Page 50 of Three Not-So-Little Words
What are you up to?”
Just having some margs with my mom.
Sounds like a good time. I won’t bug you. Just wanted to make sure we are still on for tomorrow.
Dear lord, I hope so. We’ve been talking about getting together all week. My vagina has already penciled it into her calendar.
Definitely. What time do you want to come to my place?
I was thinking maybe I could pick you up, and we could go out for a little while.
Immediately, a pit forms in my gut.
Out? Like a date?
I typically don’t do dates. Let me rephrase—I do dates. But usually not when we’ve already hooked up. Then, it feels more like aseconddate.
I wait on pins and needles for his reply.
I don’t know that we need to call it a date. We go grab some dinner, you know to get our stamina up for all of the calories we will burn. And maybe we just do something fun while we are out.
I don’t immediately text back because I don’t know what to say.
My mom notices my sudden change in demeanor. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Huh?”
“You like you just saw a ghost. Are you okay?”
I consider lying, but I know my mother, and I know she won’t let it go.
“So, last weekend, I hooked up with someone at Liz’s wedding. We spent Saturday night and all day Sunday together. We agreed to see each other again on weekends, but on a purely casual level. We are getting together tomorrow, but now, he’s asking if I want to get…dinner.”
She throws her hand over her chest. “Oh, my goodness. Dinner? No wonder you’re so freaked out.”
I glare at her. “Your sarcasm is noted…and not appreciated.”
“Ronnie, what is the big deal about dinner?”
“It makes it seem like it’s a date instead of justcasual.”
“Do you like this guy?” She asks.
“He’s alright.”
“I know you must like him a little because you’re willing to see him again. And you’re getting all smiley about when he texts you.”
“I did not get all smiley,” I defend.
“My point is that usually, you just ghost or block them.”
Although she has a little bit of a point, I’m not ready to admit that. “He was an exceptionally good lay. That’s it.”
“So, why not go get dinner before you jump back into bed? You have dinner with friends. Why not just think of him as a friend? Veronica, I know you don’t want commitment, and while I may not always understand that decision, I trust you to make it.”
“But–” I interrupt.
She decides to come at this in a different way. “You know how you live your life trying to have as much fun as possible? You don’t settle down because you say you may miss out on something great?”
