Drama

No matter how hard I try to avoid it, sometimes drama has a way of finding me. Yesterday's conversation went something like this:

Him: Hey, how are you?

Me: I'm hanging in there.

Him: I called last week. I left a message.

Me: Yeah, I know. I meant to call back, but I've been busy. With work. And, uh, baseball.

[Brief discussion about my work.]

Him: How's the new stadium?

Me: Pretty awesome, but the team is stinking up the joint.

Him: How are you really doing?

Me: Things are pretty fucked up. But there's nothing I can do about it.

Him: How's your dad?

Me: Weird. But you know, he's always been weird. He asked me how I would feel about him dating, so I asked him how he felt about me dating. He said he preferred not to think about it, and I think that's reasonable all around.

Him: I guess that's how I'll feel about my daughter.

Me: Speaking of, how is the kid?

Him: She's good. My parents were just up here visiting.

Me: That's nice, send them my regards.

Him: They told me to say hi. They had a good time with the baby. Too bad her parents are all screwed up. [The girlfriend] goes out of her way to make my life difficult. . .

Me: That's too bad.

Him: . . . So I moved back in with her.

Me: Good, I guess. I mean, if that's what you think you need to do for your daughter.

Him: Yeah. But it's not working. We don't get along. And now [girlfriend] wants her mom to move in, which is going to make it worse.

Me: Oh. Well, on an unrelated note, I might be up near you sometime this summer.

Him: You should give me a call.

Me: Maybe. Depends on timing . . . .

Him: I might be single by then.

Me: Does that even matter? I'd like to meet [girlfriend] and see the baby.

Him: I don't know about that. [Girlfriend] is very jealous.

Me: Of me?

Him: [Silence.]

Me: She doesn't know you're talking to me, does she?

Him: Listen, I have to go. I'll talk to you soon.