Page 54 of The Flirtation

“That’s some hand of cards you’ve gotthere.”

“Well. Let’s not forget how creepy it is that you didn’t tell me we made out while I wassleepwalking.”

“Says the adult woman who pretended to have aboyfriend.”

I crossed my arms in front of mychest.

“Okay, right. You’re right,” he said, as he gathered up his belongings. “Let’s nip this in the bud before either of us does anything even creepier so we can still work together if we haveto.”

“Great! So we’ll cc each other on our progress reports for Bucket, and obviously email and IM and Skype aboutwhatever.”

“Work, youmean.”

“Yes, of course work. We work together. We work so well together, so let’s keep doing that. In the way that we used to. Before.”Let’s go back to flirting on Skype without theconsequences…

“Right.”

“Right. Right, you’re not going to fight me on this because that’s not yourmodus operandi.You’re going to let me whip myself into a frenzy and then calm down and realize how awesome you are and no hardfeelings.”

“Are there hardfeelings?”

“No! And it would be like really a lot easier if you could give me some hard feelings so I don’t have to feel like such a crazyasshole.”

He gave me a look, a look that clearly meant: “But you are a crazyasshole.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, the wind knocked out of me. “Thank you forthat.”

He tookhis things and left. I thought about running down the stairs to catch him before he was out of my building, but I didn’t. I thought about sending him a text that morning, so his last day in New York wouldn’t be totally ruined, but I didn’t. I thought about calling him before he left for the airport, but I didn’t. I tried to picture myself running to the airport and declaring my love for him. But I couldn’t. He didn’t text or call or run after me either. He wasgone.