Lili scowls, heading out to the yard. Her friends laugh with fondness, shouting apologies after her.
It scares her—oh, how it scares her: wanting him in her life.
She keeps herself in check, though.
She limits herself to simple moments: texts good morning, texts good night.
He asks her about her day, she wants to know about his.
There are other things she wants, too.
The door clicks closed behind her. It muffles the sounds of her friends, playing cards after dinner. Falling back against the bed, Lili taps through her phone. Her thumb hovers over the screen for a moment before she presses call.
As the dial tone rings, she hears the shriek of laughter from downstairs. Outside her open window, the night sky, lingering pale of sunset draining to dark over the treetops, the sounds of the forest, nocturnal build of frogs and cicadas—
“Hello, Lili.”
“Hi,” she says, startled.
On the other end, Aleksandr laughs. Lili frowns. “What?”
“Nothing,” he says. “I like hearing your voice.”
“Where are you?” she asks, pushing away the heat his response inspires that is decidedly not just sexual.
“Home,” he says. There’s the sound of footsteps, softened by carpet, on his end. The close of a door, distant drift of music, foreign words, like Dassin or Aznavour. “Heading to a work dinner soon.”
“Hmm,” she says. Her fingers start to toy with the edge of her jeans.
“Is that disapproval I hear in your voice?”
No,she thinks.It’s not.
“When do you have to leave for dinner?” she asks.
“I have a few minutes.”
“Hmm,” she repeats, playing with the button of her jeans.
“Yes, Lili?” Light, teasing.
“Yes, Aleksandr?” she quips back, not liking the weight of the question on her.
He laughs, again. She bites her lip at the sound, trying not to smile.
“What would you like?” he asks, lower, as if he already knows what she wants.
And his voice means something to her. Beyond the ideas of phone sex, the number of days she hasn’t come, the knowledge that he hasn’t kissed her yet this week.
“I’m excited to see you,” she finally says, simply. She lets her hand fall back onto the comforter.
A pause, and then he replies: “Me, too.” A different warmth, a little quieter, more reserved. “What time does your train get in on Thursday?”
“Around noon. It’s Jamie’s birthday this weekend, he has to head back to work early, so we’re going to surprise him with dinner at his place. Should be free around nine.”
“Send me the address. I’ll pick you up afterwards.”
Lili frowns. “No, I can take the subway, honestly. It’ll be quicker.”
