Catching up on the past

You drive to work, irritated that you had what could have been a perfect morning ruined by someone you had finally managed to forget. It had been a year since you last heard from Kelly, and she had made it clear that she was done with you. In hindsight, that shouldn’t have been such a shock, but you had really cared for her. The feeling obviously wasn’t mutual.

Looking back now, though, you see how terrible the relationship was. Especially seen through the lens of your current one. Kelly was pretty, sure, and the sex had been good, but she had always been aloof and a bit arrogant. The two of you had fought a lot, often over trivial things. At the time, you rationalized it, assuming all couples fought.

Kelly also hated your friends, always feeling like she was somehow better than them. By the end, only Dave stuck by you, despite her disdain. When she left, Dave and Lisa were always there to help you get back on your feet.

And now you have Mazzy, who in such a short time has already shown you what a good relationship can feel like.

You’re still deep in thought when you arrive at work. So much so that you don’t even notice Dave coming up to you until he jokingly punched you in the arm. You stumble, and the bigger man chuckles.

“Hey, space cadet. Lost in your own world today? What’s up, you look upset. Don’t tell me you and Mazzy got into a fight or something.”

You shake your head. “Not at all. Hell, we’re better than ever! I love that girl.”

Dave grins. “I know. We could tell. You two are adorable. Even Katie noticed. So, why the long face?”

You explain to him about the message, and his good mood vanishes. He shakes his head and spits on the ground, something he only did when he was really angry. He puts a hand on your shoulder, his grip iron hard, and looks at you.

“Listen to me, Brian. Ignore that bitch. She dumped you without a thought, ran off after who knows what. And now after, what, a year? She wants you to drop everything and and call her? Fuck that, you don’t owe her shit. If she wants to talk so bad, let her make some real effort for once.”

You nod. “Thanks, man. I can always count on you for good advice.”

Dave’s grin returns. “Damn right! Now, tell me more about this Dakota girl you’re gonna go on a date with. Since when did you become such a ladies man?”

You laugh. “It’s not my doing, really. Mazzy made friends, I’m just along for the ride.”

Dave chuckles. “Sure you are. We already learned all about monster girls and their harems. This girl cool with that?”

You shrug. “I would guess so. I don’t know her very well yet. Like I said, this is all Mazzy.”

Dave nods. “You got a good one with her. Take care of that girl, she’s something special.”

You smile. “I know she is. And I will.”

Dave claps his hands. “All right! Now, enough of that shit. Let me tell you about the crazy fun we had with Katie!”