Elle Kissinger: no…?
Celia Huckabee: well, payouts went thru on Mon, so if u haven’t, maybe u should hit him up
Elle Kissinger: O rly
Elle Kissinger: no, i haven’t heard from him
Elle Kissinger: is he still at work?
Celia Huckabee: yep
Elle Kissinger: i’m gonna call him and ask, so if he breaks a window or something you’ll know why LOL
Celia Huckabee: *runs and hides*
Elle Kissinger: LOL
Colin and I never exchanged phone numbers becausewhy would we? So I have to call the main number and ask to be transferred to him, and now my stomach is curdling for entirely different reasons.
“Platinum Aviation,” Bertie, the receptionist, chirps, “how may I direct your call?”
“Hi, Bertie. This is Elle Kissinger. I was—”
“Oh yeah, hi, Elle! How are ya?”
“I’m doing well.” I tap my desk nervously before squeezing my clammy palm into a fist. “I needed to ask Colin about…” I swallow. “I got my last direct deposit earlier in the week, and I had a question about it.” I reallyhatelying, but I can’t call him without a reason, and therealreason would get Colin in trouble, and that’s not going to help anything.
Fortunately, Bertie is oblivious to any undertones I might have let slip and simply chirps, “I’ll transfer you. Hope you’re doing good!”
“I am. Thanks.”
The line clicks over to hold music, and I suck in a deep breath while I wait. I endure approximately a minute and a half of a department store version of “My Heart Will Go On” before the line clicks into a connection.
“Elle.” Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t heard his voice in almost a month or the fact that I’ve never spoken to him over the phone, but Goddamn. His baritone voice that is simultaneously rugged and so damnsmoothis even more baritone, rugged, andsmoothas Colin says name, and I have to cross my legs. “How are you?”
“Fine,” I squeak, and then clear my throat. “How are you?”
“I’m also fine.” He pauses. “Something was wrong with your—”
“Oh, no,” I say quickly. “I wanted to talk to you about the…other deposit… and I didn’t want to mention it to Bertie.”
“Ah. Good call. Hang on just a sec.” There’s a sound like he set the phone down and a few seconds later, I perceive a quietclicklike he’s just shut his office door. “Okay, go ahead.”
“Okay, uhh…” I can’t think of a polite way to say,Celia told me you guys got paid, and I want to know whenI’mgoing to get paid,and I rack my brain. “So… I’m concerned about you mailing something like that. And then I was concerned about carrying it around the city on my way to the bank. So I was wondering if… you know… whenever it is… uhm…ready… if you would be able to meet me at my bank.”
“Sure. That wouldn’t be a problem at all.”
I haveneverheard Colin sound so pleasant and even-keeled. At least, not other thanthat weekend.And the combination causes that weird stabbing pain in my chest to surface.
Colin pauses, and I hear the quiet click of a mouse. “Actually, I did get theother depositon Monday. There was a twenty-four-hour hold on it due to the amount, and I was planning to mail it later this week. So if you’d like, I can meet you today or tomorrow.”
“Oh.” Something like excitement bubbles in my chest, overtaking the stabbing pain. I tell myself I’m just totally stoked about finally writing the check and breaking the chains of my debt, but I can’t even lie to myself. I kinda want to see him. Notsee him, just see him in person for a minute. But that’s all. I’m not stupid, and I know I can’t have sex with someonetwiceand not end up with aslightemotional attachment. Fortunately, itisslight, and I know it’ll go away with time. “Actually, my bank is open until six. Would you mind meeting me there after you get off?”
I cringe at my own phrasing because the sound of Colin’s voice has sent my mind straight to the gutter.
He merely responds with a placid, “Sure. What’s the address?”
After giving it to him, I add, “I really appreciate it. I know it’s kind of out of the way.”
