January 18, 2009
-
What I think happened is that he had something better come up. The first change in plans happened the day of the party. He said to make sure my phone was charged and on because I was going to be gone all day. When I got there I called him to say phones had to be turned off and he said, “Why?” There was so much noise in our building and I didn’t want to be rude so I said I couldn’t talk. He said something I couldn’t understand so I hung up. He sounded annoyed.
Once I was in my car on the way home I called but he didn’t pick up. I changed clothes, did my hair and started to get nervous. These people are serious Christians and they don’t drink. Well, Derek does on occasion but his parents don’t. I thought about going to get a drink before he picked me up but I didn’t want to be smelling like gin when I talked to his mother. Then I remembered the almost-empty gallon of vodka my daughter left after their last party. I gagged that down and waited for the phone to ring.
He was so sorry but it turned out his parent’s party was on Saturday, not Friday. Still in Washington, working on his best friend’s rental house, he was chatty but I said it sounded like he was busy and got off.
Saturday I had plans with the middle daughter, and he called while we were window shopping on 23rd. The sun was out but it was still cold, and we were walking arm in arm to keep warm. He said to call him back when I “had a minute.” Nothing I’d ever heard him say.
Two hours later I called, and he said he still didn’t know for sure what time the party started, hadn’t gotten a hold of his parents yet. Odd. I thought I detected some reticence in his voice. He knew I had a concert that night but it wasn’t until 7:00 or 8:00, I couldn’t remember which, and the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea of eating and running.
I called him back an hour later and said the concert was at 7:00, and I really wanted to go. It was at the Unitarian Church, and I needed to mend some fences. He said he was relieved, that he would have gone if I wanted to but that it wasn’t even starting until 8:00, that it was a surprise party. His irritation at the later hour sounded overdone. But his best friend was having a thing that he wanted to go to later that night that would have conflicted. He made like it was a guys-night thing.
So I stop at the store because now I have to cook and I think, well, he’s still going to need dinner. I had some salmon that he likes so I call him back. Now he’s backtracking, saying if his parents throw a fit about it he might have to go to the party. Not likely I think.
I’m getting out of the shower upstairs and I hear his voice. He is outside my bedroom window on the phone. I throw some clothes on, put a towel over my hair, and go see what he’s doing. He’s sitting in front of the TV.
Were this the middle of a trading day it would be normal. My house is his house I’m always telling him. But under the circumstances I’m pissed. I figure he wants dinner on his way to whatever he didn’t want to take me to.
Turns out he wanted to iron his good shirt. He’s going to a concert, too.
Comments (4)
that whole tale confused me… but then i’m terrible with the on/off thing….
He might have been feeling weird but would have to know how such a thing could make a body nervous. That’s reasonable and to be expected. But then again, he does seem a bit clueless if he is going to come to your house at that moment and make himself at home.
I hoped he was going to the same concert you were but I am not sure he did. Did he? Or did he blow the whole thing off on all ends? I wonder if old school chums showed up and absconded with the plans. I have a few people from my past that would do that and make a production out of it if I tried to declined. Still, as much as I said I was hesitant about him before and as much as he still makes me, the idea of you having fun with him is a good one. I like to imagine a smile on your face!
You have great tolerance. It is my weakness. I do not think I can tolerate this kind of game:)
Yep, that is my real name, so yes, you are voting for me. Thank you for checking it out and voting, if you did vote, or going back to vote. Just about to check and see if I am still in 3rd place. I want to say the woman who is in 1st must be in the PTA or something and has all the other parents writing reviews – stiff competition!!
