The text read "Okay, I have waited the appropriate 3 days to text you so you know I'm not desperate, but..."
I was at a stodgy dinner party with lots of wine and way too many old, smart people.
I texted, "Sup, girl?"
It took her a while to respond. Long enough to learn that I did not subscribe to Keynesian economic theory.
"Are you nearby?"
I looked around. The bar was staffed by a kid half of Kate's age. One quarter of my age. I was vaguly on campus, but wanted to leave.
"Uber to my place," I texted.
She called me immediately after. "Are you alone? Can we talk?"
"Talk," I said.
"Um, it is complicated. Can we meet in person?"
"You can dump me over the phone. As I said, if you want to move on, go with God. No hard feelings."
"Well, it is more complicated than that, and I'm not sure-" there was a rustling on the other end. A female voice. A muted discussion.
"I... okay, please come to meet me at my place?"
"Yes. Okay. 20 minutes?"
"Okay. Bye."
I was 5 minutes away. Not knowing if I was walking into an ambush or a sexambush, I wandered. I passed two drug stores, wondering if I should by enema bags, coconut oil or a firearm. I settled on a bottle of wine. I wasn't sure if Kate drank and I was not a big fan. I arrived at her boarding house doorstep like a clueless suitor, wondering what sexual machinations or deadly consequences might arise. At least I could hit someone with the wine bottle.
Kate opened the door in PJs with a young Latina women, who showed me some courtesy, then retreated. I ignored her and held Kate by the arm as we walked down the hall to her room.
"I can't help feeling something is wrong."
Kate sighed. She sat on her bed and folded her arms as before. She was wearing soft, thick pajamas with math equations on them. I love casually dressed women, but she looked sloppy. And it looked like she had been crying.
"I wasn't 100 percent honest with you when you asked me if I was seeing other people."
"Well," I said, "I never asked."
"Yeah, but... uh, when I said I told one person. Exactly one person about our trysts."
"Trysts? Sexy word!"
"Shut up! I'm upset here."
"Sorry, Kate."
She composed herself, tears hinting at her eyes. "That one gal, the med student, is right outside. She is... my girlfriend. Or. As much as you are my boyfriend. More of a cock to-"
"To what," I demanded. I was tired of the nonsense. If Kate had a girlfriend and she brought it up with me, there was no way I was going to wade into the inevitable nonsense. I looked at the door.
"DONT LEAVE," Kate shouted. She calmed. "I want to know if you would be good with this..."
I waited.
"...Arrangement," Kate finally said.
"Explain."
Almost on cue, there was a knock on the door. Kate answered it without a word a shapely Latina entered the room with so much bravado, that if she were a man, I would have stood up and fought him. Instead, I gawked. She was the same gal that welcomed me into the house a few minutes ago.