some lie to tell

We'd come up with some lie. My dad was supposed to tell it to the person who answered.

He picked up the phoned, dialed.

Stammered.

Hung up.

Said, "I couldn't do it. I'm terrible at lying. I couldn't."

I said, "What are you talking about? You're a great bullshitter. You did it for a living."

His whole career, he'd been a marketer.

An expression broke across his face like cracks in dried mud. "I only pressed six numbers," he said, "It was all dial tone."