Author’s note: All inventions are figments of my imagination.{br}

When I saw her there I said “Hi honey.”

I am Ralph Winston, I was 30 when I saw her there. We had been married for a little over two years. I was not nor am I now male-model material. I am 6’1” tall and weigh 175 lbs. To stay in condition I ride a road bike about 20 miles a day for exercise. I practice Krav Maga and Tai Chi to help with coordination and upper body tone.

She is Andi (Andrea) Salles-Winston, she was 28 at that time.

We met in one of the usual ways. I was sitting in a coffee shop on the campus where I am a teaching assistant. By teaching while finishing my degrees, I was retiring most of my student loans. At the time I was working on my master’s in computer science, and 24 years old. She walked in with her arms full of books and there wasn’t an empty table or booth in the place. I was at a table for four, and by myself. She looked around, spotted me and asked if she could put her stuff down until she got her coffee.

I said yes.

She put her books down, got her coffee, sat down, and we introduced ourselves. We talked for a half-hour or so and I excused myself to get to my next lab. I jokingly told her I had several brilliant students who would take over the world if I wasn’t there to rein them in. We exchanged cell phone numbers and I left.

Andi (she asked me to call her that) called that evening and we talked some more. She told me she was a junior in the business program looking to get a BA in business administration with a minor in Spanish. She was a full-ride scholar, so when she graduated she would not have any large debts. She mentioned that she had heard of me and seen me around campus.

I explained that other than writing my dissertation I was finished with my masters. I explained that once it was awarded, I would move to the private sector. I wanted to concentrate on electronic and video security.

We ended the call with me asking her if she would like to go to a bluegrass festival the upcoming Saturday afternoon. She said yes.

We dated for all of the rest of the school year and I was awarded my degree. I found a job on campus to update the security cameras, and to eliminate as much as possible blind spots on the exterior of buildings and walkways. Andi was thrilled that I would be close by for her senior year.

A small fly landed in the ointment when Andi started her senior year. I called and asked her for a date one week in October and she declined, citing the need to study for a test.

Well, that night I was in a local campus pub, ‘The BrewHaus’, when she walked in with a guy on her arm. I was angry, but other then the fact she lied, we had not committed to each other. I sat back and watched as the guy tried to do a tonsillectomy on her with his tongue.

I finished my beer and went to the bathroom. As I left; I made it a point to walk past them and say hi to Andi. I didn’t even slow down and walked out the door.

Andi left more than 25 messages on my phone over the next two weeks. I deleted them all. She finally stopped calling, but her next tactic was to try to find my car. Luckily, I had purchased a different one the week before she turned down a date. Campus security had stopped her several times when she left notes on cars similar to what I used to have.

Finally, I was over the worst of my mad, but not over the fact that she felt she needed to lie. I texted her from a burner phone and said I would meet her at the library at 2:00 PM the next Monday. Then I added, at 2:05 if she wasn’t there, I was gone.

She was there at 1:45 and I watched from a side alcove until she left at 2:30. I then texted ‘how does it feel to be lied to?’ then threw the burner phone in a trash dumpster behind the campus kitchen.

That was not the end of the story. I saw Andi several times on campus. She finally ambushed me when I was investigating a faulty camera on one of the pathways from the main campus to the athletic fields. She stopped me as I was placing a ladder next to the camera location.

“Ralph, can I talk to you?” she asked; “I really have to say some things to you.”

“Alright, no games, no lies, The BrewHaus 7:30 tonight not 7:35, 7:30. Now I have to get to work.

At 7:30 she walked in the door with the guy. I got up said hi again and walked out.

She cornered me again at work again, and I held up my hand when she started to speak.

“What part of no games is bringing a boyfriend to talk to a boyfriend?” I continued; “You didn’t owe me anything but honesty, we were never committed to each other, but you flat out lied to me. If you try to tell me that that guy was helping you study, why were you in a bar and why was he checking the contents of your stomach with his tongue in a public place?”

She didn’t answer, she just turned and walked away.

I ran into Andi a year later. She had graduated and was working as a salesperson at a local electronics wholesaler. I was now the head of electronic and computer design for a small company in the town I grew up in and my mother still lived in.

The company specialized in miniaturization of security equipment. We made video cameras so small that the Go Pro was a giant. Our cameras were as small as the eye of a little girl’s teddy bear. And the microphones that went with them could be hidden in a tie tack or lapel pin. One of the best-sellers was a lapel pin mic that looked like an American Flag and it had a 25-foot range. It transmitted up to 300 feet away.

Our company was one of Andi’s customers. When she was escorted to my office, she saw me, turned, and walked out. I went after her.

“Andrea stop, if you are here on business, we can conduct business. This is a working enterprise after all.”

She turned around and I saw tears in her eyes.

“Go to the ladies room and compose yourself, I will be in my office.”

When she returned she was all business. She did not get an order that day, but it was because of what she was selling we had already in inventory. I did promise to keep her company in mind when we need to replenish our stock.

Andi came to the office about once a month. She did make some sales in my department. The line of products that she was pushing was the best value in the market at the time. Business dealings were all that happened.

After about a year, a new rep showed up. He was a slimy, slippery type. He was probably a good salesman, but he rubbed me wrong, and his products had not changed with the competition.

He introduced himself as Carl Weatherman, and he lost all chances of making a sale when he first words out of his mouth. “Ralphie, (I hate being called Ralphie) I have a great deal for you.”

“You can call me Mr. Winston, you have now introduced yourself so can I call you asshole?”

Carl’s jaw dropped and after a second or two I saw some anger.

Before he could respond, I said; “Sir, you are in my office trying to sell me something. How does pissing me off with your disrespect make that agenda possible?”

“I guess I stepped into it here didn’t I?”

“Yes. Now, do you have any new or upgraded products for me to look at? We have found a new source that outperforms your products on both applications and price.”

“Right now, no new products and the upgrades are still in testing.”

He did not get any sales, and when the sales manager from the company called me asking why I didn’t order any of their products. I told him why. “Your salesman is a disrespectful, arrogant jerk, and we found better products cheaper. Unless you improve your products we will not be buying any products in my department. I have also heard that your new salesman has made a lot of the other department heads angry. I know that we have a history, but I can not in good faith buy an inferior product that costs more.”

I missed Andi, except for that one time, she was always professional, and never tried to sell me anything that she knew I wouldn’t use.

Carl did not last for even three months. Andi called to set an appointment to talk. She came in and we had a sit-down. She came with the company president. They had a briefcase and a sample case. We set down at the conference table.

The president asked; “What will it take to get your business back?”

I started “A lot, the reason you lost the business in the first place is price and quality. Another problem with your product line is that the current catalog does not have what we need for our new products. As I told you on the phone, until I see improvement in quality and price for our legacy products, and new components for our new products, we can’t purchase from you.

That being said, I have been authorized to give you samples of the new line, and the improved legacy products. You have ninety days to submit your components and prices. Will that help?”

“Yes that will help. I also have our upcoming catalog of components. Please look it over. Also, if you find a product you want, we are offering you a 10% discount on all orders for a year. And of course, we still offer 2 10 net 30*.”

He continued; “I think that we have our work cut out for us. Thanks for meeting with us. I know that several of the other department heads will follow your lead.”

With that, they got up to leave. Andi trailed; as she got to the door she turned and asked. “Please call me, I want to talk to you.”

I nodded and they left.

That night I called Andi. She was subdued. “Ralph, I am so sorry I screwed up. I wish I could truthfully say that I was studying that night. I messed up. Please, can we try again?”

“Let me make sure what you are asking.” I said with a little vehemence; “If I am hearing correctly, you want to resume dating me; is that right? Will it be exclusive or not? Is it to see if we are destined to be together long term?”

“Yes to both of them. I want to be with you. While we are together it will be exclusive. I think that we have a good chance to have a long term relationship. I believe that we might possibly get married someday. My feelings are that strong.”

Now I had to show my level of anger at the lie. “So I am to take your word that we are exclusive like I took your word you were studying for a test the last time I believed you?”

“Yes, I know I screwed up the last time, but I want to see you away from business time again. I have some strong feelings that I can’t forget. Please let us try again.”

“Ok, I guess we can try. I never stopped liking you, I just stopped trusting you. When do you want to come and get me and what are we going to do?”

“Well, you got me.” She said with a laugh; “I am going to a charity dinner auction for a no-kill shelter for horses, dogs, and cats. I’ll pick you up at 7:00 PM on Saturday. It is not formal, so a suit is fine.”

“I will be waiting.”

With that, we started back together again. We dated for over eight months. I never had any reason to think Andi was not serious about our relationship.

It was Valentine’s Day and we were at a very upscale restaurant when I asked Andi to marry me. The look she gave me showed some anxiety and confusion. She said “I am not sure I am ready to get married. If I say yes to anyone, it will be you.”

I did not say another word. I got up, paid the bill, handed Andi a couple of twenty-dollar bills. “I’m sorry you feel that way. If you don’t mind, hell even if you do mind, your answer means no to me. You wanted to see if we are compatible, your hesitation makes me think you don’t think so, or at least you haven’t decided. You wanted to see if there was a long term relationship possibility. Not anymore, at least for me as of now. I release you from exclusivity. The money should get you a cab back to your apartment. I am leaving you to think about it.”

I went home. I was hurt and disappointed. I was also confused.

I had finally had enough. I decided that seeing Andi even in a business relationship would make me uncomfortable, so I applied for and got a job at a company a couple of states and a few hundred miles away. It was actually an upgrade. The salary was more, and it was a strictly 40 hour a week job. My mother wasn’t happy, but I saw her a couple of times a month and on all the major holidays.

I did not see Andi for over a year. I finally had to go back to my old company for a minor problem with my leaving. Andi was calling on my replacement, and when she came out of his office I was sitting in the waiting area.

She saw me, hesitated for a step or two, squared her shoulders and rushed out.

We concluded our meeting and straightened out the problem. I decided to drive back as I would arrive shortly after dark, and I was not scheduled to work the next day. As I was leaving the building, Andi was sitting in the entrance lobby.

“Ralph, could we talk?” She looked desperate.

I angrily replied, perhaps too loudly; “No, we can’t talk; you rushed out when you saw me like your ass was on fire. That was insulting, disrespectful, and par for the course of your actions toward me. That is not a hurt I wish to revisit. Please just forget you ever knew me and maybe the pain will go away.”{br}

I started to walk away when she tugged at my shirt sleeve. “Please Ralph, I am begging you. Please.”

She sounded so pathetic and as desperate as she had looked when I came out of the elevator.

“I will let you talk on two conditions. First, we will take no more than ten minutes. Then second, when we are done with that ten minutes you can tell me why I should agree to anything you say after you have lied, played games and then insulted me. Can you agree to that? If not let go of my sleeve and let me go as I have a five-hour drive to get back home.

She gulped; “What made you such an angry hard case? When we were dating you were the sweetest man I have ever known.”

“9 minutes 30 seconds”

“All right, I am a despicable person. I am a waste of space. I am a stupid, spoiled little girl. I have told myself all of that and more for the past year-plus. I wanted to say yes, but I couldn’t. I wanted to go with you that night I got caught with the asshole from college, but I already agreed to go with him. I lied because I was ashamed.

“When you saw me with him, I saw the hurt I caused I knew I had blown it for us to be together. Then when you taught me about lying, I was angry. I brought the asshole along to rub it in your face, but you refused to let me. You did the right thing and I did the wrong thing. Now I think that things are probably not going to work out between us.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for everything, and then I turned my back on you upstairs. It was so you wouldn’t see me cry. I guess this is really goodbye. I want to say one more thing that I know won’t mean much; but I love you, and I have loved you, I just can’t seem to commit.”

“Ok, you have said your piece. Goodbye Andrea, I loved you from about two weeks after we started dating, I just can not take the hurt anymore. Please if you see me again and I don’t see you, would you please turn and walk away. If I see you, I will do the same. As far as I am concerned, this should be the last contact we have. Ever.”

Andi had tears rolling down her cheeks, and she nodded and headed for the restroom.

I got in my car and drove to the hotel that I was staying at. I was not going to drive all that way back to my house angry.

When I got up the next morning, I thought about the confrontation with Andi. I decided that maybe we needed to actually talk without me being as hard-ass pissed at her as I was. I still had strong feelings for her, and I also knew that my temper let me say things that could have been left unsaid.

I didn’t know if her cell phone number had changed, but I tried it. It went to voice mail. “Andi; this is Ralph. I want to see you and see if we can talk without me ripping strips of skin off your back. I was angry yesterday, and I stayed in town. I feel we at least need to see if I can apologize for some of the hurtful things I said. My new cell number is XXX-5764. I will absolutely be leaving tomorrow morning if you do not call back.”

About 3:45 that afternoon she called back. “Ralph, did you mean it when you said you wanted to talk.”

“Yes I did, I was out of line yesterday. I was angry and seeing you brought back all of the hurt. I am asking if I can take you to dinner tonight. After that, I would like to go somewhere quiet, even here in the hotel lobby, and have the talk we should have had yesterday. Would you let me do that please?”

She said yes, we set a time, I got her address and ended the call. I called down to the desk to find a good semi-fancy place to eat. They told me of one. I called and made reservations.

We had a great meal, and even with the elephant in the room, the conversation was civil and quiet. When I drove her to my hotel and we sat in the lobby and talked about ourselves and our future.