The literati looked at his colleagues in confusion. They kept getting the same answer. “What are we doing wrong?” he asked. The others shook their heads. He picked the phone up again and dialed the number. A guy answered the phone. “Hillers residence, how may I help you?” “This is Michael. Is Sarah there?” the literati asked. “One minute. Sarah! Phone!” they heard in the background. Soon Sarah said hello. “Sarah?” he asked. “Is this Michael again?” she asked a little annoyed. “Yes but your answer was unclear the last time we communicated. Was it a yes or a no? You said maybe.” He explained to the girl. “No Michael. I said no.” she said back, “Bye and please stop calling.”

This was very annoying. Why wouldn’t he leave her alone? This was what she got from being nice to people. How did he even get her number? “Who was that Sarah?” her brother asked. “No one important.” She replied. Before she even reached the stairs the phone rang. She sighed. This was getting to be a real problem.

Michael looked at his phone, wondering whether to call again. He had called seven times and she had said no again and again. He looked at a colleague. “Maybe you should give her time.” he suggested. He thought Michael was a little too far in with this girl that thought of him only as a fellow scholar. Michael nodded and the phone on the hook. “Maybe it is because I use too many circumlocution phrases around her to make myself seem smarter.” Michael looked at the tableau on his night stand. Sarah had actually given it to him as a birthday gift. Maybe she only thought of him as a friend. He looked at his colleague and walked towards the phone. “Michael leave her alone.” He told him. “Don’t worry. I’m not calling her. She thinks of me as a friend only but Rachel might not. She actually gave me her number,” Michael explained as he dialed the number. “That’s my man. Keep your options open.” His friend replied.