don’t believe I did. Say it again, cracker!”
The door opened. “Lew?” It was Sawicki. “Lewis, put him down.”
Lewis’s eyes never left Reed’s. “Give me one damn reason why I should.”
“News from the river authority. They found another body.”
CHAPTER
8
S omewhere in the abyss of Sela’s sleep, a phone rang, stirring her from dreams (peaceful dreams—no images of Mommy and Daddy in the inferno this time). She blindly reached over to pick up the phone. But instead, she grabbed flesh.
Sela opened one eye. The New Yorker—Dean, he had said his name was—was lying next to her, as naked as the day he was born. Sela studied him. He was one of the lucky ones who looked good no matter what the lighting situation was.
Sela admired people like him. She couldn’t say she looked good in the morning. She couldn’t say she looked good any other time of the day either, but the morning was especially harsh.
A sudden thought occurred to her…
I slept with him, didn’t I?
Yup
, was her internal answer. Memories of last night began to surface, and Sela placed her hand over her face, somewhat embarrassed, but mostly ashamed of her actions. It wasn’t like her to just jump in bed with anybody.
But, wow, what a ride. Sela glanced over at Dean again and smiled to herself. She couldn’t quite remember their conversations, or if she and Dean had compatible personalities. She did remember, though, the boy was an expert in the art of lovemaking.
The phone continued ringing, punching a hole in Sela’s recollections. She sat up and took the phone into her hallway, closing her bedroom door so only a crack showed. She picked up the receiver, already knowing who would be on the other line. Mandy, who was most likely feeling bad about last night
“Hello?”
Mandy yelled, “Helloooo there, girlfriend! Gooood morning!”
Sela grimaced. Mandy’s voice was too loud for the morning hours. “I knew it was you,” Sela said.
“Oh, yeah? How’s that?”
“You’re the only person I know who’s obnoxious enough to call me at the break of dawn.”
“Oh, please. It’s nine o’clock. Anyway, I woke up feeling like shit. Can you forgive a completely selfish, despicable cow of a friend for leaving her best friend at a bar last night without a ride home?”
Sela reached up and rubbed her temples. This was exactly what she was expecting. Mandy always made an ass of herself when they went out, and then expected to be forgiven the next morning. Trouble was, Sela let her get away with it because she had very few friends and wasn’t in the position to just toss people aside when they screwed up occasionally.
And Mandy was a good friend when she was sober. They’d had their share of high-quality times together. Mandy had been there for Sela when Rufus had left for Seattle, or wherever the hell he had gone to.
Sela said, “Yes, all is forgiven. Don’t worry about it. I know how you get when you’re drunk.”
“Like the Whore of Babylon?”
Sela laughed. “Your words, not mine. So you want me to drop off your cell phone after work?”
“Huh? I have my cell phone.”
“No, you don’t. I found it under our table after you left.”
“Well, it’s not mine.”
“You sure?” Sela asked. “It’s tiny and red and looks just like yours. It even smells like the Whore of Babylon.”
“Sure I’m sure. What do you think I’m calling you with? My home number was disconnected months ago. Damn fascist phone company jackasses. Listen, I’ve got to get to a job interview for a managerial position at the Gap. The fucking Gap, can you believe it? Who knew I would stoop so low?” She paused. “Are we still friends, Sela?”
Sela didn’t have a chance to answer, as a ringing sound came from the living room. She looked around, confused. She was already on the phone. How could it be ringing?
Because it’s Mandy’s phone that was ringing. Or at least, the phone I thought was hers
.
Sela said to Mandy, “I
The door opened. “Lew?” It was Sawicki. “Lewis, put him down.”
Lewis’s eyes never left Reed’s. “Give me one damn reason why I should.”
“News from the river authority. They found another body.”
CHAPTER
8
S omewhere in the abyss of Sela’s sleep, a phone rang, stirring her from dreams (peaceful dreams—no images of Mommy and Daddy in the inferno this time). She blindly reached over to pick up the phone. But instead, she grabbed flesh.
Sela opened one eye. The New Yorker—Dean, he had said his name was—was lying next to her, as naked as the day he was born. Sela studied him. He was one of the lucky ones who looked good no matter what the lighting situation was.
Sela admired people like him. She couldn’t say she looked good in the morning. She couldn’t say she looked good any other time of the day either, but the morning was especially harsh.
A sudden thought occurred to her…
I slept with him, didn’t I?
Yup
, was her internal answer. Memories of last night began to surface, and Sela placed her hand over her face, somewhat embarrassed, but mostly ashamed of her actions. It wasn’t like her to just jump in bed with anybody.
But, wow, what a ride. Sela glanced over at Dean again and smiled to herself. She couldn’t quite remember their conversations, or if she and Dean had compatible personalities. She did remember, though, the boy was an expert in the art of lovemaking.
The phone continued ringing, punching a hole in Sela’s recollections. She sat up and took the phone into her hallway, closing her bedroom door so only a crack showed. She picked up the receiver, already knowing who would be on the other line. Mandy, who was most likely feeling bad about last night
“Hello?”
Mandy yelled, “Helloooo there, girlfriend! Gooood morning!”
Sela grimaced. Mandy’s voice was too loud for the morning hours. “I knew it was you,” Sela said.
“Oh, yeah? How’s that?”
“You’re the only person I know who’s obnoxious enough to call me at the break of dawn.”
“Oh, please. It’s nine o’clock. Anyway, I woke up feeling like shit. Can you forgive a completely selfish, despicable cow of a friend for leaving her best friend at a bar last night without a ride home?”
Sela reached up and rubbed her temples. This was exactly what she was expecting. Mandy always made an ass of herself when they went out, and then expected to be forgiven the next morning. Trouble was, Sela let her get away with it because she had very few friends and wasn’t in the position to just toss people aside when they screwed up occasionally.
And Mandy was a good friend when she was sober. They’d had their share of high-quality times together. Mandy had been there for Sela when Rufus had left for Seattle, or wherever the hell he had gone to.
Sela said, “Yes, all is forgiven. Don’t worry about it. I know how you get when you’re drunk.”
“Like the Whore of Babylon?”
Sela laughed. “Your words, not mine. So you want me to drop off your cell phone after work?”
“Huh? I have my cell phone.”
“No, you don’t. I found it under our table after you left.”
“Well, it’s not mine.”
“You sure?” Sela asked. “It’s tiny and red and looks just like yours. It even smells like the Whore of Babylon.”
“Sure I’m sure. What do you think I’m calling you with? My home number was disconnected months ago. Damn fascist phone company jackasses. Listen, I’ve got to get to a job interview for a managerial position at the Gap. The fucking Gap, can you believe it? Who knew I would stoop so low?” She paused. “Are we still friends, Sela?”
Sela didn’t have a chance to answer, as a ringing sound came from the living room. She looked around, confused. She was already on the phone. How could it be ringing?
Because it’s Mandy’s phone that was ringing. Or at least, the phone I thought was hers
.
Sela said to Mandy, “I
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