“Fast or slow?” he asked, rolling over on his belly.

“Slow at first,” she said. “Put it a little way in then pull it out, so I can savor the size of the head. Tease me with it.”

“There you go.”

“Yessss.”

“Like that?”

“Yessss. Now push it deeper.” She had two fingers inside her now.

“Like this?”

“Yessss. Stroke me deep.”

“I’m up against something, what is it?”

“That’s my cervix. You’re all the way inside me.”

“I didn’t realize that I was so deep.”

“You’re very deep. I like to feel you up there, Fire. I like to feel you up there. Now move around inside me and make me wetter. I know you can do that.”

“Like this?”

“Yes.”

“Faster or slower?”

“Just like that.”

“What should I do just like that?”

“Make love to me.”

“What?”

“Make love to me, Fire. Make love to me.”

“Fast or slow? Hard or soft?”

“Fast and hard.”

“Okay, I’m making love to you fast and hard.”

“Yes, I’m wet enough that you can make love to me as fast and as hard as you want.” She clamped the phone with her neck. “Pump me.”

“Can you hear me smacking up against you?”

“Yes.”

“Can you feel my perspiration wetting you?”

“Yes.”

“Dripping off my chin into your face?”

“Yes.”

“Raise your legs for me.”

“Oh God!”

“Raise your hips so I can get my hands beneath them.”

“Oh God!”

“Move with me.”

“Oh God!”

“Now hold still and take me. Take me. Take me however you want.”

“Come with me, Fire!” she whispered through clenched teeth. “Come with me! Come … with … meeeeeeee!”

She leaned back against her chair and pulled her knees toward her chest, struggling to catch her breath.

“Hush, baby, lay on my chest. I have you,” he said. “Lay on my chest. I have you.”

She composed herself before replying.

“Fire, I can’t believe that I just did that … I can’t believe that … Oh God, my skirt is all wet … Shit … If someone had walked in—”

“When are we going to see each other?” he interrupted. “I think it needs to be soon.”

“I don’t know,” she replied awkwardly. “You’re there, I’m here.”

“I want to see you, Sylvia.”

“I want to see you too … Fire,” she replied, while considering that she was back with Lewis now.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because …” she began.

“Because?” he asked, urging her through her loss of words.

“When I see you I’ll tell you,” she replied, laughing to ease the tension.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m coming to see you.”

“You’re joking, right? You’re always joking.”

“No, I’m serious.”

“Where are you going to stay?”

“With you.”

“That’s not … very … practical … right now.”

“It doesn’t matter where I stay, really, as long as I get a chance to see you.”

“You’re going to come for how long?”

“The weekend.”

“Just to see me?”

“Yeah,” he said casually.