Page 34 of Pity Present
One look at her though, and I realize she’s more annoyed than embarrassed. She explains to our table mates, “Kyle and I used to date a couple of years ago. It’s no big deal.”
“Is he the same guy that left you for another woman?” Thor wants to know.
Molly glares at me. “You’re telling people about that, too?”
Thor grimaces. “I shouldn’t have said anything, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not you who should be sorry,” Molly tells him while looking me straight in the eyes.
“I’m sorry, too,” I tell her. “I wasn’t gossiping about you so much as I was …”Gossiping about her.“Looking out for you,” I decide on the fly.
“Looking out for me, how?” she wants to know.
“Thor told me that he thought you were attractive, and I didn’t know if you’d be interested.”
“After I told you I thought he was someone I could be interested in?” she practically yells. This causes the occupants of nearby tables to turn in our direction.
“You thought you might be interested in me?” Thor sounds pleased.
“Really?” It’s clear Krista doesn’t share his enthusiasm, so I turn my attention to her. “Tell me about kindergarten.”
While not exactly placated, she answers, “I can honestly say that I don’t like kids as much as I thought I did before I started teaching.”
“How many do you have in your class?” I ask.
“Twenty-nine which is about twenty too many.” She elaborates, “People start putting phones into their kids’ hands so young to keep them occupied, by the time they start school, children don’t have the attention span of a gnat.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” I tell her. “It kind of makes you nervous for their futures, doesn’t it?”
Thor responds, “It makes me more nervous for our futures. The kids today are the people who will be taking care of us in our old age.”
Molly shudders. “We’re lucky there are people like Krista who are willing to take on the job of training today’s youth.” And just like that, the women appear to have found common ground and the tension at the table starts to dissipate.
Thor and Krista finish eating before Molly and I get our entrees, so Thor suggests, “Why don’t we go and get our gear and then we can meet you both in the lobby for zip-lining?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I tell him.
Molly merely smiles. But as soon as they walk away, she drops her fork and insists, “What is your problem?”
“What do you mean?”
“First you told Thor that I was some loser whose ex left her for another woman, and then you invited yourself to join him while he was clearly on a date with Krista. Are you jealous he stole your woman?”
“Krista’s not my woman.”
“She’s all you could talk about last night.”
“All I said was that I met a nice kindergarten teacher. I didn’t say that I was going to pursue her.”
“You intimated as much,” she says.
“I figure we’ll all need more than one mixer before we know who we’re interested in dating.”
Molly death glares at me. “And yet you managed to friend-zone me almost immediately. Thanks a lot.”
Oh yeah, she’s mad. If I’m honest, I’m kind of flattered. I’m willing to bet in other circumstances Molly and I could have been quite a dynamic duo. But I can’t tell her that, so I go with, “Don’t underestimate the value of a good friend. The women I’ve dated have come and gone, but my friends are still around.”
“Yeah, that makes me feel great, thanks.”
