Soap Opera Sunday, Episode 8

Yay! It's Soap Opera Sunday! You can find more soapy stories at co-founder Kate's blog. Many thanks to other Soapy founder Brillig for starting this great tradition. To catch up on my previous episodes, check out the following links:

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7

I met MG about six months after Martin dumped me. I had finally become happy with being single. I didn't miss Martin (who was usually only a phone call away), but I had missed being a part of a couple. I had had high hopes when I finally met Foster, the other guy from Match.com. But unfortunately, by the time we met we had become such good buddies that I couldn't develop any romantic feelings for him. I knew about too many of his commitment issues to even think about dating him. But we also remained friends. So after I few attempts at dating, I accepted my single status. I accepted my male friends as they were and I finally realized I could be happy on my own.

And then I went to watch Monday Night Football with Mimi. After a debate about who had claimed the last open table in the bar, MG, his two friends, Mimi and I all shared the table. MG was not my usual type. He was quiet. He was a bit shy. But I was smitten anyway.

Apparently the feeling was mutual. We began dating, then dating exclusively, fairly quickly. I had never really had the sweet, romantic first love sort of thing in high school. But that was what dating MG was like at first. All sweet and romantic and without a lot of substance.

MG hadn't had a girlfriend since he was seventeen. I think that was part of it. And like a lot of seventeen year old boys, he would clam up when something bothered him. And these things would build up and then he'd break up with me. The second time we broke up was a month before I turned thirty. Within a 24 hour period, MG broke up with me, I requested a transfer to teach another school for the following year and I closed on my house (the one that MG was supposed to help me fix up).

Martin, Foster and basically all of my friends told me to forget about MG right then. But I didn't, exactly. We stayed friends. And he did help with my house. So when my friend Mimi offered to throw me a huge birthday bash (because if I was going to turn 30 single, dammit, I was going to have a good time) I invited MG. And Martin. And Foster. And Mimi invited John, a cute single guy that she knew. And her boyfriend Scott invited all of his friends. One (or two, I can't really remember) of whom I loved flirting with.

Mimi also got a lot of alcohol. It was going to be one hell of a party.

(I was originally going to start SOS with this party. But then I realized it wouldn't be nearly as interesting without the backstory. And I promise that I will get SOS done earlier next week.)