Page 39 of Are You There, Moriarty?

“Oh no. What did she do now?”

“Ah, nothing, except basically accused me of being a sex worker. No offense to sex workers, but I’m not one, and I know what she thinks of them.”

“What? You? You haven’t had sex in months.” She laughed like that was the biggest joke. She finally stopped laughing, but when I didn’t say anything, she prompted me. “Toby? You haven’t had sex in months. Right?”

And suddenly I was smiling. “Only if you don’t count last night.”

She gasped. “Whaaaat? Withwho? Oh my God. Tell me, tell me, tell me!”

“Wait! Aren’t you at work?” I asked.

“Yeah, so? I’m on a break.” There was rustling and the scrape of a chair on the floor.

“That’s convenient.”

“Tell me!” she demanded.

“I need to ask you a huge favor, though,” I cautioned.

“You tell me who you had sex with, and I’ll do anything you want.”

“Really?” I sounded skeptical.

“Wait! What do you want?”

“Esther, I really, really,reallyneed to stay at your place for the next few days.Please?”

“Aw, Toby,” she said in a soft voice, all teasing gone. “Of course, you can sleep here.”

There was silence as a lump formed in my throat.

“Anytime,” she continued. “You know that.”

I laughed, but it was only so I wouldn’t sob. I didn’t think she bought it.

“Thank you.” It was a whisper.

“Do you work tonight?” she asked.

“No.”

“Then come over for supper and a movie. We’ll order pizza and drink too much Coke and have a burping contest. Okay?”

“Okay.” God, how did she know just what to say?

“And you can tell me all about your recent sexcapade.”

I laughed, and this time it was sincere.

“Sure.”

“I gotta go, but promise you’re safe?”

“Yeah. She’s gone to work.”

“She didn’t touch you?”

“Not this time.”

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