V groaned. He wasn’t there? Where was he? Out with the flavor of the month, no doubt. She sighed as she listened to the ringing phone. “Come on Ned, pick up.” She tried to will him to answer.
After five long rings the machine picked up. “Should I leave a message?” She wondered as she listened to Ned’s recorded voice. “What if he has found somebody new? What if I am not what he wants?” She questioned silently as the voice on the other end implored her to leave a message.
“What am I supposed to say?” She asked herself. She tried to review potential messages, however, before she had the chance the machine beeped.
Not having any idea of what to say, V hung up the phone. “That was suave.” She chided herself as she attempted to work up the courage to call again.
“Figures.” Ned smirked as he heard the dead air on his machine. “Would it kill people to leave a message?” He wondered. He needed to think of something to fix the disaster that was bound to happen. “What am I supposed to say if she calls me? What will she do when she recognizes herself?” The whole mess was giving him a headache.
“Come on V. It is just a phone. It isn’t intimidating.” She reminded herself. She picked up the phone and started dialing before again hanging up. “I am going to sound like an idiot.” She sighed. A half an hour after leaving the ship and all she had done was draw an angry crowd of people waiting to use the pay phone.
Ned tired of feeling sorry for himself. If he had any hope of remaining friends with V, he needed to talk with her. Trying to explain himself was the only choice he had. He had no idea of what to say, but it beat waiting.
In the bottom drawer of his desk, Ned found what he was looking for, instructions for phoning the ship. Ned went to the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. So many questions ran through his mind, he didn’t know where to begin. “What do I say? What if she hasn’t heard the CD yet? What if she has and is mad? What if she hangs up? What if she won’t take my call?” Ned shook his head. He couldn’t worry about all that now. All he could do was dial the phone and see how she reacted. As long as V answered he would be all right.
After a few minutes he had a direct line to V’s stateroom. He breathed deeply hoping he would not have to speak to her voice mail. Just as he was hanging up he heard a click on the other end of the line.
V sat at the small coffee shop across from the phone booth nibbling at a biscotti. It seemed like the line to use the phone would never end. She cursed herself for getting rid of her cell phone. She watched the booth waiting for it to clear. She desperately needed to talk to Ned. She ached to know if she made the right choice.
“Hello.” Simon answered softly. He wasn’t surprised that V left him. Things had been going downhill for months. Still, he wasn’t prepared to be cheery.
“Simon?” Ned groaned. He just thought talking with V would be difficult.
Simon couldn’t help bat laugh, a little. Of all the people to be calling, it had to be Ned. “Ashton.”
”Yes, Um, is V there.” He wondered if Simon had heard the album as well.
“No she isn’t.” Simon didn’t know what else to say.
“Will you tell her I called?” Ned wondered if Simon would bother to relate a message from him.
“The very next time I see her.” Simon smirked. He was pretty sure that he would not have an opportunity to relate the message.
Ned sighed. He didn’t know how he could wait any longer. “Do you know when that will be? It is important that I talk with her as soon as possible.” Ned decided to bite the bullet and see what if anything Simon knew. “I need to speak to her about the work she is doing for L&B.”
Simon actually enjoyed the nervousness he heard in Ned’s voice. “Yes, she received a new album just today.”
“Oh, she did.” Ned sighed. “Do you know if she has listened to it yet?”
“She has.” Simon answered simply. He didn’t feel it was his place to say much more than that.
Ned sighed. He didn’t seem overly upset. Maybe he hadn’t heard it yet. “Did she say what she thought.”
”I think you should speak with her about that.” Simon said knowing he needed to end the conversation before he said any more.
Finally the phone booth cleared. V made her way to the phone and dialed the now familiar number. She resolved to leave a message or speak to Ned directly. Either way she was not hanging up until she made contact.
-- Ned sighed. Simon was not about to say anything more. “Do you know when I might be hearing from her?” He asked after a long pause. Simon contemplated how best to answer the question when he heard a beep on the other end of the line. “Try answering your call waiting.” He answered before hanging up.