This story is inspired by the prompt "wrong phone number" for a monthly Rumbelling

Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine

He'd found the phone in the backseat of his cab. He wasn't sure who it belonged to. Duncan Gold ferried a lot of people around on a daily basis, so it could be any of them. He thought about just leaving it where it was for a moment or two, but then changed his mind, took it off the seat, and put it in the cup holder so it would be in reach in case he ran into its owner again and he could give it back.

He drove around all day, but not one person that he picked up mentioned missing a phone so at the end of the day, he went home and took the phone inside with him, keeping it on his kitchen table first and then putting it on his bedside table before he went to sleep, wondering just who it belonged to, and what sort of person they were. He knew he would probably never find out, but it was kind of a thrill to wonder as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

But in the middle of the night, the ringing of the phone woke him up.

"Hello?" He asked, half-awake. "Who is this?"

"I'm gonna ask you the same question," said the surprised woman's voice on the other end of the line. "You don't sound like my husband Michael."

"I'm not," Duncan replied. "My name's Duncan Gold. Your husband must've left his phone in my cab when I drove him around a couple days ago. You are his wife, right? I have to say that when I saw you with him the other day, you both looked so happy. I envied that."

"But I wasn't with him the other day," the voice replied. "Was he with a leggy blonde?"

"Yes," Duncan told her. "And that's not you? Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks, but that's not necessary," the woman replied with a weary sigh. "We've been having problems for a while and so the news that he's cheating doesn't surprise me."

Then there was a pause at the end of the line. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just realized that it's three in the morning and you're probably tired. I shouldn't be keeping you awake just because I can't sleep. If you see Michael again, tell him that I know what he's doing before you give him back his phone, would you?"

"Of course," Duncan assured her. "But until then, whenever you need to talk, I'm here for you, day or night." He paused. "My name's Duncan, by the way."

"Belle," the woman told him. "And thank you very much, Duncan. That's very sweet. Now, I hope you have a good night."

"You too," Duncan told her. "Don't worry about Michael. If he's straying, he doesn't deserve you anyway."

"That's very sweet," Belle told him. "Thank you, Duncan. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Belle," Duncan replied, a smile on his lips as he ended the call and put the phone back on his bedside table. Poor woman. He hoped she called back, because he really wanted to talk to her again.

Over the next few days, when he was on his rounds, he waited to see if he would pick up that Michael and his girlfriend so he could give the man his phone back. Or that he would pick the man up and have to give him his phone back. He didn't really want to, though. Even though he'd only spoken to Belle once, he had a strong feeling that Michael didn't deserve her. Not that he would stop her if she called again and said that she wanted to go back to him, of course. Because whether she did or not was not his business.

When she called again, he was shocked.

"Are you okay?" She asked when he answered. "It is still you, isn't it, Duncan? I haven't gone and called the wrong person again?"

"Oh, no, it's me," Duncan replied, looking at his wide eyes in a nearby window and trying to calm down his heartbeat. "I just…it's surprising to hear from you. It's been some time. I didn't expect you to call again. Are you all right? What can I do for you?"

"Well, I just thought we could talk, if that's all right with you," she said. "Since you still have my husband's phone, you can tell he's not back with me yet, and I'm…I'm a little lonely"

"Of course we can talk," Duncan replied. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Just anything," Belle replied. "This isn't the first time that Michael's gone and done something like this. I don't know why I put up with it. I guess it's because…It feels wrong to give up on him, you know? When I married him, he was a good man, and people make mistakes, you know? They should be given the chance to try again if they want to. Don't you think?"

"Yes, but the question is, does he really want to?" Duncan asked, then felt bad because he knew what he'd just said came across as harsh. "Listen, about what I just said, I didn't mean…"

"It's fine," Belle assured him. "I'm not offended. "Sometimes, I wonder that myself. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too forgiving and it actually borders on foolish. You probably think I'm foolish."

"Of course not," Duncan replied. "It's not a crime to have a soft heart. You just need to find someone who will appreciate it and not misuse it."

"That's a very good point," she said. "You sound like the sort of person who could. You sound like you speak from experience."

"Yes, well, there were a lot of times during my marriage that I didn't feel appreciated by my wife either," Duncan revealed. "I can be a very difficult man to love sometimes."

"Oh, I don't believe that," Belle replied. "Any man who would accept a stranger's call at two in the morning like you did the first time I called can't be all bad. You have compassion. You're very kind. You're nice to talk to. I want you to know that."

"Well, thank you," Duncan told her, a blush coloring his cheeks. "I'm glad I can be of help."

Then there was a silence that was so long, Duncan thought Belle had ended the call, even though he hadn't heard any indication of it. He was just about to turn off his phone when she spoke again.

"Like I told you, this isn't the first time Michael's pulled something like this. It's the third. Or the fourth. I don't know." She sighed. "If he doesn't come back in…three days, can we meet? Face to face? Person to person? It would be nice to see what a good man looks like."

"All right," Duncan replied. "I-I would like that."

She gave him her address and to his surprise, she didn't live that far away. It would probably take him half an hour to get her by cab. "I hope Michael won't fail me, of course, but given what he's done in the past, I wouldn't count it out."

"If he doesn't come for you, I'll be more than happy to pick you up in a cab and take you out to lunch or something," Duncan said. "I know it's a small thing, but…"

"No," Belle told him. "I would love that. It would be perfect."

After another wait of a few days, Duncan was thrilled (even though of course he didn't say it out loud) to get a call from Belle again. "So…Michael still not back yet?"

"Oh, no, he's here," Belle replied. "But I still want to come with you anyway. Is that all right? I told him I had had enough and I was done."

"Good for you," Duncan said. "I'm very proud. I'll be at your house as soon as possible."

"And don't forget to bring Michael's phone," she reminded him.

Duncan ended the call and raced for his cab. He drove to her house where he found Belle on the front steps. Or at least he thought it was Belle. She was everything he thought she'd be, with beautiful brown hair, a lovely smile, and big blue eyes. She also had a suitcase in each hand.

"So you're moving out," he said as he took them from her and put them in the back of the cab. He tried not to stare or marvel about how beautiful she was, or even focus on how it was their first meeting. Now wasn't the time.

"Yeah," Belle nodded, smiling as she took his hand. "After we have our lunch, would you mind driving me to my mother's? And by the way, you're as handsome as I pictured you."

"Of course," Duncan nodded. "It's what I do. And thank you. You're lovely too."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Belle nodded. "And do you often stick around and tell your customers' mothers that you're seeing them socially? She never really liked Michael and has been on my back about being with him for as long as I can remember. Maybe seeing you will assure her that I'm in good hands. And it wouldn't really be lying."

"No," Duncan smiled at her in the overhead mirror. "It wouldn't. So…first lunch, and then to your mother's?"

"Yes," Belle nodded. Then she chuckled. "Kind of sounds like we're in a relationship already. Like we've known each other for years."

"It does." Duncan agreed. "Oh, and before I forget, here's Michael's phone." He handed it to her and she looked at it.

"I should probably take it into the house and not ask you to run over it with your cab, right?" Belle questioned. "That would be nicer." She opened the door, got out, went up to the front door, opened it, chucked the phone inside, and headed back to the cab. "It's broken now," she remarked casually. "But he can always get a new one."

"Are you certain you're gonna be all right?" Duncan questioned, feeling a little concerned.

"Yes, I will," she swore. "It's just that I've finally realized all that he's put me through. I put up with it for way too long, didn't I?"

"The important thing," Duncan told her as he started the car and pulled away from the house, "is that now you've started a new phase in life and you won't have to put up with him anymore."

"Yes," Belle nodded and stretched. "Yes, you know. You're right."

The End