Sunday, February 05, 2006

Yet Another Love Story - Chapter 3

Over the next three months, they go to lunch or for coffee/drinks after work, at least a couple of times a week.

Once during lunch, “Are you free this friday night?” he asks.

“Yeah, I think so” she says.

“Would you like to go to a friend’s birthday party with me?”

“Sure. Who is the party for?”

“An old college friend of mine. I keep in touch with him sporadically. But he is in the same town and so I thought it would be nice to go to his party.”

“I am game. We can do that” she says.

So friday comes, and they both go to the party. There are about 20 people there but he didn’t know anybody other than his friend and she didn’t know anybody other than him. So they find themselves talking to one another most of the time. After a few drinks, she decides to bring up THE topic.

“uh um, I have been meaning to tell you something” she says, almost like a whisper.

“What is it?” he asks, gently (as if he knew what was coming).

“I really like spending time with you. The more time we spend, the more time I want with you. Does that make sense?”

“Well, it doesn’t make sense, but I understand” he says teasingly.

“I think I am in love with you” she says with lot of emotion and expectation in her voice.

“Thanks. I like you as well, but don’t you think it is too early?”

“I can’t really time my feelings, can I?”

“No, you can’t. But I think that I could fall in love with you eventually but would like to get to know you more. Right now, I like you, and that is it.”

“That is a start, I guess”, she says, somewhat disappointed.

“I haven’t told you this but I got burnt pretty badly in my last two relationships. So I am taking things very slowly” he says.

“I can appreciate that. As long as we keep moving in the same direction, I am alright”.

“Also, I want you to meet my sister”.

“I can, but I don’t understand what that has to do with our conversation here”.

“Since my last breakup, I am not so sure about my judgments when it comes to girls. I used to be sure but not since the last two breakups. So I talked to my sister a lot about it and she has volunteered to help me with my relationships.”

She could not believe what she was hearing. But she wasn’t going to act rashly, at this point.

So she said “If you want to discuss with your sister about me, that is your thing. But what do you expect me to do with her?”

“I want you two to spend some time together. That is all. Her opinion of you would help me a lot.”

“I am not sure I understand this” she says, a bit angrily. “I believe that we should take control of our lives, as much as we can, and not let others run it for us.”

“I used to be like that, till I went through relationship after relationship that did not work”.

“But all relationships are not the same. I am a totally different person than any of your previous relationships. How can you use the same yardstick without even giving us a chance?”

“I am giving us a chance, right? That is why we are sitting here talking and spending all the time together” he says.

“Ok, so what is it that you want me to do?”

“I would like us to meet with my sister and then I would like you to spend some time with her by yourself.”

“So you want me to spend time with someone I don’t know at all!” she says incredulously.

“It won’t be too bad, as she is my sister”.

“Ok, even though I don’t understand why you want this, I will give it a try, as I want to give us a chance.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it” he says.

“Shall we go now?” she says, a little impatiently, as she wants to stop this and go home and lie on her favorite couch to do some thinking.

- To be continued

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