Read Online Call Me! by Dani Ripper - Free Book Online

guess. You told her he’s married.”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    “To you.”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    She shakes her head. “I can think of at least ten ways to get a woman interested in Ben. Surprisingly, none of them involve disclosing your marital status.”
     
    “Go figure,” I say.
     
    “Have you in fact spoken to Ben yet?”
     
    “No. But here’s the thing—”
     
    She waves my words away with her hand. “If any part of your explanation involves the analogy about the lemon in the vodka bottle, I might emit a loud scream.”
     
    “Orange.”
     
    “Excuse me?”
     
    “It’s an orange, not a lemon. In the vodka bottle.”
     
    “Whatever.”
     
    “If you think about it, it’s a beautiful sentiment. He’s the bottle, I’m the orange. The only way I can get out is by crushing me or shattering him.”
     
    “There’s another way to look at it,” she says.
     
    I wait.
     
    “You’re the orange, right? And he’s the bottle?”
     
    I nod.
     
    “He’s holding you prisoner.”
     
    I raise my eyebrows. Sophie might be onto something. I think about it while she pours the last bit of Sauterne in my glass. Then I say, “I’m meeting a woman from my yoga class.”
     
    “About Ben?”
     
    “Yup.”
     
    “When?”
     
    “Thursday morning after class.”
     
    “Are you going to screw it up?”
     
    “Probably.”
     
    She shakes her head. “Can I make an observation?”
     
    “No.”
     
    She laughs. “It’s my birthday, I get to make an observation.”
     
    “Go ahead. Pretend you’re my mom.”
     
    “The deal with the women? It’s not working.”
     
    “That’s your observation?”
     
    “No. My observation is it’s not going to work.”
     
    “You’re probably right.”
     
    “You need to tell him, Dani.”
     
    I nod.
     
    “You won’t be happy till you do.”
     
    “I know.”
     
    “Say you’ll do it.”
     
    “I’ll do it.”
     
    “Do you mean it this time?”
     
    I nod. Because it’s easier to nod than to ask your loving husband for a divorce.
     
    Sophie starts to say something, changes her mind.
     
    “What?”
     
    “Nothing. I’m the slightest bit tipsy.”
     
    “No secrets, Sofe. That’s the cornerstone of our friendship.”
     
    She winces. “I was just going to say, if you ever find yourself in that type of situation where someone might be after you…”
     
    I’m trying to follow. “You mean like Joe Fagin?”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    “What about him?”
     
    “If you think he’s going to be a problem…”
     
    I give her an amused look. “What, you’ll set him straight for me?”
     
    I laugh.
     
    She laughs.
     
    Then says, “Not me. My uncle.”
     
    “What uncle?”
     
    “Uncle Sal.”
     
    “Sounds like a quiet, older guy who wears a sweater and runs a deli.”
     
    She laughs. “Forget it.”
     
    We’re both glowing from the buzz. I say, “Your best friend is in trouble, but don’t worry?”
     
    “Yeah, that’s right,” she says, “Because I know a guy who knows a guy!”
     
    “Uncle Sal from the deli?”
     
    “Exactly.”
     
    “Gee, I wish I’d known that, Sofe. I could’ve scared the shit out of Joe and Carter. ‘ You threatening me ? I’m connected . Ever hear the name Uncle Sal?’ And Joe’s face would go white, and he’d say, ‘The deli guy? Oh, shit, Ms. Ripper, not the deli guy!’ But it’s too late because Sal has already called in sick. By sundown he’ll force them to eat an unusually tough cut of pastrami.”
     
    She chuckles. “You’re too much.”
     
    I laugh, and say, “So who’s uncle Sal? Really?”
     
    She looks around, then lowers her voice, and whispers, “Sal Bonadello.”
     
    “ What? The mob boss? ”
     
    “ Shhh! Jesus, Dani, lower your voice, will you?”
     
    I lower my voice. “You’re joking , right?”
     
    “He’s my uncle.”
     
    I frown at her. “How long have we been best friends? A year?”
     
    “More than a year.”
     
    This time I look around before