Page 34 of Isn't It Obvious?
To:Kevin Kissoon
RE:Not Work Thread
Have you tried showing them a picture of Squirtle? Once they know you’re a dedicated and loving father, they’ll have to come around.
To:Elle Rex
RE:Not Work Thread
That made me laugh. Don’t think it would work on her, though.
Your turn?
To:Kevin Kissoon
RE:Not Work Thread
I think it might be too hard for me to talk about over email, honestly. I’m sorry.
To:Elle Rex
RE:Not Work Thread
If that’s a brush-off, that’s totally fine. But if it’s not, we could call. Only if you’re comfortable.
Yael lifts her head at the sound of the apartment door closing. Charlie’s home, then. A little earlier than expected, which if it was his choice is a good thing and if it wasn’t…
She sends him a quick text:In my room. Hope just drinks was fun. Happy to come out if you need.He hearts the message, sends backI made good choices tonight. Sanaa would be proudand then, to her relief, Yael hears the TV turn on low.
To Kevin, she starts to typeI can’t, my roommate’s home, but then she holds down the delete button. It would feel really good to talk about it, actually. And who’s safer than Kevin, who doesn’t even know her real name? If he wants nothing to do with her after this, she’ll be hurt. Badly, even. But, well, she’ll survive.
Okay, she types,but my roommate is home so I’ll have to whisper.She adds her phone number and hits send.
Not a minute later, her phone lights up with his call.
Yael takes a deep breath before answering. “Hey,” she says.
“Hey,” Kevin says back, his voice gruff and soft. Her heart squeezes at the sound—he’s soreal, pressed to her ear like this.
“You’re whispering, too,” she says.
He laughs quietly. “You sure you’re not the superspy?”
Yael smiles, staring at the Kehinde Wiley print on her opposite wall. “Shut up.” She tries not to be disappointed, but she is, a little bit. In a whisper, his accent comes through to her, but not much else. She wants to know just how deep his voice is. If it’s gravelly or smooth. It’s not fair that he has this advantage over her. Although he only knows her radio voice, she supposes, and that’s not really her, either.
“Suresh is in the living room,” he says. “And the guest room is on the first floor.”
“Your room,” Yael says.
He laughs again. “Yeah, still getting used to it.”
“So,” she says.
“So,” Kevin parrots. “Your weird day…”
“I thought this would be easier than typing, but I don’t know.… It feels—” She cuts herself off.Intimate.It feels intimate to be sitting on her bed, even atop her covers, even with all the lights on, whispering to him. “You feel so real like this,” she says, repeating her first thought aloud.
“I’m real over email, too,” Kevin says.
