The Return of B and the rest of my weekend

Apparently, not talking to someone for 2 months, and replying briefly to their emails is not enough to give the hint that I don't really want to talk.

I got to the bookstore a little early today, and the owner, H, was here (he owed me a check). While we were catching up, B came into the store. H knows him, knows the situation (I have worked here nearly two years, and was customer for a year prior), and so said Hey to B before I saw him, as a warning. And, bless H, stayed around the whole time, just in case. At one point, he even gave me an eyebrow question (no words) as to whether to leave or stay, and I signaled him back to stay, please.

B, on my recommendation months prior, had traded in a bunch of books and books on tape that I had given him for credit at the bookstore. He (supposedly) came in to pick up a book today, and to see how I was doing, etc. I chatted politely, explained why I hadn't been talking to him ("you call me a bitch, and that pretty much does it for me.") We caught up on family, his and mine, and our friends a little bit. K, the friend who unjustifiably flipped out on me in March, is currently in Florida with her father, who is being treated for prostate cancer. (please pray for him). B tried to open the door to chatting and such again, and I told him it was probably best to stick with email.

Strangely (ironically, Alanis?) enough, I'm wearing a shirt today he hated. It has holes in, though I wear it with a cami, and he hated it because it made me look poor (or something).

B and I had chatted a tiny bit this week via email, and I had explained that I needed the space from everyone and everything to get my life on track. I guess my response was enough for him to think it is okay to drop back into my life. Why won't he understand that we are over, and whatever friendship we had before, we can't go back to it? I mean, we broke up. Then he tried to win me back. Then I tried to get some distance. Then he called me a bitch at a party in front of all our friends. Then I stopped talking to him, completely, and had no interest in spending any time with him again.

I may have posted about this before (I can't remember) but a few weeks ago, I had a flurry of emails come into my work email account of a stormy Friday, all relating to K's husband W's birthday. There was to be some sort of gathering to celebrate, and the specifics were being changed and rescheduled due to the expected rainstorms. They ended up deciding on an (expensive) steak dinner downtown. Due to my inclusion on these emails, I was invited. I mentally debated the whole thing, and decided I really didn't want to go, as I would inevitably be seated next to B (old habits die hard, and it's always couple-couple-couple with that group, even though B and I have been broken up for over 6 months). Also, the unresolved "sneaky and rude" issue with K made me even more uncomfortable and loathe to attend. I had already pretty much decided not to go (after debating whether not going made me an asshole or a bitch) when I got a voicemail message on my phone (which only intermittently works in the bookstore) from B, making sure I knew what was going on, and when and where. After that call, I called my friend T, who was stuck at her radio station with S, ran the situation past her (she of course said I shouldn't go, and still thinks I'm far to nice about the break-up with B), and made arrangements to take Chinese food to her and S at the radio station. And had more fun there with them than I would have at steak dinner with my ex and a friend who flipped on me.

On another, unrelated note, have I mentioned Thursday's kick-ass (kick-abs?) Pilates workout? I went to a class I have never attended before, and ended up being the only student. So, I essentially got a private lesson for the cost of a normal class, which is already a bonus. The person teaching the class is someone I've only had as an instructor once before, and she kicked my ass then. Thursday was no exception... but the beauty of a one-on-one lesson is that I really learned where some of my weaknesses are, and we focused on them. And, damn! Friday my upper abs hurt all day - especially every time I laughed. I wasn't really hungry, and my belly muscles ached all day, but it was a good ache. And they ached all day Saturday. Today, they are okay, but my legs hurt. But that could be from bowling (for the first time in YEARS, probably since I moved here) on Friday night. I have an unconventional bowling style, a bad wrist, and it took me a while to find the right weight ball. As I consequence, I think my highest score in 4 games was 125. I did at least win at bar trivia that night. I still haven't gotten over losing a game of Trivial Pursuit, 90's edition, a few weeks ago.

Also, Friday was a good day, as there were free massages at work. Really. Coolest thing ever. A bunch of massage students were camped out in our conference room, giving free rubs for practice and credit. So, I had two. One before I had finished my work, and one after (as a prize to myself). Between the two people, I got a lot of the tension I store in my neck and shoulders out. It was very relaxing.

Yesterday, I had plans (not plants, or pans, or pants) to go to Oxford, MS for the Double Decker Festival with T and her two girls. But there was heavy rain in the forecast, and so we canceled those plans, and instead went to dinner and a movie (just us grownups) in the evening. We saw the movie "Stick It" and just had a nice time of it.

So, here I am today, at the bookstore and still reeling from B's ambush. It's not accidental he came by today - he knew my work hours and that I would normally be alone at the store. I don't like being put in an uncomfortable situation, and he did that. Arghh!