Bittersweetheart

“Lunch, gee I’m not sure I can.”
“But I found a new way to drink coffee without waiting for the brewing process.”
I laughed, “Well that would be worth hearing about, but I’m busy today.”
He hesitated, then asked, “OK, how about tomorrow?”
“Elliot, how about if I call you and let you know? I’ll talk to you soon, OK?”
Click.
Who was that?
"Elliot"
Who?
"Elliot. My best friend, I told you about him.
Your former partner?
"No, that was Mike."
Oh. The paranoid one you dated?
"No, that was Munch."
The lawyer you dated?
"No, that was McCoy."
What is it with you and "M" people?
"Hahaha."
I remember now, he's THAT one.
"Yeah, he's that one."
What did he want?
"He wanted me to go to lunch with him. I told him I couldn't."
Was he upset?
"I doubt it. Why would he be? He's my friend, he understands how it is."

I suddenly had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. What if he WAS upset. I didn't exactly give him a chance to respond. I've never turned down spending time with him. I hope nothing was wrong. I don't think I even asked him if he was okay. If there was an emergency he would have told me, wouldn't he? I can't worry about this right now.

You know you could've ask him to go with us, Carolyn. Carolyn? HELLO? HEY BAREK!
"Huh? What? Sorry, I guess I was deep in thought."
No kidding? I said, you could've ask him to go with us. I would really like to meet him.
"Take Elliot with us on a date? You don't think that might be a little awkward? Doesn't matter he wouldn't have went anyway. Besides, you'll meet him soon enough. Did I forget to mention we are going over there for dinner one night?"
That should prove interesting.
"You think so?" He's so cute when he's being coy. That smile makes my toes tingle.