A Random Encounter

Friday night I went out on a date with Birthday Boy (I call him that because I met him at an apartment party when he was celebrating his birthday). We went to Local 269 to watch his friend's band play. It was so disgusting outside because it was raining and windy but I finally made it to the bar just in time to see them play their first song. I found Birthday Boy and his friends getting drinks in the super tiny bar. As I turned around to grab my Rum and Coke from the bartender, I bumped into someone. When I looked to apologize I recognized the person - it was Jeff Not Gay! I said a surprised hello and asked how he was doing. Jeff Not Gay stood there for almost a minute with his jaw to the floor. He finally said hi and then ran off to the other end of the bar. How awkward!

It was so strange to have run into him all the way down in the lower east side. The last time I had talked to him was on a date in the summer and I think that we both just decided not to call each other anymore. As Birthday Boy and I were listening to the band, I noticed Jeff Not Gay out of the corner of my eye talking to his friend about me. He was literally pointing and his friend was looking in my direction, not facing the band like everyone else.

Jeff Not Gay walked by Birthday Boy and I later in the night. I stopped him to say hello again and see how he had been doing. I just didn't want things to be awkward anymore. He said that he was good, he moved to the upper west side and that he still had the same job. He also said that I should call him sometime or after we left the bar "if I wasn't already tied up" as he gestured to Birthday Boy. I just said sure but didn't mean to really call him. I thought that was a little strange but decided to ignore it.

How weird was it that I bumped into him in the LES when months ago I had ran into him again all of the way uptown. Why do I keep running into him? I felt a little bad for Birthday Boy because it must have been strange for him too. However, he did a good job of just rolling with the punches and grabbing me much needed drinks! Birthday Boy was also a lot more fun than Jeff Not Gay had ever been so I know that I was hanging out with the right guy at that bar.