delicious. You can make the salad tonight.” She walks into the kitchen and opens the door to our avocado green refrigerator.
We are watching the 10 o’clock news when the phone rings. I answer it.
“Hello.”
“Hi, baby.”
I whisper to Ali: “Austen.”
Then I carry the phone into the orange bathroom. We bought an extra-long phone cord and now use the orange bathroom as a phone booth.
“How was the trip down there?”
“Not bad. This Mustang can really haul. We made good time and all the cops must have been at home eating Sunday dinner. We didn’t see one.”
“That’s good.”
The phone line is silent for a few seconds.
“I miss you , Julia. I wish you were here in my bed right now,” he says in his honey voice. “No, not in my bed yet. You’re standing in the doorway to my bedroom dressed the way you were on Saturday night. Baby, you look really beautiful.”
I gasp and sink down to the floor, my back against the bright orange tiles.
“Do you want to know what I’m going to do with you now that you’re in my bedroom?”
“ Yes,” I whisper, barely breathing. It’s only a phone call, only words, I say to myself—but it feels like truth or dare times a million.
“First I am going walk across the room and hold you so close and we’re going to feel like it is the first time this ever happened. This is how it is supposed to be. Just you and me, Julia. Then I’m going to kiss your pretty eyes and your sweet mouth. You feel so good, baby.”
He pauses. I can hear him breathing.
“And then I’m going to take that scarf off and kiss your soft skin on your throat and then down to the tops of those beautiful breasts. You smell so good. They feel so good. Do you want me to do that, Julia?”
I can barely breathe. “Yes.” Only words. Only words.
“Babygirl, your breasts are so beautiful and I want to peel o ff that shirt and kiss them all over. Then run my tongue around and around your nipples until they get hard. But I can’t do that because you still have your clothes on.” I can hear the grin on his face.
“Take them off, Austen. Take them off,” I whisper.
“Oh, I will. But not tonight.” He pauses again.
“Well, maybe there is something I can do even though you’re still wearing that tight black top with those beautiful breasts showing. Do you want me to do it, Julia?”
I hesitate for just a second then sigh: “Yes.”
“You have to turn around, first , baby. I want to start in back. Are you turned around?”
“Yes .” I murmur.
“I’m going to pull your beautiful hair aside. Oh, it smells so good. And then kiss you from your neck to your shoulders and then turn you around and kiss you, slowly, slowly, down to the tops of your breasts. And kiss them some more. Do you like this? Does it feel good?
“Yes.” I whisper .
“ You want me to do this, don’t you, babygirl?”
“Yes.” My voice is aching for him.
He laughs softly. “We both do, but I think I’d better stop here or neither one of us is going to be able to sleep tonight. Sweet Dreams, baby. Dream of me.”
“Dream of me.” I say softly.
I hear him hang up the phone. It must be five minutes before I realize I am still hugging the phone against myself. I hang up.
* * *
Focus, Julia. Focus. Don’t make any mistakes. Do your job right. Pay attention. Focus. But that phone call. I feel weak when I think about it. No errors. Focus. It was only a phone call. Only words. Focus. You need to keep this job. You have to do it right. Don’t be distracted. Focus, Julia. Focus.
* * *
It’s almost 11 o’clock Tuesday night when the phone rings. I take it into the orange phone booth.
“Hi.” I say.
“Hi.”
It is quiet for a moment.
“I think you should change your clothes, baby. I like buttons. I like unbuttoning buttons. I like seeing what’s underneath when I unbutton
We are watching the 10 o’clock news when the phone rings. I answer it.
“Hello.”
“Hi, baby.”
I whisper to Ali: “Austen.”
Then I carry the phone into the orange bathroom. We bought an extra-long phone cord and now use the orange bathroom as a phone booth.
“How was the trip down there?”
“Not bad. This Mustang can really haul. We made good time and all the cops must have been at home eating Sunday dinner. We didn’t see one.”
“That’s good.”
The phone line is silent for a few seconds.
“I miss you , Julia. I wish you were here in my bed right now,” he says in his honey voice. “No, not in my bed yet. You’re standing in the doorway to my bedroom dressed the way you were on Saturday night. Baby, you look really beautiful.”
I gasp and sink down to the floor, my back against the bright orange tiles.
“Do you want to know what I’m going to do with you now that you’re in my bedroom?”
“ Yes,” I whisper, barely breathing. It’s only a phone call, only words, I say to myself—but it feels like truth or dare times a million.
“First I am going walk across the room and hold you so close and we’re going to feel like it is the first time this ever happened. This is how it is supposed to be. Just you and me, Julia. Then I’m going to kiss your pretty eyes and your sweet mouth. You feel so good, baby.”
He pauses. I can hear him breathing.
“And then I’m going to take that scarf off and kiss your soft skin on your throat and then down to the tops of those beautiful breasts. You smell so good. They feel so good. Do you want me to do that, Julia?”
I can barely breathe. “Yes.” Only words. Only words.
“Babygirl, your breasts are so beautiful and I want to peel o ff that shirt and kiss them all over. Then run my tongue around and around your nipples until they get hard. But I can’t do that because you still have your clothes on.” I can hear the grin on his face.
“Take them off, Austen. Take them off,” I whisper.
“Oh, I will. But not tonight.” He pauses again.
“Well, maybe there is something I can do even though you’re still wearing that tight black top with those beautiful breasts showing. Do you want me to do it, Julia?”
I hesitate for just a second then sigh: “Yes.”
“You have to turn around, first , baby. I want to start in back. Are you turned around?”
“Yes .” I murmur.
“I’m going to pull your beautiful hair aside. Oh, it smells so good. And then kiss you from your neck to your shoulders and then turn you around and kiss you, slowly, slowly, down to the tops of your breasts. And kiss them some more. Do you like this? Does it feel good?
“Yes.” I whisper .
“ You want me to do this, don’t you, babygirl?”
“Yes.” My voice is aching for him.
He laughs softly. “We both do, but I think I’d better stop here or neither one of us is going to be able to sleep tonight. Sweet Dreams, baby. Dream of me.”
“Dream of me.” I say softly.
I hear him hang up the phone. It must be five minutes before I realize I am still hugging the phone against myself. I hang up.
* * *
Focus, Julia. Focus. Don’t make any mistakes. Do your job right. Pay attention. Focus. But that phone call. I feel weak when I think about it. No errors. Focus. It was only a phone call. Only words. Focus. You need to keep this job. You have to do it right. Don’t be distracted. Focus, Julia. Focus.
* * *
It’s almost 11 o’clock Tuesday night when the phone rings. I take it into the orange phone booth.
“Hi.” I say.
“Hi.”
It is quiet for a moment.
“I think you should change your clothes, baby. I like buttons. I like unbuttoning buttons. I like seeing what’s underneath when I unbutton
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