The Phone Call - Sue

“The guest list, the venue details, my address book and mobile phone”. Pete ticks them off and organises them on the coffee table. He settles into the squishy armchair with a beer. He dials.

“Hi Pete”

“Who the hell, who have I called? It’s supposed to be Mark, she’s not Mark” his mind races

“Oh hi”

”Well”

“Well, what?”’

“Why have you called me Pete?”

“Why not?”

“Well it’s been over 2 years”

“A clue!” he scribbles down the clues “female, haven’t spoken for 2 years”

“Oh, um. Haven’t you spoken to Sally either?”

“Sally?”

“Oh shit” but it’s another clue. He and Sally divorced 13 years ago.

“Did you say something?”

“No, well yes”

“Pete, I do have things to do you know”

“Oh, what are your plans this weekend?”

“Is that why you called?”

“No, just being friendly”

“If you must know, I’m playing bridge this afternoon and then partying at a BBQ Sunday”

“Oh” no clues there.

“Anybody I know, I mean at Sunday’s do?”

“Why are thinking of gate crashing?”

“I could, couldn’t I?”

“Oooooooooooh all right. It’s John’s 60th?”

“John, mmmm John who I wonder?” he muses

“Ah you mean John, as in the sailing John?”for some reason this springs into his mind.

“Of course, idiot”

“I’m not an idiot” he prevaricates and runs through his sailing mates trying to get a picture of the voice on the phone. She knows him, or at least his voice. Angela, that’s who it must be, Angela. He takes a deep breath and leaps into the unknown.

“Angela, you’re not still crewing for John are you?”

“Listen Pete, I’ve just about had enough of you and your jokes. It’s Saturday morning and you are being so bloody obscure. Just come out with it. Why have you called?”

“So is she Angela?” he asks himself. Clues now read, female, plays bridge, knows sailing John, may or may not crew for him, doesn’t know Sally, he met her between 2 and 13 years ago, she knows my voice.

He gulps “I called to invite you to my retirement party”

“Oh. This isn’t one of your jokes, is it? Last time you tried something like this it backfired. Remember that gig, as if you could forget? It was a wedding and you had been hired as the MC. You decided to make fun of one of the bridesmaids. What a drunken idiot you were. Jane was my sister, my father was mortified. After weeks of conversations, apologies and angry scenes, you ended up at AA”

“Oh Christ” he doesn’t want to remember those days. It was five years ago. And it was at AA that he had met Suzanne. No wonder she recognises his voice. All those weeks of sharing and crying.

“Oh Suzanne. Those days are long gone.”

“When’s the party?”

“Next Saturday, I’ve booked a table at Monica’s for about a dozen of us. It would be good to see you”

“Done, I’d love to see you too”