i rehearsed this conversation.

the greeting. the two likely replies. the exit line. all of it drafted in advance, in the car, more than once.

rehearsal is not deceit. it is the only way to arrive on time and sound like a person.

then the other side opens with something that was not in any version of the script, and the whole build has to recompile live.

you went off script. this was going so well.