Free Ten Thousand Lies by Kelli Jean Page A

to?”
    “Sure,” I said. “Put ’em on.”
    Xanthe and I heard the bells on the storefront door jingle, signaling Ellen’s departure. Once that happened, Xanthe was pulling out the old broad’s stash of weed and rolling us a joint to smoke later after Ellen went to bed. While we were minors, the woman wouldn’t let us smoke in front of her, which was a shame. The times we’d busted her stoned off her wrinkly ass, she was a hoot.
    “Hello?” came a strangely accented voice through the phone. “Jaime?”
    “Hi,” I said. “Who’s this?”
    “I’m Ronen Kelly. Just wanted to say hi.”
    I smiled. “Hi, Ronen.”
    “It’s a shame we can’t meet in person. We’ve heard a lot about you from Xanthe and Rex.”
    “Likewise,” I stated, warmed by his friendliness. “It’s like we’re already family.”
    “Right?” He laughed. “Well, I gotta hit the head. I’ve just been through a hell of a meeting—oh! Here’s Ricki. He just got out. Nice talking to you, Jaime.”
    “You, too,” I said.
    There was the sound of the phone being handed off, and then…
    “Hello?”
    The sexiest , most magical voice entered my ear, and my entire body reacted as though it had been hooked up to jumper cables. Deep and smooth, it was more of a caress than a sound.
    “He-hello,” I stammered, my face feeling as though it’d caught fire.
    “Who’s this?” asked the magic voice.
    “Um, I’m Jaime,” I replied, winded for some reason. “Jaime Hallowell.”
    There was a sharp inhale. “Jaime?”
    My eyes closed, and I briefly bit my lip, hearing my name in that voice. “Yes,” I replied, opening my eyes to find Xanthe queerly staring at me.
    “Oh. Hey. I’m Ricki.”
    Hey, Ricki with the magical baritone.
    “It’s nice to…well, I guess meet is a little strong of a word for this situation,” I stated, feeling like the biggest nerd on the planet.
    Ricki chuckled, and something tingled between my legs.
    Holy shit . His voice was audible sex. The British accent did funny things to me, too.
    “Rex said you were here. Are you enjoying Amsterdam?”
    Xanthe licked the rolling paper and twisted up one of the fattest joints I’d ever seen. It was lumpy and misshapen, but it would serve its purpose just fine.
    “Yeah, I love it here.”
    “And Ellen’s a trip to hang out with,” he said.
    “That she is.” I laughed.
    “When do you head back to the States?”
    “About three weeks.”
    “Yeah. We won’t be able to get out of training to meet you. We’re on a bit of a lockdown.”
    “Why?”
    “Just the way it is.” He sighed, which made my nipples tighten for some reason. “You keep in touch with Xanthe and Rex all year though, yeah?”
    “I do,” I replied.
    “I’d like for you to keep in touch with me and Ronen as well,” he told me.
    Right then, I wanted nothing more than to listen to this voice every night before I went to bed.
    “Sure.” I was trying so hard to sound cool and sexy.
    Xanthe got up to hide the joint in her room.
    “The Locals are looking forward to when you and Xanthe can really start participating. I know Ellen needs the help. She won’t say it, but we see how tiring it gets for her.”
    I’d noticed the same thing. “I know.”
    “You do?” He sounded like that had made him smile. “She thinks the world of you two girls.”
    Girls.
    As Xanthe came down the hall from her tiny room, her tits did not look like they belonged on a girl. Self-conscious, I glanced down at my nonexistent breasts, suddenly dreading the day this voice would come face-to-face with them.
    “Well, we think the world of her, too,” I said lamely.
    “It’s hard not to. Rex told me you’re from New Jersey.”
    “Yep. Born and bred,” I said.
    “Will you do me a favor?” he asked.
    I will do anything this voice tells me to. “What’s that?”
    “Xanthe has my number. Get it from her, and if I’m not able to talk to you before you leave, I want you to call me or text me to let me know you