magicbeans. nothing if not awkward.

Chris calls mid-afternoon. 'Have you heard from Cybèle?'

'I talked to her last Thursday or Friday. Why?'

'She left me a message, saying she's going to be in town tonight on her way home from Philadelphia. But now her phone's not working, so I don't really know any details. She's probably going to want to stay at my place, but I don't really have any room for quests, you have like a bed and a couch or something now, don't you?'

'Well, I have two separate futon mattresses. I can't find the bolts that hold my futon frame together, although I've been looking. But yeah, that's enough for someone to stay if they don't mind the mess.'

'I'll give you a call if and when I hear back from her.' Towards the end of the work day he calls again. 'She says that she's not going to be here until eight or nine. So you probably should hang around midtown if you don't have anything to do.'

Cybèle left a message for me while I was on the subway. And later, Chris called to say that she was just going to continue on to Providence. He had had a bad day at work and wasn't up for going out. And later still, Cybèle called again, to say she had missed the last bus to Providence, and would like to stay at my place if that was okay. And while it felt like it must be close to midnight by this point, it was barely nine, and so that was fine.

We talked a bit. Caught up. Discussed music. Didn't stay up too terribly late.