Chapter 12: Chapter 12; I called
Six months had passed since Tehila started working at Greenwood Investments. She had settled into her new routine and was loving every minute of it. As she sat on her couch, playing with Mylo, she couldn't help but think about how far she had come.
"Mylo, you've grown so much!" Tehila exclaimed, tossing the little dog a softball. "And I've changed so much too. I'm finally happy and free from all the drama with my parents."
Tehila thought about how her life had turned around since she left her parents' house. She was now financially independent, thanks to her job at Greenwood Investments. She was earning a good salary and was able to take care of herself and Mylo.
As she watched Mylo chase after the softball, Tehila's mind wandered to the mysterious guy whose number and name were still saved in her phone. She had never called him, but she had thought about him often, especially since she had been having the same dream about him every night.
Tehila wondered if she should call the guy and ask him out. She had never seen him before, but she felt drawn to him in a way she couldn't explain.
As she sat on the couch, tossing the softball to Mylo, Tehila thought about what she should do. Should she take a chance and call the mysterious guy, or should she just forget about him and move on with her life?
The parrot, who was perched on his swing, looked at Tehila and squawked, "Call him! Call him!"
Tehila laughed and shook her head. "I don't know, Polly. I'll have to think about it."
Tehila walked into her bedroom, Mylo trotting faithfully behind her. She opened the locker by her bedside and pulled out the crumpled paper with the phone number and name - Lucien Phoenix. She had been playing with the idea of calling him for weeks now.
"Should I do it?" she asked herself, staring at the paper.
Before she could change her mind, Tehila dialed the number. It rang several times before a polished voice answered.
"Hello, This is ryan wood,this is a private number. Who is this?" the secretary asked.
"Hi," Tehila said, trying to sound confident. "I need to speak with Lucien Phoenix."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "May I ask who is calling?" the secretary inquired.
Tehila took a deep breath. "I'm his wife."
The secretary's tone changed from professional to surprised. "I... uh... I'll get back to you."
Tehila waited anxiously for five minutes before the phone rang again. She picked it up, expecting the secretary's voice, but instead, a low, husky voice spoke.
"Hello?" he said.
Tehila's heart skipped a beat. "Hi... Lucien?"
"Yeah," he replied, his voice cold and raspy. "I know who you are. You're Tehila, my wife."
Tehila's eyes widened. "Yeah... that's me."
Lucien's tone remained detached. "So, what can I do for you?"
Tehila hesitated. "I was just wondering... where are you? I've never seen you before."
Lucien's response was matter-of-fact. "I'm not in the country. I had to travel for work."
Tehila's curiosity got the better of her. "Okay... when are you coming back? I'd love to meet you."
Lucien's voice remained neutral. "Yeah, I'd like to see you too. We can discuss whether this... arrangement can work for us or if we should just go our separate ways."
Tehila's heart sank at the mention of divorce, but she tried to sound calm. "Okay... that sounds good."
The line went silent for a moment before Lucien spoke up again.
"I'll be in touch soon."
And with that, the call ended, leaving Tehila wondering what she had just gotten herself into.