The Background Check

Day One - Apart

This weekend the geek had a "girls' night at the lake" and as expected, there were late night drunken texts.  Well, sort of.

Her phone didn't work, so she was dictating texts to her best friend which were to be sent to me.  Her friend, was also inebriated, so I actually got a call first.  I tried to get her attention, but eventually just gave up and listened to the entire back and forth - "Before I send this, is this ok?" 

I haven't been a big fan of receiving texts from people pretending to be the someone I'm dating since the masochist and her boys made it a much too regular thing, and this wasn't anything to make me change my mind. I just don't like the possibility that I'm sharing intimate comments with someone other than who I think is on the other end of the conversation.  It's kinda icky.

Anyway, after the approved trio of questions which included "hey man, where's the rope" and "u should totally come with me on my vacation", her friend added a bonus - "p.s. r u still shagging other people?"

I replied, "tell [the geek] hello for me, and advise her that dictation doesn't always work the way one thinks it does... lol... hi [best friend]."


Day Two - Confessional

"I missed you."

When she returned, the geek messaged me and we got together for a bit.  She was sore and hungover, so we watched an episode of Coupling, then just lay in bed for a bit, snuggling, talking.

"What was I supposed to ask you again?" the geek said.  "Oh yeah, BF said I was supposed to ask you if you were on anti-depressants."  

"Nope, " I blurted out, "just Ritalin.  I'm narcoleptic." 

"What's that?" she asked, and I hurriedly spilled all the details surrounding my embarrassing weakness, the need for pharmaceutical stimulants to stay awake in the day.

We went on to other topics, and then she stopped.  "I have a confession."

She hesitated.

"What is it?"  I asked.

She hesitated a moment more, and then... "I like to smoke."

"Ah..."

"You're the first guy I've dated and told."

I felt a little pride, as it meant she felt closer to me than those who dated her before me.  Later I noted that it was also a safe time to confess, following my more shameful revelation, and I wondered if she realized that.


Day Two - The Twist



We've been exclusive since week two.  The word "girlfriend" has rolled around in my head more than a few times, but after a month of dating it didn't quite feel like something appropriate to be said out loud.  Somehow tonight, however, we got into a discussion, and the word came out, albeit with a tentative feel.

She voiced the pertinent attributes - exclusive, sleeping together... and said, "I guess so..."  I tried to backpedal a bit, sensing that she wasn't comfortable applying the boyfriend/girlfriend label to what we are, but she wouldn't let me and it is now apparently official.

In a way, it makes me nervous.  She's pointed out many situations where a guy pushed into the relationship zone too far too fast, and I feel like I'm on risky ground.

Perhaps I am.