Lulu’s mouth falls open, and I look down at my hands.
“We were talking for over a month.”
“Awhole month?” Tamara hisses. “You were in an anonymous voice-sex situationship for a month and didn’t tell me?”
“What part ofhe ghosted meare you not hearing?” I snap, but it comes out more wounded than I mean it to.
Tamara softens. “Oh, Franks…”
“Don’t.” I shake my head. “It’s stupid. It was just voice messages and flirty texts. That’s it.”
“Okay,” Tamara says after a beat. “Give us the rundown of what youdoknow. What was his name?”
“Didn’t get one.”
Lulu looks scandalized. “You didn’t even get aname?”
I nod, grimacing. “Just a sexy voice and orgasms.”
Tamara’s eyebrows fly up. “You had voice-only orgasms?”
“Best orgasms of my life.”
Lulu actually squeaks. “From hisvoice?”
“I don’t know what to tell you, it was like… Pavlovian. He’d send one voice note and my brain would just—” I snap my fingers. “—short-circuit.”
“No wonder you’re devastated.”
“I’m not devastated,” I lie.
They stare.
“Fine!” I throw my hands up. “I’m devastated. And horny. It’s been a week, and now every time I reach for my vibrator, all I hear is his stupid perfect voice saying something filthy, and my brain just stops cooperating.”
“That’s tragic,” Lulu says solemnly.
“I know! I even had to buy myself a Christmas present to cope.”
Tamara narrows her eyes. “What kind of present?”
“A… festive… toy.”
Lulu gasps. “You didnot.”
“Red and gold. Glittery gem on the end. Very on theme.”
“Please tell me it jingles.”
“It doesnotjingle.”
“Missed opportunity,” Lulu says solemnly. “Still, I’m proud of you. Self-care queen.”
“I know it’s dumb,” I whisper, twisting the stem of my glass. “But it felt real. And now I can’t stop replaying everything in my head. And the longer the silence goes on, the more pathetic I feel.”
Lulu shakes her head. “Frankie, that’s not pathetic. That’s human.”
“And for the record?” Tamara gently turns my chin to face her. “Ghosting is coward shit.”
