This story starts at brunch. Because every good story starts at brunch. A popular occasion in the Oasis. Paying around £200 for unlimited food and beverage for 4 - 5 hours every Friday. Sometimes a Saturday, even a Thursday evening. Ugh it's a good time. Girls dress up like they are going out out but at midday. It's mental. Hard to wrap your head round when you've got a full face of make up including the lashes and smooth hairless legs - at midday! Everyone's a winner though.
Brunch takes practice. There has to be a strategy. If you mix your drinks too much and have a few too many shots which lets be honest we have all been there, that's it you went big and now you're going home. At 4pm. But if you manage it well and your game plan works, you could be out all night. 12 hours solid drinking. Home at 1am. Most of the time though, we reach 8pm and think it's midnight and that's a pretty good time to head home, sleep as much as you can and still try to be useful the next day. Useful lying horizontal on the sofa with Netflix... and chill, if you get lucky.
So back to brunch. It was a friends 30th so I had a new outfit, a beautiful jumpsuit. Nails, hair were done, I may have even got a cheeky spray tan cause everyone likes a healthy glow and as already mentioned, full face of make up and lashes.
I knew everyone at the table but hadn't seen a few people for a long time and others I had maybe only met once. Split into two tables, drinks already started flowing. I was on margaritas. Why I have no idea. No game plan this time - clearly.
Paul and Charlie joined, they were friends of the birthday girls boyfriend but nevertheless friends. I'd met both of them before. Paul quite a few times although I didn't know him well and I'll be honest, we didn't have a great relationship, I thought he was a pathetic fuck boy but I'll leave that story for a rainy day. I had met Charlie once, that I can remember, I knew a lot about him though. My friend had told me about his tragedy the year before. His wife of 8 years had left him. No warning whatsoever, he had gone on a work trip and when he returned she had moved out and asked for a divorce. We suspect another man but I still don't have a clue to be honest.
Paul and Charlie did their rounds and politely said hello to everyone. When Charlie greeted me, it was weird, we had this little eye contact thing and it was nice but I didn't think anything of it until I saw him say to Paul about me and Paul told him I was single. I was flattered but I didn't really think anything of it. They were sat on the other table.
Hammered and dancing on the dancefloor in my beautiful jumpsuit, it was clear everyone was on an absolute high but brunch was over and it was time to move on so we went to the next place. I happened to get in a cab with Paul, Charlie and another girl. Charlie sat in the front seat but turned round and was chatting to me finding out about me and I was teasing and flirting with him. It was really nice. He asked me if I wanted kids, which I do and thought that was a weird question to ask someone you have kinda only just met.
Cut to the chase, it is well past 8pm and Charlie and I were kissing. He was a sort of gentleman about it all but I was pretty forward. Everyone left and it was just us two left. I asked him if he wanted to come back to mine and he didn't say no but he didn't exactly say yes either. We climbed into a cab and was talking and kissing the whole way back. When I went to get out, he said "you know, I think I'm going to go home".
Honestly? Oof it was the hardest pill to swallow. Such a savage rejection that I slammed the door in his face and went up to my apartment. I'm a girl ok? I cried my eyes out. I was drunk but it really hurt to have a week in Mallorca constantly cock blocked, Pingu getting in touch and being a reminder of someone I couldn't have and then Charlie rejecting me in pain sight.
I woke up the next day to a missed call and a message telling me that I was fantastic and asking if I was around this week? Ok so I may have reacted a little bit and Charlie might just be a gentleman that wanted to take me out like a proper guy rather than just wanting to wham bam thank you mam me. He also had an early morning because he was already on the water, wake boarding which I respected, he had prior commitments and didn't want to cancel them. It all made sense.
I was a bit forward in my messages but eventually we agreed to meet on Wednesday for a date. There was hardly any chat up until Tuesday which was nice. No fuss. I got in touch to check we were still on for Wednesday and what he had in mind. We agreed on bowling with food which I was genuinely looking forward to.
On my way and he said to pop to his beforehand - saucy. He made cocktails and we chatted and he had prepared all these snacks, it was ridiculous. But lovely. And on we went, had a great night, honestly laughed so much and felt I could totally be myself. May have overstepped some conversations in the sense that I revealed I didn't have a great relationship with my ex because he asked and I didn't tell him why at least.
When the night came to an end, I dropped him home because it was on my way and I went in for a kiss. I don't think that's what he was going for but when he backed off, he came back for a second kiss. He got out and messaged to say he had had a lovely evening and wish it didn't have to end. I replied. "There's always next time".
His reply. "I guess".
I guess?! Are you joking? Ok sure...
I messaged the next day to say thank you again and almost planting a seed for something else but nothing caught on. The weekend came and went. I was busy with one of the biggest events of my career so I didn't fuss about messaging but I did message him on the Sunday and asked if he was free on the Thursday evening for something active. Minds out the gutter, I was talking about rock climbing or something.
Charlie continued to be the gentleman, he said he already had work plans on Thursday that he couldn't get out of but proceeded to ask me about the event and chat a little. I politely replied and then shut the conversation down because it was clear he wasn't interested in anything further and he never responded.
I couldn't get my head round the fact that we had had such a great time but he didn't want anything further and he couldn't even manage to tell me that it was him and he was still healing or he just didn't fancy me or that he found me boring or too forward or.... anything?! I was so confused. It really got to me. The most polite ghost ever but equally just plain rude.
Three weeks later. He messaged asking me if I was interested in a job at his company.
Yes. I shit you not. He did. I politely said that I was looking for something else but thanks for thinking of me and that was that. I mean... seriously?!
Now you really couldn't write this... I was flying home for Christmas (3 months after Charlie ghosted me and then asked me if I wanted a job) and there he was with Paul sat at a bar in the airport. I am so grateful I was with my friend. I was sure he clocked me because I clocked him and we sat at the bar too. I didn't want to make a fuss but I then got a text "How's Hard Rock?"
I was a big girl and put my big girl pants on and went round and said hello. I wished them a happy Christmas and shut the door on that. I genuinely couldn't quite believe my luck.
That's not all. I followed both of them on the gram. Charlie hasn't posted anything for over a year. My thoughts? He's still getting over his wife. It was some closure on why he didn't want anything more with me but it certainly doesn't take away from the fact that he is a ghost-er. A polite confusing ghost.
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