Crossing the Line

Friends and Lovers..they are distinct, marked in permanent Jiffy marker ink, lines between the two. The problem happens when one party wants to cross the line, and the other party (aka me) is taken off guard. This is what happened yesterday.

I went to chill at a friends place where there was a get together. Lots of yummy food, laughing, basically it was a great time. All up until, one of my guy friends, lets call him Mr Sneak Attack (Mr SA for short) asked to talk to me privately. So we stepped outside and had some small talk about yadda yadda and blah blah blah and then he drops the bomb. The "I like you" bomb. We went from talking about the weather and World Cup to I Like You and I have since the very beginning. Geez. Its all great if you like him back, but when someone who you've always thought as a friend crosses the line, it becomes one messy situation. I was surprised and I told him that. There were NO signs whatsoever. I told him that. How and when and why did he feel this way and why didn't I know about it. He said he didn't want me to know and that he just always felt this way. Uh huh. Mark a tick on the wall for complicated men.

Mr SA is not just a friend, but more like an acquaintance- friend. I know him, but I don't. But all in that 15 minute chat, I learned more than I'd like to know. Firstly, he's 7 years younger than me. Yes, 7 years. I know, you're going to say the whole Aaliyah "Age Ain't Nuttin But A Number" line (and he said those exact words) and I'm not one to judge a guy on his age. But 7 years between men and women is like dog years, which roughly equates to 30 something years. Not good. So he went on about maturity and how he's very mature. Ok, if he is, I can give him that. But then the conversation took a turn. He was no longer just crossing the line. He was jumping over the line like he was in the Olympics. He started telling me about all the women he's dated and after a few questions on my part, decided to disclose the fact that he's had both one night stands and also an affair with a married woman. Mature? Try again buddy.

Then Mr SA tells me " You know, if I come over to your place one day and we have a few drinks, and do something or even just make out, I won't tell anybody". Where on earth did that come from? It's one thing to tell someone who was just a friend that you like her, but it's another to insinuate that you want a little action. I was speechless. I guess he missed the day when God passed out the gene for subtlty because all of a sudden this conversation got more than a tad uncomfortable.

Just then, one of our friends came out to tell us they were going to have dessert inside. Saved by the Bell. Phew! But just as I was getting ready to go in, Mr SA, decides to bury the so called friend line in the dirt. He comes up to me, so close that I could count how many pores he had, and tried to kiss me.

Shocked, startled..who knows what I was, but I moved away luckily and asked him what did he think he was doing? Well, I knew what he wanted to do, but this guy gave no space for me to answer if I liked him back or not. He was making the decision for the both of us. I think not. I told him we should stay as just friends and I clearly didn't know him well enough to start anything with him. The weird crossing the line conversation ended and I left for inside, confused about what just happened.

Thought it was over. Believed it was over. But later that night after I left the party, I got a text on my phone: "You looked so hot today. I had fun talking. Can't wait to see you again"

And the drama continues...