Telephone

  The first ring threatened to split her head. She pulled the receiver off the hook by the cord before it could ring again; the handset clattering on the wooden floor making her wince. No one spoke. She sat up and pressed the receiver to her ear. Someone was breathing. In the background, muted voices, music, glass touching glass. “Where are you?”

“A bar.”

They listened to each other breathe for another minute. His lips closer to the mouthpiece, her ear, he said, “What are you wearing?”

She looked at herself in the mirror, confused. “Why?”

There was another long pause before Jack said, “You’ve never done this, have you?”

“Done what?”

“Do you want me to hang up?”

“No!” Her face flushed as she realized what he wanted. “Should I start again?”

“Nah. Don’t do that,” he said. “I don’t want you to do that.”

“Then what?”

“I want to see you. Tonight. Can you get away?"