Wrong Number

"Ahhh... Finally home."

The pink-haired doctor practically dropped the bags she was carrying as she looked around the new apartment she'd finally finished moving into. Tomorrow she would be starting at her new job, taking on the role of the local pathologist and forensic anthropologist for the Konoha Police Department. She'd just finished shopping for some new formal clothes for her job, as well as a few small things for herself to boost her confidence.

That, and a new phone. Her old one had died entirely, bad enough that she couldn't even recover the contacts from it. She was pretty sure she had Ino's number memorized, though, so she'd at least be able to reach her best friend.

Speaking of... She needed to make absolutely sure she shared her newest purchase with her friend. Lingerie was sort of their thing; if one of them bought something new, it was practically unwritten best-friend protocol for them to share it with the other. Taking a deep breath and grabbing the bag, Sakura quickly got herself into the new outfit and opened her phone, keying Ino's number in and sending the photo.

[IMAGE]

Sakura: "New lingerie!"

Oh, she had a feeling Ino was going to want more pictures, but why not just send her a little bit? Ino was too fun to tease; the blonde loved lingerie shopping, so it was only fair to tease her best friend a little.

Her phone buzzed, and with a grin, she opened it to see the response.

?: I think you sent this to the wrong person.

Her heart dropped.

Oh god. Of all the things she could do with her new phone, but--sending it to the wrong person?! It was one thing to send a text message, but--a risque photo of herself wearing lingerie?! That was even worse. Her dignity was absolutely shattered as she scrambled to fire replies back.

Sakura: OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY.

Sakura: I MEANT TO SEND THAT TO A FRIEND.

Sakura: I'M SORRY.

Sakura: I'M SO SORRY.

The poor pinkette, panicked beyond belief, tossed her phone to the side, grabbed the pillow, and covered her head with it in shame. She could hear her phone go off with a response, but she was far too panicked to respond to it. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. She was borderline ready to die of embarrassment. Here she'd thought she had her best friend's number memorized, but apparently not!

Finally gathering the courage, she pulled the phone toward her and opened it to see the response.

?: It's okay. Don't worry about it.

Oh, thank goodness. Whoever it was that she'd inadvertently messaged was a sensible person, at least. Nevertheless, the poor girl was still flustered, hammering back apology after apology as a response.

Sakura: I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY.

Sakura: I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE EMBARRASSED IN MY LIFE.

The phone buzzed again with another response, and she couldn't bring herself to read it. Not right away, anyway. She needed to stop and think. How was she going to get herself out of this situation? She had to offer something, right? Ino would probably tell her to ask for something back, but that was just her blonde friend being a saucy smartass as usual. She took a few more deep breaths and worked up the courage to check again, her jaw dropping at the two messages she'd received back.

?: Don't worry about it.

?: Nice outfit, though.

Nice outfit?! Oh, lord. She didn't even know who this person was, and they were complimenting her. Oh, lord. Hopefully, they were at least a good-looking individual on the other end, or she might find herself creeped out. She tried to imagine someone attractive before figuring out her response. Of course, attractive or not, Sakura was flustered beyond belief. She swore to herself she was going to send one last message and nothing more. That would be the end of that conversation. Forever. She would never look at any message sent by that person ever again, no matter what.

Just as she sent it, her phone rang, showing a number she recognized.

642-555-0186.

SHE WAS OFF BY ONE DIGIT?!

Fumbling and scrambling, she answered the phone. "H-hello?!" She asked, hoping the blush wasn't audible in her voice.

"...Forehead?" Through the speaker came a familiar female voice. "Talk," Ino demanded. "What did you do? I was promised photos." Oh, no. Her best friend could already tell.

"Um... Well-- you see, Ino..." Sakura began.

"Spit it out, forehead!" Ino demanded with a firmer tone. Oh, god. She was never going to live this down. Never in a million years was her best friend going to let her forget this.

"So... I went to send them to you, but you know, I got that new phone, right? My old one was so dead they couldn't transfer my contacts, so I thought I knew your number by heart, except... I didn't. I was one digit off. And I, um... I sent the images... to the wrong number."

The line was dead silent for a solid five seconds before Ino's raucous laughter could be heard on the other end. Sakura heard a clattering noise as if the phone itself had fallen out of the blonde's hand from the utter cackling she was doing.

"It's not funny, you pig!" Sakura shrieked into the phone, though it was clear her laughing friend couldn't hear her.

"Oh my god, Sakura, you are just... I can't even," Ino said through tears of laughter on the phone. "Please tell me you asked for--"

"No!" Sakura practically shrieked back at her friend. "I was not going to ask for images back!"

"What? It would be fun, and you know it. You know, a little 'show me yours, I showed you mine' going on. Besides, you need a hot date." Oh, not this again. Not Ino trying to set her up for the billionth time and Sakura having to stop her before things got too crazy.

"Oh, shut up. We are not going there," Sakura replied grumpily. "I'll send them to you tomorrow when I fix my stupid contacts on my phone. I am so not sending that to someone else by accident, like my mom or something."

"You know you're never going to live this one down, right?" Ino asked, a mischievous tone in her voice.

"Shut up. I know. Not a word or I'll strangle you." Ino's only response to Sakura's threat was more giggling. Ino wasn't going to tell the masses, but she definitely wouldn't let her best friend forget it.

"So, looking forward to the new job?" Ino asked, doing her best to change the subject.

"I mean, I guess I am," Sakura replied honestly. "I'm going to be doing a little more fieldwork and investigation since I minored in criminal justice, so that'll be nice, at least. Hopefully, whatever detective I get doesn't turn out to be some stuffy old bastard who hates a woman's opinion or something.

"Ooh, maybe you'll get the new hottie that started yesterday," Ino mused. "He is hot stuff, Sakura. You don't even know how hot. Tall, dark hair, dark eyes, lean but muscular, former military... quiet, but discerning. He grew up in a small town not far from here. His brother's a missing suspect in a few murders, too. It gives him an air of mystery, especially since he's the new Major Crimes detective."

"You figured all that out in one day?" Sakura asked, mildly dumbfounded.

"Oh please," Ino replied, chuckling. "I figured all that out on my lunch break." Sakura could just imagine her friend's smirk as she continued. "We're planning a July wedding."

"So you're going to dangle the carrot in front of me, then snag him for yourself? You're not very good at helping me get a date by doing that, you know. Leave some hotties for the rest of us, would you?" Sakura replied dryly.

"Hey, you're the one holding back. Look, if he somehow gets assigned to you, I'll let you have him. You can be all over that all you want." Ino paused, making Sakura suspicious of whatever comment was coming next. "You know, now that I imagine it, you two would make cute babies."

"INO!" Sakura shrieked, face turning bright red. She may not have seen this man yet, but knowing Ino's taste in men and based on her description, he sounded handsome.

"What? I'm just stating facts. Don't get all hot and bothered about it, forehead," Ino replied nonchalantly.

"Shut up! I'm going to hang up if you're going to be a pig," Sakura retorted.

"Oink oink," came the blonde's teasing response.

"That's it. I'm hanging up," Sakura threatened.

"Bye, sweetie! Love you!" Ino jeered. Sakura didn't even dignify her blonde friend's smartass comments with a response; she just hung up the line. Not uncommon between them, that was for sure. Today was enough, and her best friend wasn't helping, that was certain.

Well... she had plenty of work to do to prepare for tomorrow. She had lunches to make, unpacking to do, and she needed to make sure she washed her hair to save herself time tomorrow morning. It was time to crack down... and time to try and forget the awkward incident from earlier.