The call

Chapter Seven

"After all, I'm your soul mate." It resonated through Sally's ears with a pleasant, warm sound. "My soul mate," she breathed, "Jeff, you... me... oh my gosh." Jeff wrapped his arms around her in a strong, comforting hug. "Yeah," he whispered into her hair, "Exactly like that."
Sally and Jeff talked for an hour. She had never felt so alive! Jeff really listened to her; it felt like there was some sort of mental synchronization that put them on the exact same frequency. When eight o'clock finally came, it almost physically hurt her to leave him.
"I love you, Sally Beck."
"I love you, Jeff Matthews."
Just as Sally was climbing into Zoe's car, Jeff pressed his lips to hers. Zoe's jaw almost hit the dash. When Sally closed the door, she actually had to walk her best friend through the motions of putting the key in the ignition, turning it and buckling her seat belt. They rode in silence for a while, until they reached a stoplight. "Sally," Zoe said, fighting to keep her voice level, "Did you really kiss Jeff Matthews, or do I need to call a doctor? For me, not you."
Sally smiled and fidgeted a little, playing with the hem of her skirt. "Yeah. I did. Don't worry, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact we're dating."
Zoe's jaw hit the dash. "Sally! Do you have any idea what this means? You and Jeff Matthews are dating, and you're finally starting to come out your shell! Miracles do happen!"
"Excuse me?"
"Well, that's about what I figured it was going to take for you to let go of your... Oh, I don't know, constipated lifestyle."
"Constipated?"
"Yeah. I couldn't think of a better word."
"Why do I love you, Zoe-Zo?"
"Who knows."