After graduation, you began living together. You got a landline so the phone would be more accessible for Sam's drawing project. You got a job at some consulting firm downtown. There were a lot of recent grads beginning their careers at your firm, and so you began to meet a lot of people.

Sam sat at home while you were at work. He stared at the phone and thought about dialing your work number with a pad of paper nearby, just in case he summoned the courage to disturb your day. Wouldn't you be happy that he called? No, you would say that you were on to him, and that he better not be drawing, you had to make money, you know. But so did he.

Sam picked up the phone, involuntarily his fingers dialed a number by heart, the number to someone originally from Reykjavik. He met this woman at a bar who happened to be in town on international business. They hit it off that night. He was thinking of the future, that she would make an outstanding contact abroad. Anonymous voices weren't inspiring him lately. He could see all their future phone conversations in her eyes, he saw masterpieces, gallery shows. This is how he rationalized it. They went to her hotel room.

That night, you didn't come home from work, either. Your new work friend met up with you for drinks. You had so many things in common, same type of family background, same job, same career path interests. You had to rationalize.

The next morning you met up in the kitchen, both entering the apartment with a creak as you both opened opposite doors. You entered through the kitchen and he the front room. You were caught, both red-handed. You walked into the bathroom, applied fresh makeup and straightened up your hair. Sam brewed a pot of coffee. The aroma stifled the space. You grabbed your bag before exiting the apartment for work. Bye.

See you after work?

Maybe.

The End.