Page 57 of Too Hot to Sleep
Her heart shivered, overcome with sadness.
Toni hugged her, and allowed her to cry for several long moments, then led her to a kitchen chair. "You sit while I fix us something cold to drink. At least it feels cooler in here."
Georgia nodded, then sat down heavily. At least the super had honored his word and fixed her programmable thermostat while she was at work this morning. Wouldn't it be nice if she could simply reprogram her heart? Although, with her technical ineptness, she'd probably wind up losing a kidney.
She held her head in her hands, picturing Ken running next to the bus, looking for her. What had driven him to come afterher—guilt over his behavior? Fear that she might report him to a superior? Certainly not concern for how she felt being manipulated like a hunk of warm wax.
The things she'd said to him...Oh, God.
The phone rang, sending Georgia's heart into her throat. She and Toni exchanged looks, but she allowed it to ring two, three, four times and roll over to the machine. Her own voice invited the caller to leave a brief message, then a beep sounded.
"Georgia, this is Ken." His loud, deep voice penetrated the air, the microphone broadcasting in stereo sound.
Her sob turned into a hiccup. How dare he call her?
"If you're there, please pick up."
She sat rooted to her chair, her eyes narrowed at the machine.
He sighed. "Look, I don't blame you for never wanting to talk to me again. I can imagine what you must think of me. I just wanted to say that... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Georgia. It started out as innocent fun, and it got out of hand. Once I got to know you, I wanted to tell you. Itriedto tell you at the reception before we... well, you know."
Toni shot her a raised-eyebrow look. Georgia closed her eyes.
"I was even trying to think of a way to tell you today—that's why I wanted us to be alone." He grunted. "Although I can't honestly say I would have, because things seemed to be going well between us, and I was hoping..."
Georgia opened one eye. He was hoping?
"I was hoping..."
She opened the other eye. He was hoping?
"I was hoping you wouldn't hate me."
She frowned. Too late.
"I'm sorry I deceived you, but I swear, I meant everything I said when we were on the phone."
Toni pursed her mouth.
After a pause, he said. "Well, I won't bother you again. I just couldn't let things end like this. I'm truly sorry, Georgia."
The call disconnected and the beep sounded again. She wiped her eyes. Her face and body ached with pent-up emotion.
Toni set two glasses of pink lemonade on the table and sat down in an adjacent chair. "Well," she said, lifting hers for a drink.
Georgia sniffed. "Well, what?"
"Well, he sounded apologetic."
She scoffed. "He's sorry, all right—sorry he got caught."
Toni sipped, then asked, "What was all that about the you-know at the reception?"
She stared into her glass, but knew her face was as pink as her drink.
"Georgia?"
She sighed. "We made out in a storage closet."
