Getting a drink at the Corner Bakery soda fountain, I overheard two twenty- something guys chatting about a recent romantic development.

One (Chaz) said to another (Bart) "So you know that girl?"
Bart: "Yeah what's goin' on with that?"
Chaz: "I dunno man I'm kind of over it. I mean the girl's just too much work. I call her the other night and she's like, 'oh I really wanna hang out, totally, but I have a friend in town. Can we do it another night?' I'm like, there are only so many times this can happen"
Bart: "Yeah totally I mean it's like if she's not gonna start giving you some attention (implied sexual reference) then, so not worth it dude."
Chaz: "She doesn't understand the concept of the window. It's not like I've known this girl for years, you know, there's a window when you meet someone and it's not that big. You only have so long to fucking hang out and make something happen before you've missed the window and I'm like don't fucking call me again. I mean it's not like she's my dream girl you know?"
Bart: "Yeah she's done dude. Too much fucking effort."

By "too much fucking effort," I guess they meant attempting to hang out? Maybe twice?

The female version of this exchange might go something more like this:
Jane: "So you know that guy?"
Irene: "Oh yeah have you talked to him?"
Jane: "Yeah I called him, but I feel like he might not be into it. I asked if he wanted to do something the other night and he was like 'I really wanna hang out but I have a friend in town. Can we do it another night.' And I was just like, hmm…sensing disinterest here." Irene: "Well, I mean if you had a friend in town you wouldn't want to hang out with him either. I'm sure he wouldn't have told you he wanted to do it another time if he was not interested. I wouldn't worry. Maybe just let him call you next."
Jane: "Yeah, true. Good point. If it had been a lame excuse like needing to play poker with the same fucking losers he sees every day, then different story."
Irene: "Exactly."

"Chaz! You baby. You're obviously scared," I wanted to interject. "Now, maybe you have every right to be scared. Maybe you just don't do it for this lady friend, but give her another chance! Maybe she really just doesn't want to subject her friend who she never sees to a night of third wheeling with a total, though admittedly quite cute, stranger." As I continued to daydream of this scenario, the fountain soda spilled over my cup and onto the floor, providing just enough embarrassment to stop me from turning lunch into an awkward attempt at relationship therapy.

Posted by Jill Hawkins