To be fair, he doesn’t actually get a lot of direct phone calls. At least, ones that aren’t from the office or about his nonexistent car’s extended warranty.
Sylvie’s more than a little surprised to hear the familiar voice, eyes widening. Yes, she’d visited him in the hospital just like she’d said she would, but…he’d assumed she was just being nice, that they’d part ways never to see each other again, because after all, it was convenient for her to pretend to be friends with him to get through the night, but look at how he’d greeted her the first time–
Wait, how long had he been silent?
“Yeah, of course I remember you.” It’d be hard for him to forget, shock or no.
He raises a hand to his chest at her comment, wincing slightly–he knows, logically, that there’s no way he could actually feel the cracks where his ribs came apart, but he swears he does. “I’m…fine. Just–gotta let everything heal on its own now!” He sounds a little like he’s trying to convince himself.
He’s about to remind her about his earlier offer when what she says next floors him. Hang…out? He knows what it means, of course, but…why? Why would she want to hang out with him? What does…hanging out entail?
“Um–yeah–yeah, I’m good for the rest of today? Did you…have anything in mind?”
“ huh? “ how is he still getting it wrong? “ n- no. not margaret ; molly. molly wolly doodle all the day. so, just molly. “ she winces upon recalling her full first name. she’ll never understand her parents.
he’s been awfully quiet after she first spoke, so in turn she takes her time processing his stutters rather than her usual rapid-fire returns. maybe he was hesitant? she couldn’t blame sylvie, not when she had been so distrusting of him when they first met as well. her finger goes to play with a phone cord, y’know the ones. those spiral cords rotaries usually have? except, well. she’s on her cell phone, so that just doesn’t happen. instead she awkwardly scratches her lip. oops.
“ oh, you’re free? that’s! okay, cool. i can work with that! my shift ends in roughly fifteen minutes, assuming my dad doesn’t flake out on me. which. he won’t. because either way, i made plans to go out to lunch. “ there’s a pause. “ i’m winking, i don’t think that’s. . . conveyed well over calls. “ right! lunch, it’s nearly mid-afternoon. hopefully sylvie has a little time to go out &&. about.
“ there’s this really nice cafe-extension in a bookstore, they sell soft stuffed pretzels, like four cheese - pepperoni pizza - so on. i think they have a spinach one too. i just know they’re reeeeally good with a freshly bought book, like. y’know, the smell. “ molly giggles a little at her awkwardness. “ i can get down by barnaby’s books in half an hour, unless you wanna meet up &&. catch the bus together? “
