Page 30 of Call Me Anytime
Her breaths are anxious as the next call rings in our ears, and I give her a thumbs-up in an attempt to ease her mind.
Part of me is still reeling from the revelation that she’s a twenty-five-year-old virgin with zero phone sex experience, but the part of me that’s seasoned from more than a decade of police work with the MNPD knows better than to spend more than a minute or two thinking about it.
Just like in life, people are always, always,alwaysgoing to surprise you. It’s what you do with the information that makes the difference. In this case, I’m going to help out where I can and ignore the rest. Besides, if I think about who’s really sitting next to me—the girl with the cutelaugh; the bright, expressive eyes; and that soft curve to her lips when she smiles—I’ll lose it.
I offer a gentle squeeze to her shoulder and whisper, “You got this.” She takes a deep breath, nods, and answers the call.
“Hi, there. You’ve got Ruby. What’s your pleasure today?”
I listen intently, ready to help her, but also ready to take notes if this caller turns out to be related to the case in some way, shape, or form.
“Hi, Ruby. You ... sound different than you used to. Is everything okay?”
I take immediate notice of the caller’s words, as they signal that he’s, at the very least, called in before. I scratch a word quickly on the notepad—Name?—and Hannah leans forward to read it.
The slight brush of her shoulder against mine as she moves closer pulls my awareness for a moment, but I force myself to focus.
“I’m great, don’t you worry. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”
“Felix.”
“How can I make you feel good today, Felix?”
“I’d just like to talk with you, Ruby. Just want to hear your voice.”
“Of course,” Hannah agrees. “That’s what I’m here for. What do you want to talk about?”
I nod, assuring her she’s going in the right direction and continuing to listen closely as Felix answers.
“I’ve just been stressed,” he says, a deep sigh escaping his lungs. “And you always know how to calm me down. Though I’m still wondering why you sound so different.”
Hannah looks at me with panicked eyes, and I quickly scribble something on her notebook.
I just got over a cold.
“I just got over a silly cold,” she says and even pretends to cough a little into the phone.
“Aw, my poor, sweet Ruby. I hate that you’ve been sick,” Felix says. “I tried to call you a few times a while ago, but you didn’t answer. I’ve missed you. But I guess I always miss you most when I’m feeling so stressed out.”
Hannah’s eyes go wide. Her hackles are clearly rising from just how familiar this caller seems with the Ruby persona, and I know if I don’t cut her off at the pass, things could head in the do-you-want-to-cut-my-tits-off-and-wear-them direction again. I scribble on the notepad in front of her quickly.
No need to stress, baby. There’s no stress at CMA.
“There’s no need to stress right now,” she repeats, clearly trying to make it sound natural in her own words. “You’re on the phone with me, right?”
“You always make me feel better, Ruby,” Felix says, his voice calming noticeably.
“That’s my job,” Hannah says, but she digs her teeth nervously into her bottom lip before continuing. “To make you feel good. What makes you feel best?”
“You do, Ruby. Always you. I wish we could really be close.”
Hannah looks at me again, and I can actually see the pulse in her neck thumping at a rapid pace. I gently place my hand on hers for a beat and mouth toward her, “You’re doing good. Keep going.”
“We can ... be close,” Hannah says, finding a rhythm. “We can be as close as you want.”
“Really?” Felix asks, relief in his voice. “I’d love that so much, Ruby. I wish I could put my head on your chest right now and listen to your heartbeat.”
“Then put your head on my chest, Felix. Listen to my heartbeat,” Hannah responds, guiding the conversation well. Even though the caller’s familiarity is clearly off-putting for her, his low-key mood appears to agree with her much more than all the callers before.
