"Hello?" Pt. 2

December 5th 2016

"Guess what?"

"The sky is blue?"

"No."

"I'm pretty sure it is."

"Well, yeah, the sky is blue-"

"They why are you telling me that it isn't?"

"I- Never mind, I'm not getting into this with you. Now, do you want to hear my news of not?"

"You have news? Gee, Daniel, you should have said!"

"Sophie?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to hear it or not?"

"Urgh, fine, yes. I want to hear it."

"Finn has agreed to do the reading at the wedding."

"But I thought the boys kicked your arse and bankrupted you out of all your Tooty Frooties, and therefore weren't giving a reading."

"Yesterday's poker game is no longer important."

"How did you get Finn to change his mind?"

"Well, first of all, I tried to get Ewan to do it by attempting to embarrass him. I told him that if he didn't give a reading, he'd have to dance with Nola at the wedding but he seemed weirdly cool with that, so it was hardly ammunition."

"And Finn?"

"I tried to blackmail him but it wasn't really working."

"What finally tipped it in your favour?"

"As it happens, Evie did have some blackmail material that we could use."

"You know, that is considered bad parenting in some cultures."

"Perhaps. With Christmas around the corner, Finn has been going on and on and on about some computer game he desperately wants. Evie has already bought it for him, but that's not important. Finn will only get the game if he does the reading and I must say, the boy is desperate for the thing."

"Daniel-"

"Wait! It's ok. Finn is totally cool with it."

"He's cool with it?"

"Yes. Well, as long as he gets to pick the reading he gives, he's cool with it."

"Finn is choosing the reading he's giving?"

"Yes."

"An eleven-year-old boy is going to choose the wedding reading?"

"You know, when you say it, it sounds like a terrible idea."

"As opposed to when you say it?"

"Exactly."

"Do we get to approve the reading?"

"No."

"No?"

"He says that it'll ruin the 'mystique' of it all."

"Oh, dear Lord. I think I'd prefer if we didn't have a reading."

"We kinda ran out of blackmail material, so this is as good as it gets."

"..."

"..."

"What school does Finn go to?"

"St. John Lloyd's. Why?"

"No reason."

"Sophie-"

"I'm going to make him an offer that he won't be able to refuse, that's all."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea."

"It does. It sounds like an amazing idea."

"No, it doesn't. Don't go stirring the pot, Soph."

"I won't!"

"You are. Stop it."

"Trust me."

"I do."

"Then let me do this."

"..."

"..."

"Fine. Do whatever you think you need to do."

"Great!"

"Just don't make Finn hate me."

"I won't. I promise."

"Ok."

"Thank you."

"Mhm."

"I have to go now."

"Ok."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"And Daniel?"

"Yes?"

"You can trust me. Honestly."