He brought my hand to his erection. “I don’t doubt you, but I know men.”

My cell went off again.

“Let it ring,” Koby snapped.

“It might be important.”

Koby plopped down onto his back, smoldering eyes on the ceiling, and said nothing. This time, it was Rina.

“I just wanted to know when you’re going to pick up the old Volvo.”

“Oh … hold on.” I turned to my bedmate. “When do you want to pick up the Volvo?”

He exhaled loudly. “What time is it?”

“Around nine.”

“I have to be in at three. Twelve, twelve-thirty?”

“How about twelve-thirty?” I asked Rina.

“That’s fine. I’ll see you then.”

I hung up.

“Turn it off,” Koby said. “If it goes again, I will break it.”

I turned it off.

He leaned over and kissed me.

Within moments, there was another annoying jingle—Für Elise and it was his phone.

“Oh my God!” he snarled.

“You can answer it,” I told him. “I won’t get cranky.”

He glared at me and picked up his phone. “Yes? … Mikal! … Shit!” He sat up. “Sorry, mon, I forgot to call. I can’t come down; my car’s wrecked. … No, no, I’m fine. Some dude ran a light. … No, it’s totaled, utterly gone. My woman has another set of wheels. … Her old man does. Look, just run without me today. I see you on Thursday, mon. … When? Saturday? … Maybe. I’ll talk to the woman. Okay. Bye.”

I stared at him. “When did you become Jamaican?”

“What?”

“Never mind. Talk to me about what?”

“A party Saturday night. Do you want to go?”

“Do you?”

“If you want.” He eyed me hungrily. “I think I’d rather be alone with you.” He put his phone on his nightstand. No sooner did he lay it down than it rang again. He started to laugh and so did I.

“Go ahead,” I told him.

“Yes?” His voice was hard. “What time? … I can’t. … I can’t. … You’re not hearing me, Marnie, I can’t. I have no car. I have to pick one up. … I’m picking it up at twelve-thirty, so one-thirty at the earliest. Why not call Lisa? … When? … How long? … So call up Pat and insist that she come in or you shall report her. You have to control the people on your shift, Marnie. I keep telling you this. She’s missed more days than all of us together. … I know she’s a single mother, but I have a life, too. I am sick of covering for her. … No, I am not yelling, I am frustrated!”

He rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I know it’s not your fault, but certainly it is not my fault. Look, I try to make it by two. That is the best I can do. … It’s okay. … I know. … I know you do. … No problem, Marnie. … Yes, I will. … I must go.” He clicked the phone off. “Marnie says hello.” He lobbed the cell across the room. It didn’t break, but the battery fell out.