Julian sat up in bed, clutching the blanket to her naked chest and coursing a hand through her hair. Next to her, Conor laid asleep, still tired from their activities during the night previous. Climbing out of bed, Julian made her way to the shower to get ready for the day.

They’d arrived in Salt Lake City late last night, after eight hours of straight driving. Leigh had opted for her own room, and Julian was grateful for that. After Conor’s affirmation that they were lovers, the two had been attached since.

Freshly showered and clothed, Julian pocketed her wallet and snuck out of the room. Breakfast was her priority, but the hotel didn’t have a provided one. Fast food would have to do. In the McDonald’s, she sat down to eat her own food, and texted Leigh and Conor to come to the building and sit with her.

After sending the messages and setting her phone down, she tried to tuck into her pancakes. The little device began to ring again, with an unfamiliar phone number. She stared the phone down until it stopped, and stubbornly went back to eating. The chime went off one final time, signaling she had a voicemail.

Fed up, Julian snatched her phone up and checked the inbox.

You have 1 new message. To listen to new messages, press 1- “Julian? Jules? It’s… It’s me. Call me back.”

Pressing a button to save the message, Julian slowly brought the phone down to rest in her lap. After a period of inactivity, the phone call ended and she sat there in shocked silence.

Once more, the dialed her voicemail and listened to the message. That voice was so familiar, but she couldn’t place it. It didn’t connect with a name in her head. But he said her nickname. The nickname reserved for her father.

In the midst of a third listen, Leigh slid into the booth across from her. Leigh could tell from the mix of emotions running across Julian’s face that something was wrong. Snatching the phone from Julian’s limp hand, Leigh listened to the message and was appropriately shocked.

“It’s… it’s not him, is it? Maybe it’s my mother. Maybe she’s trying to trick me.”

“It might be, Julian. Don’t call that number back. If he calls again, let it go to voicemail. See what it says. I wouldn’t put it past Marian to try and catch you,” Leigh leaned across the table to grab her own pancakes off the tray, “Wait it out.”

“That voice, Leigh. Why is it so familiar?”

“Maybe one of your mother’s friends?”

“All mom’s friends are female, Leigh,” Julian pushed her food around on the Styrofoam plate and chewed on the inside of her cheek, “Any other ideas?”

“You said your mom let your dad around when you were a baby. Maybe subconsciously you remember his voice, and it’s really your dad?”

“I don’t think so. Mom wouldn’t give him my number, Leigh,” Julian dropped her plastic fork and began to rub her forehead furiously, “How long are we going to stay here? This is making me want to get back on the road again.”

“I saw something about there being some big fireworks show tonight. I was thinking we could check that out, and maybe head out on the road again tomorrow night.”

“That long?”

“Live a little, Julian. We haven’t stopped to see anything interesting since we set out on this trip.”

“This wasn’t a leisure trip, Leigh,” Julian frowned at her friend and tried to force down some of her breakfast. After the voicemail, she wasn’t very hungry anymore. Leigh seemed to be unaffected, shoveling down her food with pleasure.

“Where’s Conor?” Julian asked, and Leigh wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, wiping a sticky trail up her cheek on accident.

“I tried getting him up this morning to come with. He said he had to make some phone calls for his band, get some things sorted out I guess. He’s probably in trouble with them or something.”

“Well shit, now I feel bad,” Julian pushed her empty pancake container away and leaned back in the booth. Leigh polished off her food, and the two of them got a bag to put Conor’s leftovers in.

“What time is that fireworks B.S.?”

“The flier just said around nightfall. I was thinking we could all sneak up to the roof of the hotel and watch it there?” Julian nodded in agreement, and parted ways from Leigh when they made it back to the hotel. Conor was sitting up in bed with a notebook on his lap, arguing with someone over the phone. Julian tried not to listen, and instead left his food on the desk in the room.

Half an hour of waiting, and Conor was finally off the phone. He flipped the notebook shut and ran his hand through his hair. Julian watched him carefully, waiting for the explanation that was surely coming.

“We’re starting recording soon, they need me to get back to Omaha,” he sighed, and Julian’s heart dropped to her stomach, leaving her confused.

“You’re leaving?”

“I have to, Julian. It’s my job.”

“I know, but… I don’t want you to go,” she finished quietly, crawling on the bed to curl under his arm. They laid in silence for a long time, before he squeezed her to get her attention.

“Lovers, remember. Nothing more, nothing less. We can’t get attached.”

“I can’t help it,” she grumbled, turning her face into his bare chest. He laughed quietly before leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

“I’ll come back to you, Julian.”

Notes

thanks for reading.