#chapter Ten
Ian was silent when she’d finished speaking, and Maura let him stay that way for so long she almost fell asleep with the phone pressed to her ear. When he said her name, she opened her eyes. “Yes, Ian.”
“You never told me you wrote me a song.”
“It was in the beginning,” Maura whispered. “Before I felt like I could tell you how I really felt.”
“Will you play it for me?”
She smiled, sleepily. “No.”
Ian made a small noise. “It’s late. You should go to sleep.”
“You should, too.” She yawned.
“I want to see you,” Ian said in a voice so low she almost missed it.
Maura didn’t answer right away. He could mean he wanted a picture. Or that he wanted her to get in her car and drive to him.
“Dance with me?” Ian whispered. It had been their code for a long time, meaning that he wanted to see her on video chat.
“If I see you, Ian,” Maura said, “I’m going to want you.”
Ian made a noise. “Ah. Well. Best not, then.”
“Goddammit, Ian! You can’t keep doing this. It’s not fair.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Have lunch with me tomorrow,” she said impulsively. “Just lunch. We can go to that Thai place you like. Maybe a movie, after.”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“C’mon, Ian. Why not?”
The rustle of his phone had her picturing him shaking his head. “Because if I see you, I’m going to want you.”
Maura scowled, wide awake now. “You want me to dance with you, but you keep changing the song.”
“Maybe you should find someone else to dance with, then,” Ian said.
“I don’t want someone else.”
“You wanted someone else tonight,” Ian said in a tight voice. “Seems to me, you wanted him enough.”
“Fuck you, Ian,” Maura said, and hung up on him.