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7:17am:
Touché! Now you’re a romantic philosopher all of a sudden?
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7:18am:
About as much a philosopher as you are French.
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7:18am:
Actually...
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7:19am:
No way!
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7:21am:
You’re right, the only French I know is how they kiss.
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7:22am:
Who is the Funny Man now?
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7:23am:
Are you implying I’m not very lady-like?
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7:25am:
Ce n’est pas possible, cherie.
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7:26am:
Are *you* French?
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7:27am:
If it will impress you, I’ll pick up a Rosetta Stone course and be fully bilingual by the time we see each other again...
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7:28am:
Jake, I’m already impressed.
7:28am:
And I’m also going to be late if I don’t start getting ready for work.
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7:29am:
OK, have a good day. Let’s try to chat again today?
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7:30am:
Perfect. Something to look forward to.
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7:31am:
I concur.
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7:31am:
You’re just hilarious today, aren’t you?
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7:32am:
I’m trying.
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7:33am:
Well, keep trying and maybe keep your jokes off the table when you’re meeting with your boss or, more importantly, talking to John Lawson.
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7:34am:
You too, Little Miss Hilarious.
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7:35am:
LOL.
7:58pm:
So? Did you look?
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8:01pm:
???
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8:02pm:
For the black car tonight when you left the office? The one that’s supposed to bring Rachel back to you.
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8:04pm:
Oh, THAT.
8:06pm:
You make me smile, Christine. Just when I think you’ve got everything under control, that you’re cold or completely confident in everything, you surprise me by peeling back a layer and letting your insecurities show.
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8:09pm:
You’re a fucker, Jake.
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8:10pm:
I know.
8:12pm:
But I also know that I’m a little insecure too. That’s why I flew to Toronto last weekend, remember? To see for myself if you truly love me or if you just like having me around for some wild and crazy sex.
--------------------------------------
8:13pm:
What if it’s both?
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8:13pm:
Ouch. You ARE cold!
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8:14pm:
Is it so bad for me to enjoy sex? Can’t I enjoy sex while loving you at the same time?
8:15pm:
Isn’t that what it’s all about?
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8:16pm:
You make a good point, I’ll give you that.
8:19pm:
And if I have to be honest with myself, I would prefer that you love sex rather than hate it. No matter how much I might love you, if we can’t maintain a healthy sex life, I can’t say I would be all that interested in the long-term ; )
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8:20pm:
Ditto.
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8:20pm:
Now that’s the Christine I love - cold and (sexually) confident.
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8:21pm:
You still haven’t answered the question, Jake.
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8:22pm:
And there you go pulling back another layer.
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8:23pm:
So...?
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8:24pm:
Okay, you want the truth?
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8:25pm:
Of course I do. And it won’t bother me, whatever you say.
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8:25pm:
Of course it won’t bother you, because I lose either way.
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8:26pm:
How so?
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8:27pm:
For the record, I KNOW that you’re smirking right now.
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8:27pm:
You’re right, I am. Being in control always makes me smirk.
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8:33pm:
Because if I admit that I look for that car, the message you hear is that I’m still in love with Rachel and I would gladly take her home and fuck her until it’s time for her to go back to her husband. And that kind of uncommitted, friends-with-benefits type of affair is not something that most women would be agreeable with. Not that I can blame anyone for that because I wouldn’t be cool with it either. But more than the arrangement, you would hate the fact that I AM looking for her. Because if I’m looking for anyone, it should be YOU.
8:33pm:
But the truth is that I DON’T look for her car.
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8:34pm:
And why do you lose in this instance?
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8:36pm:
I lose because it makes ME cold. It makes me cold because if I loved Rachel as much as I say, I should be looking for her every day. Because if I can stop looking for the woman I was supposed to marry, then I could stop looking for my soulmate just as easily.
8:38pm:
So I lose either way.
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8:43pm:
I have to go now. We’ll chat later.
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8:45pm:
I would argue that YOU win either way, Christine. Because regardless of whether I look or not, the motivation for doing either boils down to YOU.
8:48pm:
Our life will be much simpler once you’re in NYC.
8:49pm:
And there’s another win for you.
8:50pm:
Good night and don’t think too much about this.
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Friday February 1, 2013
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1:56pm:
The day is nearly half over and I haven’t heard from you yet. Everything okay in Toronto?
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2:03pm:
Sorry, it’s been a busy day.
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2:04pm:
Don’t work so hard - you’ll be working for Lawson, Gregor, Postmann and Associates soon. Save some of your energy for your new employer.
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2:05pm:
I have something we need to talk about.
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2:06pm:
I know. You’ve been letting it build all day.
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2:06pm:
Yes.
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2:07pm:
So let’s hear it.
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2:08pm:
If you know, why don’t you humor me and tell me what’s on my mind, Mr. Smarty Pants : P
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2:09pm:
You’re afraid I’ll stop looking for you once you’re here.
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2:11pm:
Well, that’s not quite it.
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2:12pm:
Then what?
--------------------------------------
2:12pm:
Later.
2:12pm:
What time works best for you?
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2:13pm:
Oh, this is serious...
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2:14pm:
Maybe not serious. But important. For me, it’s important anyway.
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2:15pm:
Text me anytime. If I’m sleeping, I will wake up.
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2:16pm:
OK.
2:16pm:
We’ll chat later.
--------------------------------------
2:17pm:
Sounds good.
4:46pm:
The day’s almost over. I thought you wanted to talk about something important to you?
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4:52pm:
Maybe I’m waiting for a surprise phone call. One where you tell me that you’re in Toronto, waiting at my hotel room.
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4:52pm:
I wish.
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4:53pm:
Me too.
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4:54pm:
I can make that happen, if that’s what you really want.
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4:55pm:
OK, make that happen, control freak.
4:55pm:
I use that term lovingly, by the way.
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4:56pm:
I’m sure you do.
4:57pm:
Looks like the flights are booked into Toronto unless I want to stop over in Atlanta. That would get me to your hotel around 4:00 tomorrow morning.
4:58pm:
Which I assume is fine, since that’s normally when your libido comes to life.
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5:00pm:
I never would have pegged myself as a *morning* person, Jake. Gee, thanks for pointing that out!
--------------------------------------
5:01pm:
So what will you do tonight while I’m traveling to Toronto?
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5:03pm:
Actually, some of the girls in Administration invited me out. I was actually considering their offer.
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5:05pm:
You should go out with them - I’ve kept you locked up either in your hotel room or mine for the past two weekends.
5:06pm:
A bit of fun might loosen you up a little.
5:06pm:
And this serious thing you wanted to talk about will turn out to be less severe.
--------------------------------------
5:07pm:
Good point, but nice try about the *serious thing* I want to talk to you about.
5:07pm:
Which isn’t as big a deal as we’re building it up to be.
--------------------------------------
5:08pm:
Then let’s hear it.
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5:09pm:
Not here, not while I’m at work.
5:09pm:
Maybe we can talk about in person it at 4:00am?
5:10pm:
Or were you just screwing with my head?!
--------------------------------------
5:11pm:
If I could get there, I would. I hope you realize that, Christine.
--------------------------------------
5:11pm:
Yes, I realize that.
5:12pm:
I also realize it’s irresponsible financially to be spending so much money on plane tickets.
--------------------------------------
5:13pm:
I’m banking a lot of air miles, though...
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5:14pm:
I’ll be back in NYC this month, by the sounds of things : ) Just waiting for Lawson to book my flight.
5:15pm:
So save your money and take me out for a nice dinner at that private restaurant you keep talking about.
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5:15pm:
I can take you on a nice overnight trip for the cash I’ll be saving...
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5:16pm:
OK, I’m agreeable with that.
5:17pm:
Have to run, the admin girls are waiting on me.
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5:18pm:
Have fun tonight.
5:19pm:
Well, not too much since I’m not there to enjoy the night with you!
--------------------------------------
5:20pm:
It will be an early night for me.
5:21pm:
Text you when I get home.
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5:22pm:
Promise?
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5:23pm:
So long as you don’t stop and talk to strangers in black cars...
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5:24pm:
It’s a deal!
--------------------------------------
5:25pm:
Okay, we’ll chat later.
5:25pm:
Love you.
--------------------------------------
Saturday February 2, 2013
--------------------------------------
8:35am:
Good morning, Christine. Hope you had a good time last night.
8;36am:
So how late did last night end up being for you ; )
8:45am:
No response... hmm... a little hungover this morning. Poor thing, maybe I should have made the all-night trip to Toronto after all. I could serve you two Advil and ice cold water to help with the headache and we could lay in bed watching movies in the dark all day.
8:53am:
Let me know when you’re awake. I saw John Lawson this morning - he was playing squash in the next court at the club where I work out.
Textual Encounters (The Christine + Jake Affair) Page 11