He studies me, his dark brown eyes contemplating me carefully, as if he’s not sure what to think. I must look a mess. I’m frazzled and I run a shaky hand through my hair, smoothing it away from my face.
“Don’t you have one of those fancy smartphones?” He waves a hand at me.
“I—I lost it.” I smile but it feels false so I let it fade. “Please, sir. I need to make an important call. It’s an emergency.”
He makes a harrumphing noise. “I don’t give this sort of thing away for free, young lady. You kids are always coming in here and trying to take advantage of an old man. I don’t like it.”
The man is about to turn away and return to the back of the deli when I make a desperate sound. A cross between a yelp and a moan. He pauses, glancing at me over his shoulder and I hold up my left hand, showing him the giant diamond on my finger.
“Can I give you this as collateral? I just need to make one phone call, mister. Maybe two, if I can’t get ahold of them. That’s it. That’s all I want.” If he’ll let me hide out in here, I’ll do that too. It feels safe. Warm and inviting. I don’t want to go back outside. To be out there all alone leaves me completely vulnerable.
His eyes widen as I pull the diamond ring off my finger and hold it out toward him, my hand shaking. Slowly he turns to face me once again, a frown marring his weathered face. “I don’t want your ring, young lady.”
“Just—take it. Hold onto it while I make the call. Please, let me use your phone. Please.” I’m begging, but I don’t even care. I need that damn phone.
A sigh leaves him and he shakes his head. “Come on back here. The phone is hanging on the wall.” He waves at a very old looking phone and I push through the swinging half-door, offering my ring to him once again when I pause in front of the phone.
“Take this,” I tell him, my stomach growling again.
Loudly.
The man frowns. “You’re hungry.”
“I need to make a call first.”
“I’ll feed you. Make you a sandwich.” He seems glad to have something to do as he starts bustling about. “What sort of meat you want?”
“Turkey?” My stomach cramps so hard it hurts and I shove my wedding ring back on my finger. “Swiss cheese?”
He nods, pulling the glass door back and reaching into the display case. “I’ll make you a nice sandwich. You make your call. And I’m glad you put that ring back on your finger. I don’t need it.”
Relief makes my tense shoulders ease and I grab the phone, staring at the numbers for a moment, the dial tone droning in my ear.
Smartphones are amazing. Every little thing you could ever need is pretty much at your fingertips. But being so reliant on them means you don’t remember anyone’s number. Like my husband’s.
Frustration rippling through me, I dial the first number that comes to my mind. One of the very few I have memorized.
My brother Finn’s number.
He of course lets it go to voicemail because with my current luck, that’s just the way things work out. I’m watching the deli owner make me a sandwich, piling it high with turkey meat, swiss cheese and lettuce and onions and I settle the phone back into its cradle, the hunger hitting me so hard I swear I sway on my feet for a moment.
“You didn’t get through?” He glances over his shoulder, his bushy brows drawing together in concern. “You don’t look so good.”
“I’ll try again in a minute.” I offer him a faint smile, blinking hard when my vision goes blurry.
Right before it goes black.
***
“Oh look! She’sawake!”
An unfamiliar female voice keeps shouting and it makes me not want to wake up at all. Instead, I keep my eyes tightly closed, withholding the groan that wants to escape when someone jostles my body, searing pain crossing across the back of my head.
I’m on the floor, and I think I might’ve passed out? The deli was so warm, and I’m still inside—the unmistakable scent of baking bread still lingers in the air—and I recognize the male voice speaking as who I assumed is the owner.
“Don’t move her, Martha. She took a hard fall.” His tone is chastising and the woman just makes a tsking noise at him in return.
“We can’t let her lay on the floor forever, Arthur. Customers will be here soon!”