Monday Afternoon, New York City
Tony lost his phone on Christmas Eve. He'd agonized for two hours over an appropriate gift for Lee's mom, finally deciding that a scented candle struck the right tone of being thoughtful and appropriate while remaining respectful. He hoped. He'd gotten his phone out to call Lee when he spotted an open cab and dashed for it. The phone flew from his hand into the gutter where it was promptly swept into the sewers.
For about half a second, he considered going after it, but he decided that introducing Mrs. Nicholas to her son's first boyfriend would be difficult enough without adding in a sewer stench. Besides, it had been an old phone and it wasn't likely that anything down in that frozen, stinking slush would be running up his phone bill. What could survive down there this time of year, anyway? Alligators? The most expensive part of his bill was the texting fees and alligators didn't have thumbs.
(Dinner with Lee's mom went surprisingly well. Granted, Tony would've taken nearly anything short of being burned at the stake as "going well", but even Lee had been pleased with the outcome.)
Tony didn't want to deal with the retail crowds on Boxing Day and with one thing and another, it wasn't until Monday afternoon that he got a replacement phone. And then discovered he had a message. Crap. He called Dinah's number right after he heard the message.
For about half a second, he considered going after it, but he decided that introducing Mrs. Nicholas to her son's first boyfriend would be difficult enough without adding in a sewer stench. Besides, it had been an old phone and it wasn't likely that anything down in that frozen, stinking slush would be running up his phone bill. What could survive down there this time of year, anyway? Alligators? The most expensive part of his bill was the texting fees and alligators didn't have thumbs.
(Dinner with Lee's mom went surprisingly well. Granted, Tony would've taken nearly anything short of being burned at the stake as "going well", but even Lee had been pleased with the outcome.)
Tony didn't want to deal with the retail crowds on Boxing Day and with one thing and another, it wasn't until Monday afternoon that he got a replacement phone. And then discovered he had a message. Crap. He called Dinah's number right after he heard the message.