So when she arrived with the two sofas, I was determined to steer the conversation a bit, to see if she’d tell me another story. We lugged the sofas inside, and afterward it was like I had an elephant on my chest. I was all out of breath. The remnants of the cold I’m still recovering from. We made small talk and she seemed in no hurry to leave. Then she stated that i needed to eat and a steak would be good for me. I didn’t put up much of a fight, because i have this attitude now. I don’t care what she does. I don’t care if it costs her money. She’s lied to me about so many things from day one, so i’ll happily take anything she wants to give me. Except grief, of course.

So we went to West Oaks, but it was closed. Across the street was Tall Pines, and it had steak on the marquee, but i told her I’d never eaten there and had no idea if it was any good. It wasn’t. But over lunch, I avoided making eye contact because when I did, she was giving me those goo-goo eyes, still. She said, “You’re killin’ me.” God, when will she stop that? She said it had taken her so long to open up again, and she met me, and then–well…then i RIPPED her heart out, i guess.

I wanted to feel her out about the stuff she told MD. She denied having any plans for the Holiday, and said she was really over the dating thing. Same old song and dance in reference to how torn up she was that i had dumped her. She said, “You’re a heartbreaker, Jae.” Then she continued with the usual, about acquiring 20 cats and holing up at home for the rest of her life. You’d think that we’d dated for a year, lived together for two, and been married for three, to hear her talk. I told her she’d recover. It wasn’t all that. I said she should just treat herself to a vacation, go somewhere, take a CRUISE. She said no. She said she had some invites to a function or two but wasn’t going to go… then she even teared up, right there at the table. Very uncomfortable, and I knew that she was either lying to me or had lied to MD. Probably the latter, because she sure didn’t want MD to know she was still so easily thrust into a funk, or still single, maybe. She was sure acting pitiful with me. She acted like she didn’t want to leave and I had to sort of hang out and wait patiently. She said she was also going to give me her bedroom TV because I needed to move the big one I bought recently into the living room now that I have furniture…and I would need one for my bedroom…she was getting a flat screen for hers. I accepted. (What the hell?) I Finally told her I had to get in the shower and get ready for my plans this evening.