They’d spend hours talking on the phone. Started in the evening and quit when the sun came up. Talked of past and present. Marriages, divorces, life in California-where she lived- life in Chicago where he did. The two of em would talk about high school. And the first time they kissed. He kept a picture of her on his nightstand. She kept a picture of him in her mind.

She told him she’d lost her virginity to some movie actor out in Hollywood. A member of a famous family. Said they carried on for awhile. Till he got bored with her. The woman spoke of all the different life experiences she’d had. So did he. Talking about drug use and wild parties thrown in Chi-town. Models he’d dated, actresses as well. It made them jealous, this talk of lovers. It made them long for each other more.

And he told her about traveling all over the states. Living in New York. Dollar slices of pizza. Homeless shelters. Spending time in Bellevue. Telling her the truth. She was sympathetic. She listened.

These days were different for him. The insanity of youth had stopped. They talked of him moving out there to be with her. They talked.

One night she stopped calling him. And he would call, leave messages,but, it was only a voice on a machine. Left some wild rambling statements.

He tried everything to track her down. She’d disappeared. Left without a trace. He gave up. Chicago gets cold in the winter.