Summary

In “Elgin,” Nicolás recalls taking a man back to his house for sex. His mother moved to Louisiana to live with her sisters, and Hurricane Harvey had recently hit Houston, leaving Nicolás without power. This is just one in a series of one-night-stand sexual encounters for Nicolás. He is working at a fancy restaurant called the Castillo. At work, he tells another server, Miguel, about his most recent sexual conquest. Miguel is an immigrant from Guatemala without legal residency status. He tells Nicolás to be careful about who he brings home with him. He also says that he thinks Nicolás has frequent casual sex to distract himself from his problems. He suggests that Nicolás leave Houston, and Nicolás responds by cursing at Miguel, but then apologizes. Back at home, Nicolás notes how the East End has...