Cross Connection (OS)

One Phone. Two Hearts

Kikko Cafe,
Queen Victoria Building, 29/455 George St.
Sydney NSW 2000, Australia.

It all started when Samantha and I went out for coffee, our Saturday morning ritual.

"I'm a dollar fifteen short..." Samantha muttered irritatedly, when it was time to pay for her coffee, "Rebecca, have you got any change?"

"Uh." A typically intelligent reply on my part. "Let me check."

I opened my wallet, only to find that I had spent my very last dollar on my own coffee. And of course, our favorite coffee place just happened to refuse payment through the form of credit or debit, our only alternatives.

"Nothing?" She asked, still rummaging through her purse.

"Ahan." I replied, also searching the bottomless pit that was my bag for any spare change.

"Suddenly my coffee doesn't taste so great." She groaned, turning her bag upside down. Several coins fell out among scattered papers, makeup compacts and hair clips while I looked around to see who else was watching this comic scene.

"Thirty four cents, yes!" She exclaimed, punching the air triumphantly.

"I have an idea!" I suddenly exclaimed, leaning back and fishing between the cushions of the couch upon which we were seated. Samantha raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless continued to watch with vague interest. I retrieved a few more coins and dumped them on the table.

"Grand total, seventy nine cents." She calculated, "Only missing a little now!"

I was amused at how we were managing this predicament to say the least. She caught my grin and smiled back.

"We are quite odd, aren't we?"

Giving her a nod I leaned back but immediately felt a certain vibration behind the cushions. A vibration? I ran my fingers over the cushion and my fingers brushed over something hard.....almost like a phone. I grasped the object and freed it from its couch prison, grinning as I admired an iPhone that now belonged to me.

"A dollar! A dollar!" Samantha exclaimed excitedly standing up and striding towards the cash to pay. The man standing behind it shot her a displeased look before accepting her money.

"I found a phone." I told her as we were leaving; showing off the shiny prize.

"Did you find that... in the couch?" She stuttered in disbelief.

"That I did." I answered, beaming. "A free iPhone, fancy that!"

"Eventually the owner of that phone will cut off the service and you'll have a useless free phone." She laughed passively.

"Way to rain down on my parade." I huffed. "Some best friend you are..." I paused and laughed, "Even if I only get to use it for a little while, it's not like I'm losing anything."

"Sure thing, Rebecca." She laughed again, "Enjoy it while it lasts."

•••

I was chopping carrots for dinner.

Then it rang.

Having never heard that tone in my life, I was naturally startled, and the knife that I had been holding flew right out of my hand and landed with a loud clatter next to my bathroom door. Taking a heavy panicked breath, I stared around my apartment in confusion.