The Note
by Jack Lynch
Author's note: It's fortunate that this Writer's Challenge should come along now. The theme fits neatly into the string of short stories I've been writing. Together, they will become part of a future book. Its working title is All They Are Is Dust in the Wind. The other short stories, previously published on iomfats.org are "The Lighthouse," "Spring Break," "If It's Not Ok, It's Not the End," and "Letting Go." They read in chronological order. Your comments are always gratefully appreciated. Send them to jacklynch945@yahoo.com. I'll write back!
Karla banged the phone down.
"Christ almighty!"
Toby simply looked at her, a blank expression on his face. Typical for Karla, everything was a pain in the ass.
"Go over to Horsepen. A kid left a stuffed animal or something."
"Aren't I supposed to pick up those new mops at Islands Ace?"
"Bring the damn thing back here first. I want it picked up before housekeeping throws it away."
Mid-summer. High season on Tybee Island. Now that he'd worked at Sav-Hil Vacation Rentals for nearly nine months, Toby was a seasoned veteran.
After jumping down the steps on the side of their building, Toby got into his hand-me-down Toyota, complete with rusting fenders, and headed to the opposite side of the island.
He checked himself out in the rear view mirror. Not bad, but not great. Toby Gallivan. 17 years old, 5'8," 119 pounds, if he was lucky. Slender, narrow hips, still wearing 28 inch waist jeans. Painfully pale skin. The Atlantic coast sun having no effect except to turn him beet red if he didn't use a generous amount of sunblock. Long black hair covering his ears and neck. Light blue eyes, tiny black moles here and there on his face. Lips so pink a couple of people had actually been nervy enough to ask him if he was wearing lipstick.
Horsepen was one of their rentals. The folks at Sag-Hill Vacation Rentals never identified their properties by the full address. Usually, they just referred to them by house number. Because this one, perhaps their most luxurious property, was the only one on Horsepen Point, it was just, Horsepen.
Luckily, Toby arrived as the housekeepers were unloading their van. After a quick hello, he bound up the steps ahead of them. Looking around the expansive great room, he quickly spied a teddy bear snugged into the corner of one of the couches.
Grabbing the bear, he started to turn back to leave. But, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something else on the couch. A piece of paper, a scrap really, some scribbly writing on it, cleverly hidden underneath where the bear had been sitting.
He read it once, twice. His stomach flipped. His pulse quickened. Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, he started to read it a third time. Just then, one of the housekeepers finished banging up the stairs, dragging the vacuum cleaner behind her.
The noise jerked him out of his funk. He shoved the piece of paper into his pocket and quickly left the house with the teddy bear.
Pulling out of the driveway, he sped down the street to a small parking lot next to one of the beach entrances. Only then did he pull the crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket and open it up.
"Hey if you're not gay, my friend thinks youre cute. Here's her number: 917-444-xxxx. (And if you are gay, here's mine: 917-743-xxxx."
A hundred questions went through Toby's mind. Who wrote the note? Who was it meant for? As sweat started dripping down his forehead, he realized he was sitting in a sweltering car, windows up, in July, in Georgia, at the beach.
When he got back to the office, he tried to make a beeline to one of the computers to check out who had been staying at Horsepen.
Karla stood fast in his path. She had a long list of chores and errands for him.
"Want me to send that bear back?"
"No. I've got it." Karla glared at him. "Would you please leave here now and get this stuff done?" she asked in a sharp tone. It wasn't a question. "Start with the new mops."
Toby was going to protest, thought the better of it, and grabbed the list.
Finally, at the very end of the day, he made a pretense of going through the basket of rental agreements in order to match up a credit card payment with the right client. What he was really after was the names of the people who had just vacated Horsepen.
There it was! The Benjamin's. Their address: E. 73rd Street in New York. Hmmm. His eyes dropped to the registered occupants. Richard, his spouse Brenda, followed by Jules, Eric, and Layton. Jules and Eric had drivers license numbers listed so he knew they were at least 16 years old. Nothing listed for Layton except his age: 8 years old.
The teddy bear obviously, well probably, belonged to Layton. Who knew, these days? Toby smirked to himself. It could have been Eric who wrote that note. But, what if Jules was Julian and not Julie?
The overriding question was, who was that note for? He felt himself blushing. How could it possibly be for him? He shook his head. But, then again. No. I dunno. Back and forth, he went.
"And if you are gay, here's mine." That phrased burned in his mind. Toby lay flat on his stomach. Naked. On his bed. He'd put a towel underneath himself, both to absorb the cum and add a bit of friction to his raging hard-on. As he thrust his hips up and down, he watched himself in his bedroom's closet door mirror. His pale white hips and flanks equal parts dislikable and oddly attractive. Swiveling his hip slightly, he watched his pink cock brushing against the towel, pre-cum on the tip. Pink nipples to match his lips, on his very flat hairless chest. He gasped as the cum squirted out.
So? What was he? What did he even know about gay, straight, or anything else?
All he knew was that he was in love with Campbell Maine. And, what was the basis for that?Really? He'd spent maybe a total of five or six days with the guy. Not even whole days; parts of days. He'd let himself be kissed and he'd kissed back. As far as sex? Ok. They'd gone all the way, more than once. But, Bell was Bell. He'd nonchalantly left to go back home with barely a good bye.
Since then, getting him to answer a text, email, or connect on kik or Snap was an exercise in frustration. Usually, just a few words here and there, sometimes just a word. Mostly, Toby just pined for him while stalking him on twitter. He couldn't count the number of times he'd jerked off to some cute or sexy photo Bell had posted.
Girls? A much shorter story. Magnolia Donahue. Long flowing bright red hair, freckles, and blue eyes. Petite, slender, a figure that was guaranteed to get most guys going. The problem: she didn't get Toby going. In fits and starts, they explored each other sexually. Emotionally, Mags was mildly into him. Even mild was a stretch for Toby. Before they finally broke up, he constantly had to remind himself they were even going out.
Karla worked Toby to the bone the next day. With all of the check-ins and check-outs, it was a crusher. It was hard to concentrate on work, though. All he could think of was that damn note!
When he got home, he went directly to the dresser in his room and picked up the piece of paper where he'd left it. Examining it one more time and trying to figure out what to do, he did the only logical thing. Picking up a quarter from the small tray on the dresser, he said to himself: heads for the top number, tails for the bottom one.
Balancing the coin on the side of his index finger, he flipped the quarter into the air with his thumb. It landed in his palm and he turned it over onto his wrist.
Heads. How about two out of three?
Shaking his head, Toby picked up his phone. 917 was a New York City area code; he'd checked. What was with that? He dialed 917-444-XXX and just as he hit the last number, the name CeeCee came up on the screen.
"Uh-h-h-h!" He gasped as he sucked his breath in.
Before he could click off, she answered.
"Hello?"
Clearing his throat, "Uh. Hi!"
"Toby? Is that you??"
Chuckling nervously, "Hey!"
CeeCee, the girl from last spring. Amazingly cute. Flowing brown hair, brilliantly green eyes, a field of freckles across the bridge of her pert nose. Cute figure. High small breasts. His age. Only two months apart.
They'd met when her family took one of the rentals during a spring break weekend. He tried to beg off the invitation to a swim and barbecue. Nevertheless, he went. And had fun. He was surprised at how nice CeeCee's family was. She was just adorable. They talked non-stop. Before they left Tybee Island, she had made him put her number into his phone.
"Oh my God! This is crazy! We were just talking about you!" CeeCee squealed in a high pitched voice.
"Oh, really," Toby chuckled nervously. What the hell is going on?? He had no clue what to say next.
CeeCee easily filled the void. She was a natural conversationalist. They quickly caught up.
"Hey, we're at Montauk. You should come up."
CeeCee's family owned a house on Montauk Island. When they first met, CeeCee invited him. Actually, her whole family joined in and invited him.
"I wish," Toby smirked.
"No. I mean it. Come up this weekend. My parents are having a party. It will be fun!"
"I dunno…"
Toby got out of the cab and stared at the ultra modern white concrete and glass edifice. The Turner residence on Montauk Island, New York. The pure white rock crunched under his feet as he made his way to the bright red front door.
What a trip!
The fact that he was here felt almost like an out of body experience.
After CeeCee worked him over in her sweet persistent way, he agreed to come to Montauk for the weekend. A dent in his savings account, deflecting objections and warnings from his parents, and he got his flight booked from Savannah to LaGuardia Airport.
After giving him stink-eye, Karla shrugged her shoulders after he asked for the weekend off.
"Fine. I can give my niece some hours then."
His first plane trip since he was 8 years old. While his seat mates went into their little worlds, Toby was acutely aware of everything happening during the flight. It was fascinating, at least to him. He couldn't stop looking out the window. He even managed to snag a couple of extra packets of peanuts, quickly zipping them into his backpack.
LaGuardia Airport was like a third world country. Yelling, banging, crashing, signs pointing in a jillion directions, honking horns.
Toby wasn't sure how he did it. Somehow, he ended up at the Babylon station of the Long Island Railroad. He waited 30 minutes for a train, checking numerous times to make sure he was on the right side of the platform. His greatest fear was getting on and finding himself in Manhattan. When the train arrived, he got on it, and collapsed into a seat. His first time on a train!
He was exhausted but he couldn't stop watching the landscape roll by. All these people! Town after town, these little worlds, people going to the store, picking up kids. Shortly after Amagansett, towns and roads disappeared from view. The tracks wound through forested areas, scrub, tall grass, and eventually ran along the shoreline. After a seemingly endless curve through some more tall grass, buildings appeared. The train slowed, and with a toot of its horn, arrived at Montauk station. The eastern tip of Long Island.
Twenty dollars for the cab ride, but what was he gonna do? Traveling first through some commercial and modest residential areas, the road narrowed to two lanes. No homes were visible, just sand and gravel driveways snaking off both sides of the main road. The Turner's house was at the end of a long drive through a narrow road bordered by grass taller than the cab.
"Just in time!" CeeCee's mom exclaimed when she answered the door.
"Thanks for letting me come, Mrs. Turner."
"Oh shush! It's great to have you. And, it's Vonnie." She said as she waved her arm.
Their voices echoed in the massive entry.
"Come in! CeeCee will be back in just a minute."
Vonnie directed him to drop his bags in the foyer as she led him into the expansive kitchen and great room. Everything was modern, upscale, and elegant. And very white. Everything. Floors, walls, furniture, kitchen cabinets. Similar to the Tybee house they had rented, a wall of windows faced a spectacular swimming pool and deck. The beach and ocean were just beyond.
No sooner had he taken a seat at the kitchen island and accepted a sparkling water than the door banged open and CeeCee came running in. Cute little short top, shorts, white canvas shoes. Vivacious smile and a giggle.
"Toby-y-y-y!" She ran to him with a big smile, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the cheek.
Before he could say anything, Toby saw the guy who had followed her in the door.
What the fuck! What am I doing here, if she has a boy friend? What was even worse, the guy left him behind in the dust.
Incredibly good looking. Short medium brown hair, thick eyebrows, light green eyes, a long narrow nose, square jaw. Very smart looking glasses with dark frames. Probably 5'10" slender and muscular. He wore some kind of a silky t-shirt that showed off some pretty good definition in his chest and upper arms. Linen shorts, canvas deck shoes.
Toby, in the rumpled travel clothes he'd had on for the last 12 hours, immediately felt like some awkward, country bumpkin, kid.
"Toby, this is Day."
They shook hands. The way he looked at Toby. Maybe it was the lack of food but he suddenly felt light headed. Or, maybe it was something else.
"I've known Day since, like, forever." CeeCee explained brightly.
"Ya. I still have memories of having our diapers changed together."
They all laughed.
"And, that was like two years ago?" Toby asked with a chuckle.
They all laughed again. The tension was broken. Ok, Toby thought. Old friends.
"If you guys don't get out of here, we're going to end up with pizza again for dinner," Vonnie lightly threatened. "Why don't you all go out on the deck?"
Grabbing drinks, the three of them found spots around one of the high top tables. Day sat on the end, Toby and CeeCee next each other on the side.
As they chatted, CeeCee wrapped her arm around Toby's side.
"I'm sorry. What's your name again?" Toby asked. He stared into Day's eyes.
Adjusting his glasses, "Day." He stared back at Toby. He saw the quizzical look in Toby's eyes. "It's a family name," he smirked. "Our family makes sure there's a Day in every generation.
"Ok," Toby chuckled. It sounded somewhat absurd.
"The other family name is Knight," Day said. "That's Knight with a 'k.'"
"You're kidding, aren't you?"
"Nope. We like to say our family has a lot of Days and Knights." Smiling.
There was a pause. All three of them broke out into hysterical laughter.
Still laughing, CeeCee said, "No matter how many times I hear you say that, it cracks me up!"
Just before dinner, CeeCee brought Toby up a long flight of stairs to his room on the second floor while Day stayed behind to talk to Mr. Turner. Nathan or Nat, as he insisted Toby call him, had just returned from a round of golf.
Like the rest of the house, the guest room was oversized and all white. When they entered, Toby spied a door leading to his very own bathroom.
Exhausted and sweaty he told CeeCee, "I'm gonna jump in the shower. Be down in 20."
"Of course!" Throwing her arms around his neck, "I'm so glad you came!" A soft kiss on the lips.
Standing in the double headed shower a couple of minutes later, Toby tried to recharge and collect his thoughts. Back and forth, images of CeeCee followed by Day came into focus. He felt very confused. They were both good looking in obviously very different ways. Day's smile and the easy way he laughed were something more than just a pleasant visual. He felt himself stiffen. Both palms flat against his face, he shook his head, letting the water pour down on his head.
Like magic, Vonnie produced a spectacular beef stir fry for dinner. Glass cylinders protected a cluster of candles from the breeze illuminating the swimming pool deck table where they ate. CeeCee's three younger siblings were away at sleep away camp so it was just Vonnie and Nat, CeeCee and Toby. Day, of course, had been invited to stay for dinner.
Dinner was a delightful mix of fun stories, recitation of personal histories, and a few serious moments. From time to time, Toby caught Day staring at him. More than once, Day caught him staring back. Once, Day cocked his head and bulged his eyes out looking at Toby with a goofy look as if to say, what!?
Toby had no clue what was going on between the two of them. He kept thinking, what if? But, he couldn't seem to complete the sentence.
Toby felt like he'd been nailed down. Content to remain for the rest of his life, he luxuriated in the most comfortable bed he'd ever slept in. Large deep pillows, thick soft mattress, amazing hotel cotton sheets. A soft comforter felt like a bunch of kittens had been sewn together. He vowed to make tons of money so he could afford a bed like this.
He groaned as he glanced at the clock next to the bed.10:30! He was sleeping the day away!
Of course, he had morning wood. Stumbling out of bed, his stiff cock straight out and up, he went to the bathroom. After somehow pushing it down, he was able to pee. Back in the double headed shower, he rejoiced in the warm water flooding over him. Naturally, he stiffened up again. A quick morning jerk would certainly help keep the day on track.
Toby tickled the underside of his cock, a prelude to the first pull. He barely heard a soft "thunk" and a click outside in the bathroom. Suddenly, the shower door bumped open. A naked CeeCee stepped into the shower.
Caught in the act. Looking down at his tool, his fingers about to wrap around it.
"What have we here?" She said with a chuckle deep in her throat.
Toby half gasped, have laughed. Stunned. He must have turned beet red.
"That's ok," CeeCee purred. She wrapped her hand around the back of Toby's neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss.
As they pressed their bodies together, Toby could feel CeeCee's nipples, hard as buttons, scrape across his chest. The shock of her getting in the shower made him soft. But, in just a second, the blood rushed back and his cock was hard as a rock again. It rubbed against her tummy.
One of his hands went between her legs, the other reaching around to her ass. She let his fingers linger for a moment on her vulva before softly pushing his hand away. Turning her hip, she gave him better access to her behind. She moaned softly as he clutched one cheek, sweeping his fingers into her tight little crack.
Their mouths bonded together, her fingers on his neck, face, down to his shoulders, firmly pinching his nipples. He wanted to fuck her in the worst way.
In the end, something must have clicked for her. She gently, but firmly pulled his hand away from her butt. A soft murmur escaped her lips as she got down on her knees. With the water flowing steadily over both of them, she looked up at his face with those spectacular green eyes, then turned her gaze to his cock. Examining the shaft for a moment, she pulled it side to side. Her fingers brushed through the tuft of black pubic hair as she cupped his balls in her other hand. She calmly looked at the pink head for just a second before expertly sliding his cock into her mouth.
When Toby came, he threw his head back, gasped, and shot a pulsing load into CeeCee's mouth. His orgasm seemed to go on forever. There must have been a lot of cum because she audibly gulped it down.
He was still trying to catch his breath when she stood up, a proud smile on her face.
"You're mine, Toby Gallivan!"
Toby finally got it together and finished his morning business. The house was completely silent as he tripped down the long flight of stairs from the second floor. When he walked into the great room, a woman was at the sink rinsing dishes.
"Good morning, Mr. Toby," she said in an Hispanic accent.
"Uh…hello."
"Sit down. I make you some breakfast."
Minutes later, Vonnie breezed into the room as Toby was chowing down on the best mushroom and cheese omelet he'd ever eaten.
"Hello, dear! How was it?" He started to choke. Before he could answer, "Aren't those beds just marvelous?"
"Umm, ya!" Choking again, he grabbed for a drink of water.
"Listen, Toby. CeeCee and I have an appointment at the hairdresser. I hope you don't mind."
"No, that's fine."
"Of course, Nat's at the club." She rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry about it, Mrs...I mean Vonnie."
"Carlotta will get you some lunch. CeeCee asked Day to come over and keep you company. Is that ok?"
"Oh. Ya, really! That's great!"
Just then, CeeCee waltzed in looking like the cat that ate the canary. Actually, she looked absolutely adorable. Somehow her hair looked better than ever, falling in layers around her shoulders. She had applied a bit of make-up, just enough to make her eyes pop. A loose top and crop pants. She looked very grown up, way beyond her 17 years.
Minutes later, after Vonnie and CeeCee breezed out and Carlotta disappeared, Toby stood at the windows admiring the panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean.
Suddenly an arm wrapped around his shoulders and neck, from the back.
"Wha-cha thinkin'?" Day whispered in his ear. Close. Close enough that Toby could smell him. And, he smelled good. He instinctively started to pull away, caught himself, and then allowed himself to be held like that. Day's chest, pressed into his back, felt wonderful.
"If you only knew," Toby smirked.
Day chuckled. "It's way too nice to waste that beach out there."
Toby pulled away and swiveled around to look at Day. A silent groan. God! He looked hot! A muscle shirt that showed off the nice definition of his arms and shoulders. Brightly printed swimsuit. Sunglasses. Toby tipped his head to one side to look more carefully at Day.
"You remind me of someone."
"Ya? Who?
Toby had to think.
Chuckling, "I know! That guy. That actor from 'Baby Driver.' The guy who played the Baby character."
Day smirked. "Ansel Elgort? Ya, it's been said." Nodding and with a chuckle. "A few people have actually stopped me on the street." Short pause. "Get your suit on and let's go."
Trudging down the beach, Toby was amazed at how few people were around. Deep beach, big waves, steady breeze. Day carried a beach umbrella over his shoulder. Toby carried a beach bag Carlotta had supplied them with. Towels, drinks, power bars, and sunblock. Toby had thrown his phone in there, too.
Chatting amiably, they walked for quite awhile.
"Over there? That's our place," Day pointed to up to an expansive older Cape Cod style house.
"Wow! You live close!"
"Ya. The Turner's built as close as they could get to us."
"Really? Why?"
"It's a bit incestuous. We only live a couple of blocks from each other in the City, too. My family has old money. There's just has money."
"There's a difference?"
Day smirked. "Oh ya. They want to be just like us so they can get the cred."
Toby just stared at Day. This was way beyond his ability to understand, especially given his very modest working class background.
"Over here!" Day led him towards the back of the beach to some dunes. Wind and water had joined together to create a series of bump like mounds and small valleys. "We call this the swallows."
"Ok. Why?"
"Cuz it just seems to swallow you up. It's private back here. Secluded."
After leading Toby up, down, and around several dunes, Day pulled the umbrella off his shoulder and stuck it in the sand. Toby looked around. It was, indeed, hidden from anyone's view who might be passing by. You couldn't see anything or anybody. Quiet, except for the waves and the seagulls.
As Day secured the umbrella, Toby laid out two towels next to each other, placing the beach bag nearby. Day pulled his sunglasses off, stripped off his shirt and collapsed down on one of the towels. Checking to make sure the umbrella provided enough protection for his sensitive light skin, Toby likewise, pulled his own t-shirt off.
Laying on their sides, propped up by their elbows, they talked about themselves and their futures. One year of high school left for both. Day was probably headed to a select university, one in which multiple generations of his family had attended. He had the grades and he was likely to get in. The school called it a legacy admission. Toby had his eyes set on Savannah Tech. One, maybe two years in their hospitality management program. Then, who knows?
Toby allowed himself to study Day. Using any measure, he was an extremely handsome guy. Everything was in the right places. His shoulders and arms looked bigger without a shirt on.
"You must be in sports."
"Ya. I row crew."
Toby smirked. "Never met anyone who rowed crew."
Day smiled, "Well, now you have."
Nice definition to his chest. Brownish pink nipples, a little bigger than average. A six pack, not ripped, but still visible. His narrow waist gently widened out to his hips. Not a hair on his lightly tanned skin except for his legs, below the knees.
Just as he was screwing up enough courage to tell Day how handsome he was, Day spoke first.
"You know, you're extremely good looking."
"Are you blind?" Toby smirked, then blushed.
Day chuckled. His eyes slowly swept over every part of Toby's face and body. Shy as he was, Toby normally would have tried to cover himself up with a hand or bent his leg to cover his crotch. Instead, he just let him look.
"I mean it."
Then Day did something that had only ever happened to Toby one other time in his life. He reached over, brushed the hair partly off of Toby's forehead, and dropped his fingers to the side of his head. He carefully arranged the hair in front of and in back of his ear, ending by lightly running his fingers around its outer edges. Toby practically melted. Just like the last time, he was immediately hard.
Slightly embarrassed by his tented out swimsuit, Toby looked down. Then digging deep and finding the courage, he nudged over and planted his lips on Day's. In a millisecond their hands and arms, legs, and bodies were crushed together. Tongues battled each other for dominance. Toby was shocked with his own boldness but his need was urgent. He pulled back onto his knees and literally ripped Day's swimsuit off of him.
Day's cock was gorgeous, of course. Almost indescribable. Perfectly smooth, not a hair, not even a hint of stubble on his pubic bone. Thick, long, a spot of pre-cum on the tip. In one fell swoop, it was in his mouth. How could he possibly smell so good? Not like him. When he sniffed his own skin or clothes, he seemed to smell like cardboard.
Toby didn't want it to end. But, it did, of course. Day thrust his hips up, gasping, and poured his cum into Toby's mouth. He held onto his hips and clutched his butt for a long time, his mouth still holding Day's cock, until he softly pushed him off.
It wasn't a few moments before Day's respiration returned to normal. He stared at Toby who was now laying on his stomach. Sitting up, Day moved over, grabbed onto the waistband of Toby's swimsuit, and nudged it down and off, getting it caught once on his raging hard on.
"Your ass is more perfect than I ever imagined," Day said with a low chuckle in his throat. Round and white, dimpled on the sides. A boy butt. Toby could feel himself blushing.
Day ran one finger down the crack of Toby's ass to his butt hole. With a slight nudge, it was in. Toby's instinct was to clench but he resisted, trying to relax. Day's finger plunged deeply into him.
He pushed Toby's legs apart and pulled his hips up slightly. Kneeling between his legs, Day pushed Toby's butt cheeks apart. Short black hairs shown from his butt hole through his perineum to the underside of his balls. He bent over, took in his smell, and plunged his tongue into Toby's ass.
Toby saw stars. He gripped the edge of the towel, his mouth wide open in a silent scream. This was the most amazing feeling he'd ever had. It was as if he had been turned inside out. He wanted it to last forever. It wasn't long, however, before the orgasm swept over him.
Day fell off of him and back over to his own towel. He stared at Toby again, a soft smile on his face. Toby lifted himself up to separate himself from the goo on the towel. With a chuckle, Day pulled him over to his own towel. They spooned, Toby's back snuggled into Day's front. Toby's stomach was sticky from his own spunk. Day's arm fell loosely over Toby's chest.
It was quiet.
"Day?" Something came into his mind. Toby wasn't quite sure what it was or how to ask.
"Hmmm?"
"Is that your real name?"
"Ya." A pause. "Well, it's my middle name."
Toby's heart started to beat rapidly.
"What's your first name?"
"Eric."
His eyes widened. Everything quickly came into focus. The words on the note: " And if you are gay, here's mine." He'd memorized it.
Toby reached over, put his hand into the beach bag, reaching for his phone. He thumbed in the number, 917-743-xxxx. The line rang. There was a pause.
Day's phone rang. He picked it up.
"Hello?"
Toby heard Day's voice echo in his phone's earpiece.
"Hello?"
The End.
Voting
This story is part of the 2021 story challenge "Inspired by a Picture: The Note". The other stories may be found at the challenge home page. Please read them, too. The voting period of 17 Dec ember 2021 to 7 January 2022 is when the voting is open. This story may be rated, below, against a set of criteria, and may be rated against other stories on the challenge home page.
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