If you can remember back a few weeks to one of my early posts entitled “Dating and Professional Associations” (Click on the April Archives to read it again), you might remember that I briefly mentioned a man I called “Darin”. “Darin” had introduced me to “Creepy John”.
Because it seemed insignificant to me at the time, I never mentioned this aspect of the story in my blog. Right before “Darin” introduced me to “Creepy John”, he made a comment that struck me funny. He said, “Tell me what you think of ‘Creepy John’. I’m curious what your impression of him is.”
The next day, after I received an email from “Creepy John” asking if he could call me that weekend, I received a phone call at my office from “Darin”. I remember thinking, why is he calling me? When I picked up the phone, “Darin” began talking to me as if we were old friends:
“Hey Jane, it’s “Darin” from last night. How are you doing? I was just wondering if you had heard from “(Creepy) John” at all? So what did you think of him? Are you two going out? Do you like him?” (Who was this guy?)
The phone call and the questions took me by surprise. I had a hundred thoughts going through my head. (Many of you may think that is a few hundred thoughts less than normal, and… you’re probably right.)
Why was a virtual stranger calling me, asking me these Junior High questions? Did “Creepy John” tell him to call me? Why does he want to know this? Is he reporting back to “Creepy John”? Based upon “Darin’s” behavior, I thought “Creepy John” was the more mature of the two.
I was guarded in my answers, but told him, “We’ll I didn’t talk to "John” very long yesterday evening, but he seemed nice. He emailed me today and I told him that he could call me this weekend. Um, I’m really busy. Can we talk some other time? I have to go.”
Well, that conversation (which was the day before my date with “Creepy John”) was the last time I heard from “Darin”. Until this week!
Monday morning I received the following email from “Darin”:
“Jane, So I asked John how things were going with you and I received a somewhat vague reply which made feel like I should ask you. So did John blow it big time or what? -Darin”
I was perplexed to say the least. Was this an attempt by “Creepy John” to have more contact with me via his friend “Darin”? (Oh the drama!)
I waited until late in the afternoon to reply, with the following short but poignant question back to him:
“Why do you want to know?”
Within minutes a reply from “Darin” shot back to my Inbox, “Jane, I didn’t mean to pry. I was just thinking that maybe I shouldn’t be introducing "John" to women. He’s a big boy and can manage on his own. I just find it fun to play matchmaker sometimes.” (Hmmm, this wasn’t the answer I expected. I thought he would break down under my direct questioning and admit to being “Creepy John’s” crony and spy.)
Monday’s workday ended… this conversation would have to continue later (but the suspense continued to build). Tuesday morning I still had doubts. I wasn’t sure about this. Did I even want to communicate with this guy? My curiosity got the better of me, so I sent an email back.
“Darin, Yeah, John blew it. Are you two good friends? Does he know you're emailing me? –Jane”
Within an hour “Darin” had responded
“Jane,
No, we’re not good friends. We just see each other at the professional association events from time to time. Calling us ‘just plain old friends’ is probably a stretch. I’m still trying to figure John out. Between him blowing it with you and a couple of stories that he’s told about his past relationships, I’m starting to get the feeling that John is no good at relationships. John seems pretty all right in a general social setting, like the event you met him at. Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about figuring John out, but he does make me reconsider my own abilities to read people.
John doesn’t know I’m emailing you and I won’t mention it to him. I don’t see anything wrong with that. I don’t owe John anything and if you confide in me then I owe it to you to keep that confidence. I must admit, I am curious as to what he did to blow it. My impression from both you and him is that he committed some major fax pa. My curiosity won’t kill me if you don’t want to talk about it though.
Do you like sushi? I haven’t been in a while and you could easily bargain some sushi out me in exchange for the story. When I go I usually go to Sushi Tango in Uptown.
-Darin”
In case any of you missed that, "Darin" just asked me out!!! (Can this situation get any stranger? To be continued…)
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