Laurie Sirois: Orange Phone

How long had Jimmy had this fantasy? I tried to talk around it, but he called back several times in succession, and it became clear that he was fixated on wanting to jump. I was getting paid. Was this my job? Would verbalizing the command just give him a huge instant orgasm? Or would he jump out the window? I couldn't take the risk that he would actually do it. I just wanted to get him off at this point, I really did, and I was attached to him. "Jimmy. I'm sorry." "Wh-wh-what!" He said. He knew what was coming. "I'm sorry. I can't do it." I thought about making him call 911, encouraging him to leave his family and live on his own, telling him that he was valuable and that his life was worth having. "I'm sorry, Jimmy," I said again. "B-b-bye," he stammered, sadly, and I hung up. He never called again.

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Laurie Sirois,after nearly a decade in San Francisco, has returned to her home state of Maine. She now enjoys her rural environs, both as lifestyle and inspiration. The majority of Laurie's time is spent telecommuting to a technology company in San Francisco and caring for her dog, Otto.

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"Orange Phone," by Laurie Sirois, © 2000 by Laurie Sirois, first appeared in Tricks and Treats, edited by Matt Bernstein Sycamore (Harrington Park Press, 2000). Reprinted by permission of the author.