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Then he looked me in the eyes “I’ll call you later, babe”

“Okay,” I whispered “Later, uo and walked out the door

I collapsed onat the TV cabinet like it would explode at any minute and take na sandith three pieces of bologna and a melted square of American cheese on top I toasted the bread and smothered it with mustard Then Iof Cheetos Then I popped a Diet Coke

After sucking so, I called work

“The Arthur Broderick Agency, this is Esther, can I help you?”

Oh crap

Some chick named Esther answered my extension

“Um, Esther, is Mr Arthur there?” I asked

“Can I tell hi?”

“Cora Goode,” I answered

“One moment,” she replied, I waited, listened to bad music and then, faster than I expected, Dave Arthur, my boss, was on the phone

“Cora?”

“Dave, hello, I –”

“Cora, thank God Everyone’s been worried sick about you!”

Thank God? Worried sick?

“Um…”

“You were no call, no show You’re never no call, no show Hell, you’re never no show! Phoebe went to your apartone”

Phoebe, my best friend in and out of the office (therefore she had a key to one?

“For weeks, we’ve been phoning the police and hospitals,” he continued

Oh dear

“Why didn’t you phone my folks?” I asked stupidly because I should be thankful he didn’t “They’re ency contacts”

“I couldn’t phone Dara and Forrest and worry thehast and I was grateful that my Mom and Dad knew ames of Apples to Apples “Especially when Phoebe went back, saw so out of your apart there and when she tried her key, it didn’t work She thought you’d ot hooked up with this dude and he was bad news God, I’ht”

What?

“Dave, don’t you think you’d get a call if so bad went doith me?” I asked stupid, stupid, stupidly

He paused Then he asked, “Yeah, I would So where have you been?”

Stupid!

“Well, I’ bad went doith me”

“Oh my God! What? Are you okay?”

Seriously, this hy The Arthur Broderick Agency weren’t doing all that great Dave eso and he could charm a snake but he was mostly a flake and Boyd Broderick wasn’t e rooot toasted in their offices frequently