of the day, at six in the morning. When I arrived, I was completely lost because the cleaning staff move around in the underground corridors, and since they all look the same, it’s easy to lose your sense of direction. After wandering around for a while, I bumped into Saul, a Black guy who explained how to get from one ward to another, as well as how the company worked.

When I finished work, I headed towards the subway. The pedestrian light was red, and there was Saul, waiting for it to turn green. I thanked him for his help, and he looked me up and down, as if he didn’t know me.

I’m Selena, the girl you explained to how the hospital tunnels work. Oh, sorry, I didn’t recognize you. You all look the same in those bibs ... but you look amazing in street clothes. I never would have guessed there was such a beautiful woman under the bib.

Of course, for work we wear a loose bib and a hospital cap with our hair tied back, but on my way home I was wearing a denim miniskirt, my straight hair down to my shoulders, and a fitted sweater that showed off my size 100, D-cup breasts.

The light turned green and we continued crossing. “Are you taking the subway?” he asked. “Yes,” I said, “I’m going to Ayora station...” Wow, what luck, I’m going to that station too. We traveled together and when we arrived we took the same train in the same direction. This is too much of a coincidence. He walked me to my patio and said, “I live two streets away. Hey, if you want, I’ll wait for you in the patio tomorrow and we can travel together.” It seemed like a good idea and I agreed ... well, see you tomorrow.

That’s how our friendship began. Over time, we grew closer and talked about everything, including sex.

Saul, I have to ask you a question that I’m sure you’ve been asked more than once ... are the rumors about the male attributes of Black men true?

Selena, there’s a bit of everything, but generally speaking, yes, we are better endowed than white men. When we get off the train, you’ll find out. Saul usually wears baggy sweatpants. When we were close to our stop, I got up and went to the train car door, and he pressed himself against me from behind. He had his sweatshirt over his arm, and taking my arm, he pulled it back and put my hand on his penis, which I could feel while my arm was covered by the sweatshirt ... damn, Saul, is this your thing?

Well, it’s part of him, the rest needs to be awakened to appear.

My hand continued downwards, searching for the end of that beast. When I reached the head, I was startled; it looked more like a peach than a penis. Thank goodness the subway stopped and we got off. Ugh, I got so turned on.

Additional Scenes: The Hospital The Night Shift Two weeks had passed since my birthday. Saul and I were still riding the subway together, but something had changed. A constant sexual tension, a shared secret that bound us beyond friendship.

One night, Saul texted me: “Emergency at the hospital. They need extra staff for the shift. Can you come? Antonia authorizes overtime.”

I went. The hospital at night was different. Dark, silent, with only the lights in the emergency room and a few patient rooms on.

Saul was waiting for me in the underground tunnels. But we weren’t alone. My three birthday friends were there: Anmar and the other two, Kofi and Jabari, all wearing borrowed scrubs, even though none of them were doctors.

“What’s this?” I asked, feeling the heat rise up my neck.

“Your second party,” Saul smiled, coming closer, his hand finding my hip under my bib. Anmar got the keys to the staff break room. The whole night to us. Five hours. No breaks.

The Break Room It was a small room, with a narrow bed, an old sofa, and a table. But it had a lock. And it was in the basement, far from everything.

Saul closed the door. The click echoed like a death sentence.

“Get undressed,” he ordered, his voice having changed, becoming deeper, more authoritative. “I want to see if the Selena at the hospital is as much of a slut as the Selena at home.”

I took off my bib. Underneath, I wore a thin white nightgown, no bra, my nipples showing. Saul was getting a rise out of them.