Page 61 of Safer Alone
“If you don’t like it I can call you something else?”
I shake my head. I figured why not dig my own grave now, get it over and done with.
“No, no. You don’t have to do that. I like it. It’s just, isn’t that something you would normally call your girlfriend?”
He doesn’t reply straight away. I pull the phone away from my ear to make sure the phone is still connected.
“Hello,” I say,
“I’m here. You just shocked me.”
“I didn’t mean to do that, Elliot.” I hear him breathing.
“Am I wrong in thinking you are my girlfriend, Angela?”
My heart stops. He said I’m his girlfriend. He is asking me to confirm it.
“Ah, yeah, I guess so. I wasn’t sure if that is what we were, that’s all.”
Elliot doesn’t speak again, so I break the silence.
“If I’m going to be baby, I’ll call you babe.”
His chuckle comes through the phone.
“Sounds good to me”
Whew. Crisis averted. No grave needing to be dug. Not tonight anyway.
“Elliot?”
“I’m still here, baby”
I smile
“I just wanted to say thanks again for the weekend. I had a really good time. I also wanted to thank you for my double decker bus. I really do love it.”
I hear three beeps in my ear, the phone had disconnected. He had hung up on me, but why?
Elliot’s face appears on my phone. He is trying to video call me. I accept, wiping my forefingers under my eyes while it is connecting, removing any traces of flaked mascara. Just as I finish, it connects.
“Hey, you hung up on me!” I say trying my best to sound incredulous.
He smiles “Only because I couldn’t wait to see you any longer.”
I could feel my cheeks go hot, I am blushing. I hope it didn’t show through the phone.
“It’s good to see you, too, babe. Are you in your office?”
He nods. “Sure am. I’m working on the Christmas bonus for staff. I also sent a message to Kat to let her know that I won’t be attending this year’s Christmas party alone. I expect I’ll get a million questions tomorrow.”
I laugh at that. Elliot getting asked about me. What will he say?
“I’ll be telling everyone tomorrow I’m bringing someone to my Christmas party, too. They will be shocked. Is it the first time you have brought a date to your party?”
I can’t help but ask. Part of me wanted him to say that he hasn’t.
“Yep, you’re the first. I thought I told you that?”
