Kevin held the receiver in his hand, his palms slick with cold sweat. He looked at the numbers, let his fingers touch, but not actually dial the digits.

Should I call her?

His friends all knew he was in love. They’d been teasing him mercilessly for two weeks, wondering when they would finally get to meet the woman that had him acting like he’d lost his marbles. But Kevin wasn’t sure they were ready yet.

Will they like her?

He knew they would mock him. They all thought of themselves as progressive, but this was way beyond what any of them might think was normal.

She’s just perfect for me

The sound of her voice was all it took to send shivers up and down his spine. He knew in his heart of hearts that he was madly, desperately, deeply in love. He’d already called six times today, but one more wouldn’t hurt. He needed to hear that voice tell him one more time how much he meant to her.

Slowly, he dialed the number once again.

“Hello, thank you for calling. Please press one….”