Page 63 of Lucky Night

She unlocks the phone and dials her own number. She taps Speakerphone and sets it between them. It starts to ring.

Norman? she says.

What?

She points at the screen. Your phone says it’s calling Norman.

That’s how I stored your number in my contacts, he says. What’s wrong with Norman?

The phone is still ringing.

I don’t know, she says. I think of Norm fromCheers. A big, sweaty alcoholic.

You want me to use a sexier pseudonym? he says. Hot Mama? Killer Lay?

No,I—

Aphrodite of the Golden Distaff? Sexual Partner, Comma, Best I Ever Had? Kind of defeats the purpose of an alias, but—

Hi, you’ve reached Jenny. I’m not available to take your call,so—

She ends the call.

It hasn’t been that long, he says. We’ll try again later.

They shouldn’t have called. Now she’s going to worry about Edvin, of all people. She shouldn’t. But she will.

The hotel opened less than a week ago. Its owners, a French hospitality conglomerate, claim that it’s the most luxurious five-star hotel in Manhattan, offering a multifloor wellness spa, an aromatherapy lounge, three restaurants and a full-floor private club with panoramic views of the city.

Aromatherapy! he says. Do I bring you to the high-class joints or what? Let’s take a break from the news. They’re just talking to keep people from changing channels at this point.

He mutes the television and heads back to the minibar. Strolls to it. He’s not nervous. He returned from his expedition full of brisk energy. But is he telling her the truth about what it’s like out there?

Are you telling me the truth about what it’s like out there? she asks.

Yes. He’s poking around among the snacks. Because no more lies, remember?

We’ll see how long he can stick to that little edict. But he does seem as calm now as when he left. Still confident in their rescue.

But when? When?

Whenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhen—

I guess it doesn’t matter how you stored my number, she says. You’ll be deleting it soon. Since we’re done.

He doesn’t respond.

Since this thing of ours has run its course, she adds. Quote-unquote.

She can tell he’s watching her, but she doesn’t look up from his phone.

Hey Jenny.

What?

Shutup.

She puts his phone down. We should talk about our fight.

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