"Oh, yah right..." she responded sarcastically.
"Are you off shift? How was your day?" he asked caringly, switching topics.
"Endless as usual, and yes I'm finally home... just got in actually." She replied.
"Oh, do you want me to let you go? Did I interrupt anything?" he apprehensively questioned his timing.
"No, not unless you consider a night of Deal or no Deal and some left over takeout to be something comparable to actually having plans or whatever..." she deadpanned back.
"Ahhh good then, so we can chat" he quipped back.
"I'm all yours" she said almost too quickly as she bonked herself on the head.
"I'm all yours?!?" could I possibly sound any cheesier she thought to herself, she felt a blush rising to her cheeks.
"Hmm, don't I wish..." he whispered softly into the phone suggestively.
It caught Neela a bit off guard, were they actually flirting right now over the phone? What exactly was happening here? She had no idea, but she liked it.
She suddenly had butterflies swimming in her stomach and the silliest smile plastered on her face. Good thing he couldn't actually see her!
"You still there?" he piped up from the other end.
"Oh, yes of course, sorry didn't mean to go all quiet on you there" she responded.
Her mind blanked and instead of continuing to flirt back or say something cute or suggestive she blurted out:
"How are you doing?... umm how's that girlfriend of yours?" and winced in preparation for his answer.
"Oh, uh... that was sorta over before it even started" he answered quickly.
"Oh, I'm sorry... really it's none of my business, but if you wanna talk about it" she offered.
"Well, what can I say I guess I have some very high standards, she didn't quite live up to..." he said quietly.
"Oh, Ray I'm sorry, it seemed as though you really—"she started to respond, only to be interrupted by him.
"Neela, bottom line is she wasn't you, no one will ever be you".
Ray took a deep breath, she heard his sharp inhale over the phone before he added,
"I miss you" he said it so softly and sweetly, just above a whisper.
"God his voice is so sexy" she thought, momentarily distracted by it.
"I miss you too Ray, I wish you were still here... ". She paused for a moment and took a very deep breath before continuing,
"...in my life, working with me at County...nothing's been the same since you left... I mean, I know we email and chat online and talk on the phone... but
after seeing you on Halloween, I mean actually physically seeing you and touching you, it just made me miss you so much more"
she finally finished, took another deep breath and closed her eyes as she leaned her head and body back against the couch for support awaiting his response.
"See, now how's a guy supposed to know that if you never say anything?" he choked out, obviously touched by her confession.
A confession, he had no doubt waited so long to hear was suddenly finally out in the open.
"I just did..." she offered quietly.