Return of the Adulterer

Married Work Guy up and quit about a month ago with no notice. He didn't tell anyone he was leaving and just packed a box and walked out. When I found out about 20 minutes later, my first thought was Thank God, maybe I can make it an entire work day without someone asking me for sex. This was immediately followed a flood of guilt. How dare I think that about someone who thought of me kindly.

Late one night about a week ago, my phone vibrated with a text message that read, "It's been awhile, how r u?" I was angry on several levels: a) for being texted in the first place; it's not something I do, b) whoever sent me the message couldn't even use real words, and c) I had no idea who it was from because I didn't have the number stored. I ignored the text because it was late at night and whomever it was, I probably didn't need to be talking to him this late.

The next morning at work I sent back a message, "I'm sorry, I don't recognize the number. Who is this?"

And moments later my phone vibrated again, "MWG."

I never gave MWG my phone number, by the way. He must have grabbed it off the company directory while he still worked here. I chose not to respond to the text. I heard he got a job with his wife and works with her now; I did not feel comfortable having him text me with his wife beside him.

N and I went out to lunch that day. I believe it was the day after this post and she and I were debating what E, Mez, and General Boy thought about being friends with a member of the opposite sex who is in a relationship. I held firmly to my belief until I thought about MWG and me and how uncomfortable I ended up feeling over our interactions.

"That's because he never was your friend, Sarah. Yeah, y'all hung out a few times and had a few lunches together, but he was never your friend. You're friends don't want to sleep with you. That isn't friend behavior."

I stuck a chip in my mouth and chewed on N's reaction, "Yeah... yeah!" and I felt a whole lot better because that didn't interrupt my belief on male/female relationships. MWG was not my friend, therefore I didn't feel bad about not responding to his attempt at contact by any means.

MWG would not be silenced, however. While I was out to dinner on Saturday night, my phone sang with the unsaved number. He was reduced to calling me on a weekend night and leaving messages on my voicemail.

If text messages made me feel dirty, imagine how weekend phone calls made me feel.