"How they lived their life, an eccentric romance of Shark and minnow." ~N/A
1.
"Hello?" I said nervously into the receiver. Me? Eddward Doyle Rockwell nervous? Rolling my eyes, I thought I was some lovesick fool speaking to his long-term crus-
"Hi? Who is this?" A voice echoed through the line.
"Is this Kevin?" There was a sudden constriction of logic, with the exception of millions of doubtful scenarios flashed through my mind. One, I was given a faulty phone number and have been made a fool of - Then again, maybe I do deserve to be made a fool of. My heart thumped loudly. God please, let it be the right phone number. "This is Eddward."
"Hi Eddward." In the background, I could hear an oddly familiar narration from an old TV show. There was a sudden silence, like you turned off the show to speak with me.
"Hi Kevin." I wondered if you were nervous as I was.
I attempted to keep my cool while enduring a long silence -It was not easy. Butterflies swirled in my stomach, tickling my fingertips, as I resisted the urge to blurt out nonsense. "Kevin?"
"Hmm?" I heard you hum.
"I thought you hung up." You don't know how happy I was when you replied -I would've skipped around my room.
"Wouldn't there be a dial tone if I did?"
"Yes, there would be." I mused. "Uh. What was for dinner?" I tried to make conversation.
"Leftovers. What about you?"
"Uh, I had…" What did I have for dinner? "I had meatloaf." Speaking with you muddled my mind, I couldn't remember if I were left handed or right.
"Sound delicious."
My hands tingled as you laughed through the phone. Gulping dryly I continued small talk until you asked me a personal question.
"Eddward?"
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"You can ask me anything."
"Alright." I waited anxiously as I listened to you sigh and mumbled to yourself.
"Take your time."
"How did you. Um. Why do you- I mean."
"Who, what, when, how?" I teased.
You airily chuckled before exhaling heavily into the receiver, momentarily buzzing my side. "I mean. How did you know?"
"Know what?"
"That you're Jimmy Barnes."
My stomach twitched and my throat quivered. "Wh-wha?" I couldn't help the smile that twitched onto my lips and the urge to hold my stomach. "What?" I burst into a laughing fit.
"Nh, Nevermind!"
Feeling bad for laughing, I said, "No, no. Not nevermind. You were asking how I knew?"
You hesitantly replied but I waited patiently. "Uh. Yeah. Um. How did you know? or, I mean, when? I'm not sure how to ask this question appropriately."
"Its alright." My heart beated heavily I thought you would hear it. How did I know? But I didn't? Did I? "Uh." Shit, I didn't know how to respond. "I. Just. I just knew, I guess."
"You just knew?" You sighed, or maybe released a long held breath. You sounded like you were in the clouds.
I take back what I thought earlier. I am some lovesick fool speaking to his long-term crush.