When The Smoke Clears

Is it there? Do you see it and I don't? I mean, I spent about 20 minutes in front of the mirror this morning between my make-up and my hair, but I didn't see it. It must be there, though. Don't see it? Me either. So what on this beautiful earth possessed my friend to pull such a stunt? I ask you.... What went through his head when he sent me the string of emails? I'm getting ahead of myself.... Let me go back and fill you in. (*To protect the not-so-innocent, we'll call my friend Bob.)

Bob is a sound tech in the music industry. I met him quite a few months back at a small concert my roommate and I attended. The concert was fun.... We ended up taking the band and a lot of the road crew (Bob included) back to one of our favorite bars afterwards for some drinks and some laughs. At the end of the night, after a few too many beers, Bob tried to hit on me, but he's married, so I reminded him of that and told him we were just going to be friends. So as not to hurt his feelings, I left out the part that I didn't find him attractive in the least bit, anyway. Why throw that in when it wasn't necessary? All I needed to say was that I didn't get involved with married men. He just gave me a hug and said alright, that was fine by him.

Now, about a month and a half ago, I saw Bob at another concert and gave him my email address to get in touch with me before he and the band came into the DC area, which they were supposed to do a few weeks later. I did get an email from him, but the day before the concert (they were opening for a really famous band, so security was tight). I saw Bob briefly before the concert and told him I'd call him after the show to see about meeting up for a beer. He didn't call me back afterwards like he said he would, but no biggie.... I was kind of tired, anyway, and had to go to work the next day.

So this weekend, I'm going down to Norfolk for a friend's housewarming party, and that same band is going to be in the area for another concert. I emailed Bob to tell him that I'd be in town for something else, but that I'd try to make it out to the concert. I told him that if I did, I'd look for him, and if I saw him, he owed me a beer for ditching me last time. He wrote back and informed me that he is no longer with that band, but with another and in Boston this weekend for some shows there. He said I should stop by. I wrote back in my usual sarcastic, smart-ass fashion and said that while I'd love to jump in my leer jet and cruise up to Boston for the weekend, I let a friend borrow it, so I'd have to see him next time he came around here.

Now, here's where the flashing neon sign comes in. Still don't see it? If you do, does it say "Mistress"?

I checked my email this morning when I got to work, and there were two from Bob. The first one asked how much [money] I need to get to Boston this weekend, and the second telling me to go up there, that he has a [hotel] room Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. WHAT?! Where did we transition into this? Where did he get the idea that I would want to fly up to Boston for a weekend fling with him? We've barely hung out a few times, exchanged a few "hey, if I see you lets have a beer" emails, and he's offering to be my sugar daddy! I always thought that my sarcasm was pretty blatant, but apparently he read way too much into it this time.... As in he read that I was asking him to offer to fly me up to Boston for the weekend! He doesn't know me well enough to be in love with me, so he's not offering to blow that money on my personality. Can he be that hard up? The man is married! I was in the Navy, so I know that men are not always gentlemen, and I know that some married men who spend a good bit of their time away from home don't spend very much of it faithful to their wives. But come on.... Flying someone to you? What is he thinking?!