When he begins verse two, I reach for my cell phone and scroll through my list of contacts.
“Hey, Ben,” my voice lilts when he answers. “It’s Laurette.”
“Oh no,” Ben says, sounding far away. “Is he there?”
“He’s here. Who thought it was a good idea to liquor him up and send him out into the world with a guitar?”
“Look, he’s in a bit of a rough spot right now. Ashley dumped him.”
“Ashley Ashley? Well, I wish I could say I’m sorry to hear that.”
“She cheated on him.”
I swallow back a caustic laugh. “The karma! It burns, Ben. It burns.”
“I know. So why don’t you cut him some slack?”
“Absolutely not,” I reply. “You have twenty minutes to come and collect him.”
“You know I can’t get to your place in twenty. Not on a Saturday night.”
“He is being a public nuisance right now! He’s sing
