Chapter Eleven
I ran into my apartment and locked the door. I sat on the loveseat and picked up the phone. My fingers were shaking as I dialed. I didn't know why I was so nervous. It just all seemed so backwards. In the past, I'd always had phone conversations and such before having sex with someone. It was a hard habit to break.
Someone picked up on the fourth ring. I nearly lost my nerve and hung up, but I made myself stay on the line. I'd earned this. A voice I instantly recognized as Andrew's said, "Hello?"
"Hi, uh, is this Andrew?
"Yeah, who is this?"
"Marri," I said, refusing to go into more detail. He'd just met me not even twenty-four hours ago. If he forgot me already, he wasn't worth bothering with. And I'd have given a blow-job for nothing.
"Marri!" he said, sounding happy. "I was hoping you'd call."
"Yeah, uh, Will gave me your number." Well, traded it, I supposed, if I was to be totally accurate. But he didn't need to know that.
"I, uh, hope I'm not bothering you or anything."
"No, not at all," I said. "I was just going to curl up with a book tonight and probably take a hot bath. Nothing exciting."
"That sounds nice, actually. I had to work all day, so I'll probably just go to bed early."
"Where do you work?"
"Oh, this is just my second job. I work at an electronics store on the weekends to help save up some money."
"What's your first job?"
"I work for a plastics company on the other side of town. It's boring as hell, but it pays the bills."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," I said. "A couple of years ago, I worked at a bank. All I did was alphabetize and file. It was horrible."
We talked for nearly an hour like that, telling stories and trading bits of information. We discovered we actually had quite a bit in common and that we really liked each other's company.
"Listen, Marri, I had a really good time last night."
"I did, too."
"And I don't even mean the sex. I mean, that part was great, I mean it was fantastic, but..."
I couldn't help laughing. He was stammering and sounded so funny. He fell silent and after a few seconds, joined in. It was unbelievably nice to be understood without having to say a word.
"When can I see you again?" he asked once the laughter stopped.
"I have Wednesdays and Saturdays off," I told him. I hoped he'd want to see me on one of those days. I didn't want him for my client.
"Can I take you out for dinner on Wednesday? Just the two of us?"
My heartbeat quickened. I was grinning like a fool, but what did I care. There was nobody there to see me.
"That would be great."
"Can I call you Monday to figure out the details? I'll know what my schedule looks like by then."
"I'd like that."
"What's your number?"
"It's 555-0144,"
"Got it," he said. "I'll call you Monday around, oh, five? Will you be free then? I mean is that early enough? I mean..."
He was asking me if I'd be busy having sex by then, but he was trying to be delicate about it. That alone made me want to kiss him.
"My shift doesn't start until six at night."
"Even tomorrow?"
"Yeah, even tomorrow."
"Then, would you mind if I called you sometime in the afternoon? The store closes at one on Sundays, so that would still give us plenty of time to talk."
"Yeah, sure."
"Well, then, I guess I should let you go, huh? I mean, you have that bath and book waiting for you."
"Yeah, I guess so." But I didn't want to hang up. I didn't want to wait until Wednesday to see him, either.
I had a sudden flash of inspiration. "Andrew, what if I take you out for a late lunch tomorrow? Like around two? I could meet you somewhere."
"That sounds good," he said. "But I can pay. You pick the place and I'll be there at two waiting for you."
"Fu Yongs?" I suggested, naming a local Chinese restaurant.
"I'll be there," he promised. "Goodnight, Marri."
"Goodnight, Andrew," I whispered, reluctantly hanging up. I decided to skip the bath and just take a quick shower. I wanted to get to sleep. I had a feeling I'd be dreaming about Andrew, and I didn't want to miss any of it.
Chapter Twelve
Someone was pounding on my door, startling me awake. I got up, threw on my robe, and ran my hand through my messy hair. I glanced at the clock. It was only eight in the morning. Who would be bugging me that early? Especially on a Sunday.
I opened the door and found Lori standing there, grinning and holding on to Della's arm. Della looked differently than I remembered, but after all, last, she'd been naked and feasting on Lori's pussy. Anyone looks different upright, dressed, and in a non-sexual position.
"Wake up, sleepy head," Lori said. "Look who's home."
"Hi," I said, backing up to let them in and suddenly aware I hadn't even brushed my teeth yet. They both looked great, complete with makeup and shoes.
"Lori told me you gave in and went to see her the other night," Della said, sitting on the bed.