I had to miss the last couple of shoes, including tonight's. While in Clio, I lost the use of my vehicle. Alyssa and I were in a chat room and I jokingly made reference to her being a high-priced hooker. I thought high-priced was a compliment, but apparently she didn't share my opinion. She got pissed and put sugar in my gas tank. So yeah. I won't be driving that car for a while. I took a bus home without her. Hell if I know where she is now.

Clay's performance tonight, which I was regrettably missing, was about an hour from my hometown. We were almost breathing the same air. The same beautiful luxurious air.

I was dying to call him to further discuss last night's conversation. I couldn't very well call him in the middle of a show, so I had to waste some time while I waited for him to finish. While waiting, I decided to rearrange the pictures of Clay on my Wall of Beauty. It's the two walls in my corner of the office that surround my desk and computer. Before I could make any changes on my wall, the telephone rang.

When I picked it up, a male voice whispered. "Dip it low. I'ma show you how to make your man say oh."

"You know how to make a man say oh?"

He cursed and hung up.

I had no clue who it was. It couldn't have been Pat. He was sitting at his computer on the other side of the room. I knew it wasn't Clay. First of all, he would never cuss. Secondly, he couldn't dip an ice cream cone low, let alone a woman and her parts. It didn't sound like Ry, but it had to be him. Oh God. I'm calling him Ry. That's too comfortable.

I took the phone off the hook until it was time to call The Clay. I waited till I knew he'd be on the bus and have time for talking. Then I slipped into something more comfortable, my footy pajamas, and called him.

The phone rang quite a few times before he finally answered it. "Hello?"

"Hello, Clayton."

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Hi."

"I was just calling to talk about the song lyrics from yesterday."

"You mean the ones you stole from Air Supply?"

"Can we not nitpick the little things please?"

"I'm sorry. They were beautiful. They were wonderful. But I think I have enough song writers right now."

"I may not have written those lyrics with my own hand, but they still came from the heart."

He was quiet for a minute. Then he spoke gently.

"That's very sweet. You're very sweet."

Before I could thank him with a swoon, my call waiting beeped. I told him I had another call and put him on hold.

My phone is programmed to play a different song every time I put it on hold. This time it was Cher's 'Believe'.

I clicked over and heard a familiar voice. "Hey sexy."

"Ryan! I'm talking to Clay!"

He gruffly muttered something I couldn't make out.

"He was just in the middle of complimenting me and you interrupted."

"If its compliments you want, I've got plenty of them."

"I've got to go."

"Your voice is like a fine wine."

"Gotta go."

"Your eyes are like amber waves of grain."

"What? Look, I gotta go."

I clicked back to the other line. Clay was singing along to Cher. "Do you believe in life after love?"

"Clay?"

"Oh, sorry... who was it?"

"Ryan. He's such a queen."

He giggled.

"You're funny."

Again a beep from the other line interrupted my swoon.

"Can you hold on again? I've got another call."

"Mmmhmm."

I clicked over to the other line. "Hello?"

"Hey baby."

"Seacrest! Whatever you're selling, I ain't buying!"

"Look out the window."

"Leave me alone."

"Look out the window." He insisted.

"I'm not looking, Seacrest! You're probably standing out there butt naked."

"Just look!"

"If I look, will you leave me alone?"

He didn't answer.

I went over to the window and looked out. Clay's bus was just turning the corner. I cursed.

"I told you to look."

"Up yours."

I opened the front door and ran out onto the lawn as I clicked back over to Clay.

"You just drove past my house!"

"Oh really?"

He covered the receiver and told the driver to step on it. I heard the engine rev.

"I heard that!"

"Heard what? I was just telling the driver how beautiful you sound."

I giggled. So did he.

"Can we consider this phone call a date?"

I couldn't hear his reply over the beep of the call waiting.

"Goddamnit!"

"Don't say that!"

I added it to the book of forbidden words as I clicked over to the other line.

"I just called to tell you I'm thinking about you."

"Seacrest!"

"Call me Seacrest again."

I went back to the other line.

"It was Ryan again. He won't leave me alone. You have no idea how annoying that is."

"Why was 'Touch' your on hold song?"

He sounded angry.

"Uh... cause I like it?"

"It's evil. That's the devil's song."

"Um... actually, it's your song."

"I know. But that was recorded when they told me it was about feathers and honeybees."

"And you believed them?"

"Yeah. They gave me donuts."

"Krispy Kremes?" I asked.

"Yup. They're tasty... like you."

My heart stopped. The beep of the call waiting broke through the beautiful silence. I didn't even have to guess who it was when I clicked over to the other line.

"Seacrest!"

"What?" He asked innocently.

I called him a curse word I can't even spell and clicked back over to Clay.

"Clay?"

Silence.

"Clay?!!"

A dial tone was the only reply. I tried calling Clay back, but it went straight to his voice mail.

I scowled and unhooked my phone. I made a note to myself to have my phone number changed and unlisted.