Page 2 of Frog

“Yeah,” I said as my teeth started to chatter.

“Oh God, you’re freezing. Are you… where exactly are you?”

“At the Greyhound bus station in Oakland.”

“Oh God,” he groaned. “You’re that close?”

“Doc—”

“Weber.” His voice cracked. “Please don’t make me wait until tomorrow. I don’t give a damn what you look like. Just let me come get you… please.”

“I don’t wanna interrupt your—”

“Web.” He sounded so serious, and I loved it. “I’ll beg—do you want me to beg?”

“You don’t need to beg for nothin’, ever.”

“Listen,” he said, his voice low and gravelly, “just…. I’m so sorry about the last time.”

Seven or so months ago I had been through on my way to Reno, and when I was ready to go, he had given me an ultimatum. Stay forever or go and never come back. He was tired of waiting, which I had no idea he’d even been doing, and he wanted me either to remain with him or lose his number. I had actually forgotten the fight until that very moment. I tended to remember only the good times with him and none of the bad.

“Oh shit, Doc.” I trembled. “I shouldn’t have bothered you. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Web—”

“God, I’m such an ass,” I groaned, feeling more than stupid. Talk about a needy bastard.

“No!”

No? “Darlin’, are you—”

“Weber Yates, don’t you dare hang up this phone!”

“Yeah, but—”

“I want to see you!”

He had to be making a spectacle of himself at whoever’s house he was at. “Calm down and stop your yellin’. I don’t want no one lookin’ at ya like you’re crazy.”

“I don’t care! Jesus Christ, Web, just—”

“Are you sure you wanna see me?”

He made a strangled noise. “Yes, please. So sure.”

“You ain’t mad no more?”

“No, baby, I’m not mad. I was never mad.”

I coughed softly. “Was that the guy?”

There was a silence before he answered me. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, last time I was here you said you were fixin’ to get serious with a guy who wanted to have one of those commitment ceremonies with you and so—”

“No, that wasn’t him. I tried to make it work with the man you’re talking about, but… turns out you can’t love someone just because you should.”

“So it’s over?”