Page 20 of The List
When Barry passed, she lifted her hand. As she was about to get his attention and place another order, her phone rang.
She dug in her bag, pulling out her phone. She gasped, tightening her hold as she read the name on the screen. On the third ring, her finger hovered, hesitating to answer. The encounter with sex-stache had distracted her from plotting a plan with Cleo. She tapped her knuckles on the bar.To answer or not to answer.
“You wanna talk on the phone? Do it outside.” Barry’s voice echoed through the room. “Nobody in here, including me, gives a shit about your conversation.”
Wow, customer service at its finest.At least the decision had been made for her.
Addison forced a smile and grabbed her wallet, tossed a twenty and a five on the counter, and rushed toward the door. As she opened it, the phone pinged, indicating the call went to voicemail.
Maybe this was a sign. Missing Cleo’s call definitely gave her time to rethink what she was going to do. Then it rang again.
Or maybethiswas the sign to answer? Addison glanced up, and for a brief second she was mesmerized by the dark sky. Living in a bigger city made stargazing nearly impossible. But here? Stars for miles. In one of her letters, Cleo had mentioned sitting on a friend’s roof with Knox looking at the stars. And now she was getting the same view.Thiswas her sign.
She tapped the screen before the fourth ring and lifted the phone to her ear.
“Hi, Cleo.”
“Addison, hi! I tried calling a minute ago, but the voicemail cut me off before I was done.” Her rushed words carried so much excitement, it proved to bring a sense of ease for Addison.
She sighed in relief. “Well, I’m glad you called back.”
“I wasn’t expecting your call. You usually text.” The faint gasp was followed by a second of silence. “Is everything okay?”
Her tone had shifted, the concern obvious. Cleo was probably one of the easiest people to read. Even through letters, her emotions came through her words. Initially, when they’d started writing, Addison suspected Cleo was being overly polite, a little too kind. It was a jaded way of looking at her. But seriously, who’s that nice? It turned out, Cleo was. Genuinely empathetic and sweet. It wasn’t a front. It was authentically Cleo.
“Everything’s fine. I, um” —Addison glanced down at the concrete, smiling— “I was thinking about you.” Not a lie. “And I figured, I’d call. I hope that’s okay.”
“Oh my God, of course. You can call me anytime,” She blurted. “I was so excited when I saw your name.”
Addison smiled, and moved off to the side, away from the door when two men headed toward the entrance. She started across the parking lot to her car.
“So how are you? Busy?” Addison asked. It was best to start this conversation casual.
“I’m good. I had some running around to do today, but I got everything done, so I’ll have a lazy day tomorrow.”
Another sign? Cleo would be available to meet up.If she wants.Addison bit her lip, debating on her next move. Had she really flown halfway across the country, rented a house, and made arrangements to be gone for a monthnotto meet Cleo?But this wasn’t just about Addison. She opened the door and got in, quietly closing it behind her.
“Addison?” There was a hitch in her tone. “Still there?”
She tossed her pocketbook on the passenger side and settled in her seat. “Yeah, sorry. I just got in my car. I was grabbing dinner.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, you didn’t. I was paying the bill and heading back to the house anyway.”
“House? Did you move?”
She flattened her lips. Cleo didn’t give a lot of details about her life outside of Knox. Addison was a different story. She’d been an open book with her. Cleo knew all about her tiny apartment.
“Uh, no, I um” —Addison hesitated, briefly— “I’m actually on vacation, kind of.”
“How fun? Where are you?”
Twenty minutes from your house.Heat spread across her face, and she gripped the steering wheel. When she’d planned the surprise visit, everything seemed like a good idea. Now, she was in the thick of it with doubt creeping in fast.
“It was kind of a spur of the moment thing.”
“That’s exciting! Is it tropical, like an island?”
