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"Okay," I started, trying to work out how exactly to explain what had happened "I phone sex, but in person"

I could hear rustling in the background, the sound of London getting co herself with her own pillow Honestly, it could be either "You went fro in front of each other in less than a week?"

"Wellif we’re going to get technical, it was justthe face she"Also, I don’t ever want you to say ‘ stopped "Wait Wait, wait, wait Ruby Miller, are you telling uess? Iabout him for the last, what? Five months? I assume you’re thrilled with all of this masturbation"

"London, you just broke the oath"

"I said ‘ -distance high-five or someone to hear you roaned I didn’t even kno I felt; how could I possibly expect soret it, but I’ether, we’re colleagues I’m actually not even sure we’re friends Plus, he was drunk and I wasout across the wall"

"Freaking out as in he’s regretting it?" she asked, and I thought I could hear her sit up

"I don’t know" I chewed on"I hope not"

"But he’s into you, too?"

"Yeah, I h sort of a bad divorce and it’s left him a little--"

"Ruby, I know thisyourself out there, but what did you expect would happen?"

"Um" I started, because to be truthful, I wasn’t really thinking at all in thatthat he would realize he’d lovedand sweepfor et myself off in front of him the entire time? Um, probably not

"I’m not sure really," I said instead "Maybe that it would be the first step"

London yawned and I heard the sound of blankets being rearranged, as she settled herself back in bed "That’s a hell of a first step, but make it work Go into the office today, face him like the kind of woman who masturbates--sorry, sorry--in front of the love of her life and doesn’t regret a thing You know I don’t have a ton of faith in the male population, but if he’s half the man you’ve described--because really, why else would you fall for hiet hiht the first step proved to be a bit oing to go out of his way to keep things exceedingly, frustratingly nor up his laptop for awhen I arrived, head down and phone pressed to his ear He acknowledged me with a small nod, a smile, and then he stepped out past me, into the hall for privacy

In the handful of seconds it took me to walk around his chair and reach my own, I came up with at least twelve different ways to translate his small smile and semi-avoidance, eachto dissect everything he said in a ue when there was zero chance it had anything to do withabout e did last night Everything had a , still just outside our office door Was he waiting forback in first?

"That doesn’t make any sense," he said into the receiver, his posh accent the only thing keeping his words fro clipped or flat-out annoyed "The tiiven for estimated co me today The alternative is unacceptable"

My ears perked at this; I’d never seen or heard hiry before

He was silent while he listened to the person on the other end of the line, and I had the strangest sense of his eyes onit on the hook behind the door His attention pressed on my skin and I shook my head, careful to letinthe Dia it because I knohat the bloody hell I’ about Tell them that, or better yet, let ht," he said, followed by the distinct sound of his exasperated sigh

Tony Gross

I grabbedokay?"

He nodded, but shoved his phone into his pocket, not bothering to elaborate about the call "Aside fro, I’d like to visit some of the stations, see for ave me another polite smile