The phone rang early the next morning, and Andrew reached for the handset sitting next to the bed. He fumbled for the buttons groggily, and managed a raspy, “Hello?”
“O-o-oh-h, I’m sorry!” stammered the voice on the other end. “Did I wake you?” He knew that voice instantly and sat bolt upright in bed.
“It’s okay! Denise?” he asked almost breathlessly, praying his ears weren’t playing tricks on him.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called… I’ll let you go.”
“No!” he cried, not wanting to let her go. “It’s really all right. I’m glad you called,” he said softly. “That’s why I told you I was in the phone book. Is everything okay? Are you all right?” Andy worried that Mitch had done something horrible after he and the Richards had left the night before.
“Yes, everything is fine,” Denise replied, her voice still quiet. “I’m calling from work, so I only have a minute, but I wanted to thank you for being so kind and understanding last night. It really meant a lot to me.” She paused awkwardly before continuing. “I don’t have many people I can talk to, and I wanted you to know that I’m really touched by your reaching out to me.” Andy could hear the smile in her voice. “I got vibes last night telling me we’ll become very good friends. Let me give you my number.”
“Okay,” he said excitedly, feeling like a school boy. “Let me get a pen and some paper,” he fibbed. “All right, shoot!” He pretended to write the number down, so Denise wouldn’t know he already had it. “Will I cause trouble for you if I call?” he asked her, genuine concern pouring out with the words.
“I’ll let you know when it’s okay to call. Do you have email?” she asked in reply.
“Yes, I do.” Andy gave her his email address, and thanked her for calling. “I’ll look for a message when I get up later,” he flirted. “I can’t wait.” He heard Denise chuckle happily.
“I promise I won’t let you down,” she cooed. “Shit, I’ve gotta go! Thanks again!” With a quiet, ‘click’, Denise was gone.
Andrew laid in bed, his heart beating triple its normal rhythm. He closed his eyes, but not to go back to sleep. He pictured Denise in his mind again, and his skin erupted in goose-bumps. He clutched the phone to his chest as though it was Denise herself, and he was holding her to protect and shield her from all the pain she’d suffered over the years. “Don’t worry,” he whispered softly, wishing Denise could hear him, wherever she was. “I’ll rescue you, and you’ll never hurt again.” Andy drifted back to sleep still clutching the phone to his chest, with a slight smile twisting up the corners of his lips.
Andrew woke up with a start early that evening, wondering at first why he clutched the phone so tightly, and then his conversation with Denise flooded his mind. He sprang out of bed and skipped to the kitchen like a child on Christmas morning. He laughed aloud at himself.
“Good, God,” he chuckled, “I must look like a total fool!”
He started the coffee pot and grabbed a box of cereal from the pantry. He poured the cereal into a bowl, and sat at the table in the breakfast nook, flipping his laptop open. Andrew logged into his email, and his eyes sparkled happily when he saw an email from Denise. He clicked on it immediately, and read it silently as he ate.
‘Andy,’ it began, ‘I know this might sound ridiculous, and I hope I don’t sound like a total nut case, but I feel like I can trust you and talk to you about anything. It’s as if I’ve known you all my life, despite the fact that we just met. I hope I can get to know you better and perhaps let my walls down a little so you can get to know me, too. I will email Mitch’s work and pool schedule (he plays billiards with the guys a couple nights a week) so you can have an idea when it’s okay to call – if you want, that is. This is my ‘hotmail’ address. Mitch doesn’t know I have it, so it’s safe to email here. I hope work goes well tonight. It was a pleasure having you over last night. Take care, Denise.’
Andy’s face beamed as he read and re-read the message. He finished his breakfast, his mind racing, trying to compose a response to her. He continued drafting in his head while he shaved and brushed his teeth. Finally he sat back at the computer, and hit ‘Reply’. He typed swiftly, contemplating each keystroke as he made it. When he finished, he reviewed it quickly, made a few small changes, and then ran the spell check program. Satisfied, he clicked ‘Send’. He logged out of the email server, and continued getting ready for work. At seven thirty, he left.
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