The ringtone had already identified her. The woman in his dreams and fantasies. His best friend's wife.
Beatrice had supported him through his divorce, and since then they had grown close, exchanging texts and memes several times a day, sometimes quite steamy. Her marriage was also failing, but he had no intention of entering in such a dreary mix.
He lived in a beachfront house, and he was always glad to have his friends over. They knew that they had a permanent invitation.
On the phone, her photo smiled at him, and this gave him a small smile also. He answered, and through the opening pleasantries he could hear something not quite right in her voice.
"May I come over?"
"Sure you can! You know you don't have to ask."
"Oh, I don't know that, maybe you have a girlfriend with you..." He could almost hear her delightful smile.
"Not right now, no. Don't worry, I'll hold the queue, and ask the next one to wait a bit longer."
She laughed at that, and told him she would take the first bus in the morning. "I'm going alone this time." He didn't press for information. He sensed that she needed some time for herself.
Later that night, he was tossing and turning in his bed, unable to sleep. His imagination was in overdrive, fantasizing a thousand scenarios with her. But this was not new, and he soon found enough peace in himself to sleep.
In the morning, he went to the bus stop to wait for her. The bus arrived, and Beatrice was already smiling when she saw him. They embraced fondly, and he felt the familiar smell of sunlight in her hair. He picked up her bag for the short walk to his house. She was talking quite happily about this and that, but nothing about her unexpected trip.