Personal foul

I called T on Monday night.

The transition to treating him like a friend has been successful. I only pick up his calls when they are convenient and don't talk to him more than once every couple weeks. In fact, 23 days elapsed between phone calls this time. No, I'm not keeping track--it is just easy to remember when the last call was his drunk dial after midnight on new year's. Especially since his girlfriend Kathy was in the background elaborating on all his statements. (Picture me grinding my teeth in annoyance with a polite smile on my face.)

The transition to thinking about him like just a friend has been less successful. I was telling him about the lights in my new bedroom during our conversation. He says, with a flirty tone, "Well, I'll have to come out so I can see your new place."

Pause while I think. This is where the referee should call the foul--he's been with Kathy for, like, 5 months now. He isn't allowed to flirt with me and I know I'm not supposed to flirt with him, but I don't know how else to respond to his flirty comment. In a neutral voice, I respond, "Well, now I have another bedroom, so you could try out the guest room." (Notice the term "could".)

"Yeah, I should sleep on the couch. No, I know I should sleep on the couch, in fact, I shouldn't come out at all."

"Why? Is she jealous of me?" Sadly, this perked me up. I would like the legitimacy of having the girlfriend be jealous of me.

"Not of you--of (some girl I've never heard of)." My ego deflates. Why isn't she jealous of me?

Conversation moves on. He says, "Well, I'm tired. I think I'll go."

"Yeah, it is late there."

"Actually, I was in bed with the lights off when you called but Kathy's been sick and I thought she might need me."

Ouch. I don't need to know that you picked up my call because it might've been from your girlfriend. Where is the referee to call the overshare?