Can You Hear Me Now?

Two entries in one day. I KNOW! Too much!

Last night I went to see the Polyjesters. I called AH early on to see if he would be able to give me a ride there and back, since he would be out working anyway, and getting a cab on a Saturday night this time of year would be impossible. He picked me up and looked and smelled soooooo darn good. Argh. He handed me a big cookie wrapped in saran wrap, “here, some of my mom’s baking”. I reciprocated by giving him one of those cheap boxes of chocolate covered almonds you buy for charity, I bought the last few boxes at my doctor’s that morning. You picked a fine year not to bake your infamous shortbread, Donna.

About half way there I noticed his meter wasn’t on and pointed it out. “Oh, darn” he said, like he cared. I told him I was going to pay him, I was not looking for a free ride (at least not in his cab! Bwahahaha!) He said we’d work it out when we got there. Of course, he never mentioned it and I was inside before I remembered I never paid him.

I arrived just in time to catch the last few songs of the Tyler Hornby Quartet and get my hugs from the boys before they went on. I finally gave Matthew the Lindy CD I picked up for him in Toronto and gave Jason a copy of Scott Cooper’s Popfizz, so it was music all around. My friend Jay and his wife were there and Jay immediately picked up a copy of Tyler Hornby’s CD. I would love to see that man’s CD collection. Every time I am out with him he buys everything at the merchandise table. Granted, I usually do too, or it’s stuff I already have, but he makes more money than I do so I know he has more. Hee.

The show was fabulous as usual.

L-R: Aaron, Jason, Sheldon, Matt

Barry (PolyDad) does his Louis Armstrong impression during “What a Wonderful World”

Me with the PolyParents, Carol and Barry, and Sheldon ruining the moment down front.

The show ended at about 12:15 a.m. I called AH to let him know it was over and to see how long it would take him to get to where I was; I would have to wait hours for any cab so I didn’t care how long he would be. He had a fare out to Airdrie, so he said he’d be about an hour. I said that’s fine, I’d wait, and I was PAYING HIM this time. A few minutes later he called me but I didn’t hear my cell. I looked at it later and saw the “missed call” and tried to listen to the message. It was noisy in the bar so all I could make out was that it was AH, and something about his car, and an “I’m really sorry, give me a call”. I went outside to call him back and he explained that his car broke down, some problem with the transmission, and he was only able to go about 30 km/hour. He was still in Airdrie and had to try to make it home and then get it to the shop in the morning. My first reaction was to think “yeah RIGHT. Car broke down. How convenient. I get it. You’re JUST NOT THAT INTO ME.” Heh.

He did say he might be able to get one of his cab driver friends to come get me, but I said not to worry, I’m sure I’d get a ride from someone. I went back inside and asked around; my friends and the PolyParents were long gone; the Polyboys didn’t know what they were doing but wouldn’t be going anywhere for awhile; it didn’t look good. Jason went outside to try and get me a cab (after giving me a lecture that “not all guys lie, cars DO break down”). There were many people trying to get cabs, trying to call every cab company and not getting through, and not a cab in sight that didn’t already have a fare. I called AH and told him I was stuuuuck. He said he’d call his buddy and get back to me. When he called back he said his friend was in Lake Sundance (WAY across the city) but would head up my way and come get me. I started to believe the “my car broke down” story after that, because I don’t think he would send his friend from way across town to get me if it wasn’t true!

About an hour later I was standing outside when a familiar cab pulled up and out popped the friendly face of AH’s good friend, the former Access driver that promised me hommus many months ago. He said “I was told to come get you”. I mouthed THANK YOU and he walked me to the car, which by this time was surrounded by other cab-less hopefuls. Too bad people, he is MINE! He told me he was back with Access (yay!) and still planned to get me some of his hommus, apparently AH passed the message on that I was still holding him to that. Hehe.

He talked about poor AH and his car troubles and was trying to reach him, but AH’s cell phone battery had died too and he just kept getting his voice mail. He told me he had received a call from another client to go get her downtown, but then the call came in from AH asking him to please go rescue me, so he did. Awww. He said AH told him he was afraid I would think he had made it up about his car breaking down!! Who, ME?! Just as we were pulling up to my door, AH called him. He had just got home himself, and wanted to make sure I had been picked up and all was well. Me. Heart. Smiling.

Last night made me feel like AH is really a true friend now. He made sure I was taken care of when he couldn’t do it himself, and here were these two gracious men looking out for me. That made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe we’ve come full circle, me and AH, almost a year to the day we met. If I can get over how FREAKING HOT he is, I can have a very good, kind and caring friend. He doesn’t have time for more and hinted at that again as he drove me earlier in the evening. He went on and on and on about all these things that keep him so busy and all his responsibilities and promises to family… fixing this for a nephew, painting that for a cousin, working 100 hours/week, kids… and he ended with sort of shrugging his shoulders, sighing, and saying “I guess this is the life I have made for myself and I can’t change it right now.” He looked me in the eyes as he said it and I felt it deep in my gut, that was for me. His life is full. It’s time for me to let up on any expectations and just be a friend. I called his voice mail when I got in and thanked him for being a friend and taking care of me and that his mom’s baking was yummy (but my shortbread would blow that cookie AWAY! Not that I am competitive or anything, but I may need to find the arm strength to make one little batch).

It’s okay when friends give you warm fuzzies, right?