Free Calling Out by Rae Meadows

“If you believe that hocuspocus.” He laughs and touches his bandaged chin.
“Moroni is the gold angel on top of the temple.”
    â€œGood to know,” I say.
    Ember swoops back to the table and knocks over the
last bit of my drink.
    â€œWhew,” she says, breathless. “I gave out the cards to
four dancers I met. I think they’re in. I said I was a talent
scout.”
    â€œThanks,” I say. “Mohammed will be so pleased. You’ll
get twenty-five dollars for each convert.”
    â€œIncluding me?” she asks with a raised eyebrow.
    Ember lays her head against Ford’s shoulder and nuzzles his neck. He is rigid for a half second before kissing
her head.Her face has a dewy glow. She catches me staring
at her and leans over to kiss me on the cheek.
    â€œThanks for letting us stay with you, Jane,” she says.
“It seems like I’ve known you for eons.”
    â€œHey, what about me?” Ralf asks.
    Ember takes his face in her hands and kisses him on
the lips. Ford smiles but I know the kiss gets him, because
it gets me too.
    By the time we stumble into the car it is past two. Ralf
falls asleep with his head in my lap and Ember passes out
in the passenger seat. Ford drives and talks quietly to me
in the darkened rearview mirror.
    â€œIt’s not like it seems, you know,” he says.
    â€œI don’t know how it seems,” I say. “And it doesn’t
really matter what I think about it, does it?”
    Ford shrugs.
    â€œThere’s something pretty compelling about always
trying to catch up,” I say. “Chasing that feeling of what it’s
like when the person picks you. I understand it, Ford,
believe me.”
    â€œSometimes I wish I didn’t,” he says.
    I reach over and touch his head.
    We don’t bother taking Ralf home. The four of us go
back to my apartment in the quiet Avenues, take off our
shoes, and fall in a heavy, tangled mass into my bed,
nestling like a litter of blind and sleepy kittens.
*
    â€œHello, beautiful.”
    â€œHi, Scott.”
    â€œYou sound like you might be under the weather.” “No, just a little tired,”
I say and yawn.
    â€œNot too tired for me, I hope.”
    â€œOf course not.”
    â€œGreat. I’ll be there in a half hour.”
    â€œHah,” I say, “Nice try, baby.”
    â€œMaybe I’ll drop by one day and you won’t even know it’s me.”
    â€œCome on now,” I say, “None of that.” My stomach catches. “I don’t suppose you’d
like to see a lady?” With Diamond on a date, I scan the dismal list of two:
S&M Samantha with the sour disposition and the new girl, Pamela, who I found
huddled and crying in the tanning closet after her first date. I don’t have
the heart to be
    the one to send her out again.
    â€œNo,” he says, “not really a chance of that.” “I should get going,” I say.
    â€œYou shouldn’t,” he says, “but I’ll let you.”
    Just as I hang up I jump at the sound of Ember’s voice.
    â€œThat sounded cozy,” she says.
    â€œJesus. Where’d you come from?”
    â€œDoor was open. Who was that, anyway?”
    â€œJust a caller,” I say as I get up and check the lock on the door.
    Ember walks over to my desk in Ford’s old Irish sweater looking fresh and rested;
her hair as lustrous as an oiled pelt, and her face, shiny clean. I sit back
down and
    my head feels like a large wedge of clay propped up on my neck.
    â€œI bet you don’t talk to all the callers that way,” she says. She starts to
braid a section of my hair.
    â€œDid you sleep all right?” I ask.
    â€œYeah. That was fun last night.”
    â€œFord working?”
    â€œHe left before I got up. So are you going to hook me up?” she asks.
    â€œYou want to do this, just like that?” I ask. “Why not?” she