Call Me Tuesday Novels & Stories

Would next Tuesday work for your schedule? I read it twice, Sage's warning echoing in my head. Then I typed back a response. Tuesday works. I'm looking forward to it. I hit send and set the phone down, settling back against Zayn's chest.

(Julian) I call her on a Thursday because Thursday is the best day to catch people off guard. Monday they're defensive. Friday they're already halfway out the door. Thursday, they're tired enough to say yes to things they'd normally think twice about. She picks up on the third ring. "This is Julian Morton," I tell her. "Don't hang up." A pause. "How did you get this number?" "I'm resourceful. Are you free this evening?" "No."

It comes out as a question. "Exactly and how many times have I told you to call me Carl?" He asks. "Sorry sir. I forget." I say looking at the ground. "It's alright, it's just that Mr. Rodgers is too formal for my liking." He says and I nod, he tells everyone to call him Carl, I always forget. "Now I need you to schedule all the meetings we have on Wednesday to another day. We can't have any meetings on Wednesday." Carl says. I scrunch my nose in confusion and look at him, "Why? Is Wednesday a public holiday or something?"

He suddenly remembered what had happened between them the very first time they met and chuckled to himself. "You finally called" He continued "But after a week though" He added "Yeah, and I'm sorry about that. This last week wasn't easy on me at all. I had pending demands which I had to attend to" "It's fine. I totally understand" "So, I called because I'd like us to meet in respect to our former agreement. I'm interested in patronizing your company. You fix a date for the appointment. As for me, Tuesday will be fine. I'll be free from around 10am till 2pm in the afternoon. What do you say?"

New Year's Eve was a Tuesday. She noticed this at eleven in the morning and said nothing about it for four hours. Then, at three, she said, "It's a Tuesday." Lucian was at the window table. He looked up. "Yes," he said. "The significant days keep being Tuesdays," she said. "The filing. The plea meeting. The proposal. Now the year ending." "The server room was a Thursday," he said. "Thursday night becoming Friday morning," she said. "Technically a Friday."

“Fine. But you’re on diaper duty. Because she’s got that face.” “What face,” I said. “The ‘I’m about to ruin 6 AM’ face,” Adrian said. Standing. Shirtless. Sweats. Scar from Cayman. Also silver. Also always. “All my girls got it.” _Thump._ *7:44 AM. [SFX: PANCAKES. THEN CHAOS. THEN SEVEN.]* Kitchen. Not donuts. Tuesday. Pancakes. Susan’s rule. “Tuesday is pancakes. Because Monday was court. And we won court. Again.”

Tuesday came at nine, the way Tuesday always came at nine. I was at my kitchen table with my first cup of coffee, the apartment quiet around me, Ethan already at school, both cats on the windowsill conducting their morning survey of the street. The call came exactly on time. Margaret. Her name on the screen the same as it had been every Tuesday for months. I picked up. “Ava,” she said. That was where I noticed it. Not in the word itself. In the quality of the pause before it. A breath taken that was not her usual breath, not the measured composed inhalation of

the tubby lady ripped her away from him with a single swipe of her thick arm. “Ladies, settle down. We can always share me. Tell you what, why don’t we work on a schedule? I will be sure to squeeze you in.” “I call Monday. I already reserved a place for the both of us,” the other raging woman butted in. “Ooh, sorry. I have an appointment with my dentist on Monday,” he brought out a leather-bound booklet. “Is Wednesday good? I have already introduced you to my parents as my husband,” the vexing woman asked.

I said to her. " There is something you need to know " she stated out loud " What is it?" I asked " I will be available on Tuesday....... make sure to create time to see me okay...I will send you the address" she said " Okay Magdalene....." I said to her With that, she ended the call as I became lost in thoughts. What is all these secrets and revelation that they are all hiding from me? First it is the envelope, now Magdalene is calling to say that there's something I need to know.

"I was supposed to meet someone. My... my grandsons, I think? Or was it Thursday? No, today is..." "Tuesday," I supply gently. "Tuesday." She nods like I've revealed some great wisdom. "Are you sure?" I lean forward, projecting sympathy. "I'm Victoria. Victoria Sterling. And yes, I'm sure it's Tuesday. Would you like me to call someone for you?" Her eyes focus on me with sudden sharpness. "Sterling. I know that name." *Shit.* I force my expression to remain calm. "It's a common name. Maybe you're thinking of someone else."