The Water Cooler – When Was The Last Time You Went Out To Eat, And How Much Was Your Bill?

I’m guessing I’m getting thumbs down because I ordered the expensive wine. As I wrote my friend has plenty of money, no children, never been married and has no family. Years ago we wrote together into the City to attend the Scandinavian Clubs anniversary party. He asked that I drive and he would pay for the bridge toll and parking. Since I have Fasttrack I said I would pay for the bridge. The party was down by the wharf, when we got there he asked me to drive around to look for street parking, after 15 minutes, I had no more patience, I was all dressed up in heels, I didn’t want to walk blocks, so I said if he didn’t want to pay for parking I would pay for it myself. He did pay for parking. (At the time I was somewhat struggling financially).

It wasn’t a date really, we have been platonic friends through the club since 1984
He specifically told me lunch was on him, he could have chosen a cheaper place but he likes this on. The prime rib with 2 sides was a special. When l met my ex husband in NYC he would take me to these funky places in Little Italy, service not great, but the food was. He said that was his test when dating someone to see if they were a snib.

I guess I’m somewhat unusual that way, because some of my girlfriends don’t understand my platonic relationships. Could be because in Scandinavia we look at it somewhat differently. Could be because I was an only child and always wanted a big brother (so he could bring home the cute guys). Having said that I do think Billy Chrystal’s line from when Harry met Sally has a lot to truth to it. My best friend from the Club lived right here in Concord, and we became friends as soon as I joined the Club, we spend a lot of time together, both alone and in a group. When I first met him he did have other thoughts, but when that didn’t happened he was fine with the relationship. When we were going somewhere together he would say: If people think we are a couple it is okay with me if you don’t tell them otherwise. His favorite line: The 3 worst words in the English language “Let’s be friends”. My other very close platonic relationship dates back to when I was an au pair and we were both 22 years old, I dated him for 10 months, somewhat casually, he was in NYC I was in Westport, Ct, where his parents lived. I met his best friend and we fell in love, he was by then living with a girl in the City, but we got even closer after that. When I moved to California he would make it a point of visiting me whenever he was in the state (he was a researcher) he would make a pass and I would turn him down, we were like a comedy team, I knew he would make a pass, and he knew I would turn him down. I do remember telling him to please still make a pass at me when I was in my sixties, ha, ha. I was in my forties then. He is now in Florida, so we connect by phone or email. My other friend that lived here in Concord passed away 5 years ago, I still miss him. We disagreed on politics (you would have like him) but shared a love of history, movies and sixties rock and roll. He was an amateur musician, use to go to Petar’s in Lafayette and play the piano and sing with Joanne, I think was her name, good times.