I'd agreed to work from home today so a plumber could come and install a new boiler, which surprisingly took nearly all day. I'd promised my future landlord that I would come over during the day and sign the official contract, but I kept having to stay around to deal with the landlord. Plus, just as soon as the plumber left, I just about had to start another conference call. So I raced to grab my headset for the call, phone my landlord and explain that I was going to be just a little bit longer, and wave the plumber out the door.
Suddenly my phone buzzed in the middle of all of my frantic dealings, and you could have floored me when I saw who had texted: The silly boy. Over a month without a peep, and then suddenly there he is in my inbox announcing: "I am back. Have family in town still, next couple days, but thereafter...let's get together."
To say it threw me for a loop is putting it mildly. I mean, I've spent the past few weeks composing kiss-off texts in my head, thinking about what a bastard he is and how angry I was at him. And I was so prepared to never hear from him again...and then there he is. Defying all of the rules of boys who don't call.
So what do I do? Do I deliver one of those perfectly composed put-downs, the kiss-off that I was so prepared to send? I'm tempted, but then think better of it.
Because the truth is, I have no idea what B is thinking. Does he like me? Or just like getting together with me? I really can't cut off one until I've landed the other. And I have to admit, I'm incredibly curious. What on earth was going on through HIS head over a month without contact? Did he understand how he was torturing me? Or, like many boys, is he just utterly and completely clueless?
So my curiousity got the better of me. And I texted back, "Sounds good! Looking forward to hearing from you and swapping travel stories..." And I have to admit, at least the whole thing has helped me put the brakes on, to look at him with a bit more jaundiced eye, (and undoubtedly to behave myself!) So now, from a more level-headed perspective, perhaps we shall see. He's got no idea how nuts he makes me, and let's see if I can keep it that way.
As when I told my flatmate about it, she said, "Well you were away, and then he was away, and now he's been home a week but he's still got family here? Yeah, from his perspective, there was no reason to contact you all this time. In his mind, he's done absolutely nothing wrong." Maddening.
I went across the street to meet up with the landlord, and everything actually worked out perfectly, as my future flatmate got home at the same time, and we all signed the contracts together. My future landlord also told me that he had the bed situation all sorted out, so we shall see what is awaiting me when I get there!
In the evening, I went to meet up with my friend Marjanne for an evening at the theatre, seeing a play in Notting Hill called "How to Be An Other Woman".
I arrived at the theatre, which was a tiny little art-house kind of place, and ran into Catherine, a friend of Marjanne's who I'd met briefly at running last Tuesday. Since we were both early, we went downstairs to the pub below the theatre to grab a drink, and were joined shortly by Marjanne and her Argentine friend, Pablo.
Quickly enough, it was time to go up to the theatre, where we saw this very modernist play: There were only four women on a very bare stage, and all four took turns playing the heroine (a girl having an affair with a married man), the man (by putting on a fedora and speaking in a low voice), a supporting character (friends or co-workers) and the narrator. In short, it was all styled as advice from the narrator on how one behaves as a mistress, but of course taking you through the entire cycle of the relationship (first meeting, first tryst, first discovery of the wife, the downfall of the relationship, and eventual break-up). In the end I was a bit dissappointed, for instead of having a moment of righteous indignation where the girl stood up for herself, the relationship almost broke up by default, when the guy was too awful to be tolerated. Still, I know far too many women who put up with hideous behaviour from men (myself included sometimes), so it's at times hard to know what's just relationship growing pains, and what's not acceptable. But I think that the take-home message for anyone is that having an affair with a married man is NEVER going to end well.
After the play, we all decided to go for dinner, and ask we stood up, I was pleasantly surprised when Pablo automatically took my coat and held it out for me to get into. It's funny how much in life we've given up those little gentlemanly gestures, but how wonderful it is when they make a sudden reappearance!
Eventually Catherine decided to head home, but myself, Pablo and Marjanne went out for Thai Food at this little restaurant hidden down a back alley behind Notting Hill Gate. We were greeted by a classic Thai "lady by" at the door (a young male-to-female transexual), and I didn't even notice until Marjanne pointed it out to me.
Dinner was good, with a spring chicken that they actually lit on fire, for quite a dramatic show at our table! We had some amusing conversation, although now I can't quite remember what about, and then as we were leaving, Marjanne offered to drive me home. Given that it had just started raining, I eagerly accepted!
As just the two of us walked back to her car, Marjanne told me that Pablo was divorced, apparently some very complicated situation with a Cuban lawyer, and although they were separated, it obviously made women wary of getting involved with him, although he's a wonderfully nice guy. Given the play we'd just seen this evening, I sort of wondered how he must have reacted to it, although Marjanne said she'd thought the same thing, but that Pablo had actually been the one to pick the play, so at least he knew what he was getting into...
Marjanne dropped me back at my house, and I went back to mine, thankful that as complicated as my life might seem at times, at least I have a lot less drama than some other people!
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