“I don’t really think that’s what’s happening. But thanks for letting me know about this.” He opened his palm and gestured toward the door.
Julie stood up to go. Before she opened the door, she turned and said, “I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s just gossip. But I thought you should know.”
“I’m not worried,” he said.
Paul was worried. He was very worried.
The Date
“Many enter the Garden of Love thru the wrong gate…. Imagination often leads us into the wrong path…. Just on the other side of the Valley of Doubt lies the Mountain of Jealousy, which springs forth from lack of faith, understanding, and forgetfulness.”
—W. D. Gann, The Tunnel Thru the Air
“I had a weird conversation with Julie today,” Ian said as he got into Paul’s car after work the following Thursday. “She wanted to know if I had a crush on you.”
“She asked you that?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her you were the best lover I ever had.”
Paul was startled. Ian took one look at his expression and gave him an amused head shake and eye roll. “That was a joke, Paul. I think I need to make signs that say ‘joke’ so I can hold them up for you.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I lied,” Ian said. “Just good friends.”
“Is that what you said? ‘Just good friends’?”
“Something like that. Can we try Thai today? I’m sure they have something you can eat. I’m in the mood for something spicy.”
“You know, why don’t we just go home and order a pizza.”
“I want to go out. We always eat out on Thursday.”
“I just think… I’d rather go home.”
“Does this have something to do with what I said about Julie? You’re upset about it?”
“It just seems like there are a lot of rumors going around right now.”
“So?”
“I’d just like to let things die down a little bit. Maybe be a little less visible for a while.”
“That’s really why? You really don’t want to go because people might see us? You’re fucking kidding me.”
“It’s not…. Why don’t we just go home and order a pizza and then we can make popcorn and watch a movie. I think it would be nice.”
“Sure, that’s nice. I like doing that, but not every night. You did all kinds of things with Sara. I’ve seen the pictures.”
“That was different. She was….”
“What?”
“A woman, Ian. She was a woman. Come on, you live in the same world I do.”