Argue about the benefits of an open relationship with Gemma

“Sabrina and I are not a thing, we were just fooling around,” you tried to explain.

“Mhmm…” Gemma responded, leaning back in her chair. “So you’re just looking to fool around.”

“I was just respecting her wishes,” you argued. “We got along, things… sparked… we went with it. That was all. She’s the one that didn’t want a serious relationship.”

Gemma put her burger down and leaned her chin in her hand, looking off in the distance. “She told me that she was going to have a summer of ‘self care’,” she grumbled, raising her fingers in the air to make air quotes. She snapped up her drink and took another sip, then chuffed. “I didn’t realize ‘self care’ required other people…”

“Why not?” you asked.

“Huh?” Gemma quirked an eyebrow.

“Why can’t self care involve others?” you questioned. “We’re social creatures, we thrive from social interactions. If Sabrina was looking to take care of herself, I think it would only be natural to seek others to help with that.”

“...and you just happened to be the guy there to fulfill that need.” Gemma concluded in a dour tone.

“I’m sure she didn’t plan it. I know I sure as hell didn’t,” you admitted. “But I don’t think it was random either. We had something together…” you couldn’t hide the wistful smile on your lips when you were reminded of your time with Sabrina. This only helped to sour Gemma’s mood even more.

“So here I am, like a third wheel,” she mumbled quietly. She started to stand. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…”

“Now hold on…” you stopped her. “I don’t see Sabrina anywhere around here. It’s just you and me. How can you be a third wheel?”

“Even if she’s not here, she’s a part of the conversation,” Gemma sighed. “I don’t want to have to compete for your attention.”

“We don’t have to treat this as a competition. We can just hang out and see where things go. You want to just hang out as a friend, I’m cool with that; if you’re interested in something more, I can be down for that too!”

Gemma furrowed her brows and frowned. “I’m not looking for a booty call…”

“Then don’t!” you told her, then leaned in to make a pitch. “But, think about this: You’re in a foreign country where no one knows you. You’re here for maybe 3 months? You’re headed back home after the summer, right? Whatever you do here won’t have anything to do with what you do back home! You can be and do whatever you want out here and go back to Australia with no one the wiser!”

Gemma’s eyes went into focus as she thought about this. It was like a lightbulb went off in her head.

“You know that life outside the office that none of us coworkers get to see?” you continued. “Think about this life in America as the life your friends and family back in Australia don’t get to see… think of this as your own private time for ‘self care’!”

Gemma slowly nodded to your argument, then her eyes narrowed as she looked at you. “Wait… This is you working our silver tongue on me, isn’t it?”

“Is it working?” you ask with raised eyebrows and a hopeful smile.

Gemma stared at you for a long, awkward pause. Eventually, she leaned back in her chair, cradling her drink in her hand. She stared into it, smirked and asked, “And how would you propose I start this new private time of ‘self care’?”