Someone Else's Drama

Well, there was drama all right, but not mine! For the 2nd time in as many months, TJ came up to Savannah instead of me tripping it down to Jacksonville because of a hurricane. In fact, most of Florida was evacuated, and he invited his best friend and his girlfriend(?) (not exactly, I'll 'splain in a minute) to come to the house too. Which is TOTALLY fine. I liked having the opportunity to be a good hostess and show my more gracious side, especially in light of past conversations we've had about how petulant and self-centered I can be (yes, yes, I know it's not just me, and I know he has faults too, trust me, I'm not accepting ALL blame for all things, but Miss Have You = self-centered--at times--is a cold, hard fact). Yes, I was completely looking out for my own best interest, in figuring what a great opportunity it would be to show what a charming hostess I am, and I wanted to meet his friend too.

So, TJ and I had a great weekend. It was yucky weather, raining all the time, we couldn't really do much at all. Well, on Friday, while I was at work, he did lots. He walked Sadie. We gave her a bath. He tried to put together a shelf I had, but I'm missing some parts. He went to the store and got stuff for dinner, which he made. He replaced my air filter, which was grossly overdue and may explain my chronic sickness lately. (He is just so HANDY and SWEET and GIVING.)

Then, over the weekend, we went to two movies. We read short mystery stories to each other (yes, I'm serious). We worked the crossword. We watched the true story of the divers who were left behind and what happened to them on 20/20, pursuant to seeing Open Water on Saturday. We went to the gym and he's going to help me get a butt and legs like the girl in the Tampax ad I tore out of Shape magazine. He made dinner, I made dinner, we ate, drank, and were merry. We hung out with his friends. We actually went out to some bars on Friday night before it got nasty. It was just a fun, easy-going, no-fighting, normal, great time. He said when he left this AM, "I miss you already." Oh, and the Miami-FSU game is rescheduled for Friday, so we're going to Miami THIS weekend, Ivan willing.

So, the friend: hasn't really had a lot of experience with women, which I don't get. He's cute, like, better than average cute. He's not my type, but combined with the personality, I could see myself really liking him, given another time and place. He's VERY funny and intelligent, and I see why TJ likes him. The girl. Is a girl he went to high school with. She's pretty, probably better than he's usually able to get pretty. Maybe even "hot" or "gorgeous," if you like that type of thing. She's blonde, she's young (24, and a YOUNG 24), she's very very thin. And he's always had a crush on her. So here's how they got together--she got married at like 19. She has a child, even. She's unhappy in her marriage and wants to leave her husband. She says he can have the child. She comes to Florida to visit relatives, but has all intentions of going back to Seattle. She's going through a divorce, and they meet to have dinner, and realize they have this spark, and now he's all schmoopy over her. And she is over him, but it's not good. She's only ever been with her husband, and I have every expectation that she's about to go through her "I'm free and I can get all kinds of guys" phase and leave the friend in the dust. Especially with no child to worry about. Which really bothers me.

TJ hates her. She already had all these circumstantial strikes against her, but then she just proceeded to do immature things throughout the weekend that only enhanced his already low opinion of her. For instance, I got up Saturday, went to the store, bought stuff to make breakfast (and other kitchen staples so we'd have stuff to eat) and make grits, eggs, and sausage for everyone. That night, she said, "Oh, I'll get the stuff to make French Toast tomorrow!" There was a big deal made about it. Well, on Sunday AM, TJ and I get up to go to mass, and she says, "All you ready for breakfast?" (hasn't started cooking yet). "Actually, we're going to mass," and I added, jokingly, "could you have it ready when we get back?" I was joking, but I fully expected for there to be leftovers and something to reheat when we returned. We we back in an hour, after all. When we return, nothing. Except dishes in the sink. She didn't make extra. She didn't leave the stuff out. She didn't put it in the fridge. I thought TJ was going to flip out. It was pretty rude, but I guarantee, the girl's just immature and clueless, she's not malicious. I couldn't do anything but laugh because I had a sneaking suspicion.

So, now all of TJ's irritation is directed towards someone who REALLY is immature and self-centered, and I look like a goddess of a girlfriend by comparison. (PS It's odd to think that I'm only a year older than her, but I'm a mature 25, and she's a young 24.) Is it wrong that I recognize the service this young, clueless waif of a girl has done me?