A Game of Telephone

Boca Raton, Florida - 2005

Aaron’s phone vibrated in his back pocket and his Mission Impossible ringtone blared at full volume. He quickly pulled out the phone and hit the ignore button. He was next in line at a local coffee house and the barista was giving him a disapproving glare.

“Sorry about that,” Aaron said, feeling his face turn red. “I’ll take a medium iced coffee.” He paid with a five dollar bill and dumped the change in the tip jar. The barista’s freckled face transformed into a forced grin.

Flipping open his phone, Aaron saw that he now had a voicemail. It was from Ted, his roommate and best friend who was currently blowing him off for their typical Tuesday night bowling to go on a date with his girlfriend.

The message was distorted with static, making it difficult to discern the words. Aaron listened to it three times before he was able to piece it together. He was pretty sure Ted had said:

“Aaron, man! I really need your help! I’m going to be sick. Katie’s going to be here any moment and I’m a mess. I’m blowing my nose, but I forgot Vaseline. I need you to get it out of my sock drawer and bring it here. Do it as fast as you can. My phone is about to die, so I’m really counting on you, buddy!”

What an odd thing to ask, Aaron mused. He knew Ted could be an absolute baby when it came to being sick, but this was even a little extreme for him. Ted should just cancel the date. Katie would understand. They’ve only had about two dates every week for the past three years, so not a major sacrifice in Aaron’s opinion.

Ted had sounded pretty urgent, though...

“Aaron!” a voice yelled in an exasperated tone. Aaron was jerked from his contemplation about Ted’s message. The barista was holding out his drink, looking more annoyed than she had earlier. Aaron supposed this was not the first time she had called his name. He took the plastic cup and muttered an apology before striding out the door and hopping into his car.

Aaron drove to his and Ted’s apartment, still unsure of why he was actually complying with this ridiculous request. It was probably some way of making amends for the countless times Ted had come to his rescue. The time he had run out of the gas on the interstate and Ted had left work to bring a canister came to mind.

Aaron opened the door to Ted’s room. Everything was perfectly tidy, not a shirt on the floor or a pillow out of place. He yanked open the top dresser drawer but all he could see were socks and a little black box. Ted’s illness must have confused his brain a bit. Aaron went to the nightstand and rummaged around until he found a jar of Vaseline. He sighed and then headed back out of the apartment.

He drove as quickly as he dared to get to the fancy seafood restaurant Ted had talked about making a reservation for. The picturesque white cottage style building was right on the waterfront, providing a stunning ocean view.

Aaron told the hostess he was just there to bring something to a friend. She gave his t-shirt and faded jeans a glance and said, “Sorry, honey, there’s a dress code. I can’t let you into the dining room.”

Of course, the task would have to become more complicated. Ted had better be dying without this stupid Vaseline. “Okay then, can you tell my friend, Ted Lewis, to meet me out here?” Aaron inquired.

The hostess scanned her list of names and tables and replied, “Give me just a moment.” She disappeared and less than a minute later Ted came sprinting out of the dining area, looking far less sickly than Aaron had envisioned.

“Did you bring it?” Ted demanded.

“Yeah, here you go,” Aaron said as he tossed Ted the jar of Vaseline.

“What the heck is this?” Ted asked incredulously.

“The Vaseline you were in such dire need of!” Aaron exclaimed, not amused with Ted’s antics.

Ted just stared at Aaron, completely dumbfounded.

“You said you were feeling sick,” Aaron said emphatically. “That you were blowing your nose, but that you forgot Vaseline. So I went to the apartment to get it and bring it to you. It was a lot to ask, man.”

Ted put his face in his hands then slowly explained, “That’s not what I said, Aaron. My exact words were ‘I’m going to propose, but I forgot the ring!’”

Author’s Note: This is one I’ve had sitting around for a long time. It was written for a workshop exercise using the prompt: Write a story where someone mishears another character. Decided to polish it up a bit and set it free!