Oops! I Think I Did It Again

Just lunched with the lovely Miss Vignette (yes, I’m not working today) and updated each other on our lives in Billy Bombers, Tampines Mall. Short digression: Ms Vignette and I ordered the famous cod fish dish and were served dory fish instead. We were chewing thoughtfully when Ms Vignette voiced somewhat hesitantly that the fish tasted different. I had the same sinking feeling and I remarked casually, let’s return the dishes. It’s our rightful right. I think we were served a different fish from what the menu claimed. Ms Vignette looked slightly horrified by the suggestion.

I refuse to pay so much for three pieces of dory fish (a principle indoctrinated by Mr Veins). Somemore the menu said cod fish what. How can anyhow replace with dory without warning, especially when it is a signature dish. This is blatant misrepresentation. I will return the dishes! Insisted Miss I-Will-Not-Be-Shortcharged ie me most dramatically the more I chewed on my fishy meat.

Emboldened by her daring friend, Miss Vignette nodded her head vigorously. And we had our dishes duly replaced by others and continued with our meals happily.

If it were Ruth, I shared sorrowfully with Miss Vignette, our mutual friend, she would have been appalled by my action (sit down, sit down, no need to stand up for your rights, 随便 lah, it’s still fish) and I would be irritated by her elastic ability to compromise at the expense of oneself (and making me look evil in the process - despite my 这是原则问题), and we would have carried on eating in complete silence until one of us, depending who feels less wronged and therefore more guilty, tries to kickstart a conversation again lamely and half-heartedly. It has happened at least once like that before with more insignificant incidents occurring in likewise manner. Sigh. But I forgive my Best Friend.

Oh dear. Short digression quite long hor. Okay back to what I had intended.

*

So Miss Vignette admitted to being finally officially attached, to the same guy she has last told me about. How about you? She asked.

Hmmm. Well, you know that Mr Veins has been banished to 冷宫 mah. The other person that I go out with more, we are still going out, but that’s just it. We went out the day before too.

Has he said anything or hint hint so far?
(this is a question that has neither head nor tail but in the context of things, we all comprehend the meaning)

*pause pause*

But now that you probed, I do recall him saying when we were driving yesterday that he meets only some friends frequently. And frequently for him is once a month. And he said, looking at me, instead of the road, that so, we meet very frequently.

Oops, I cupped my mouth in recollection. Wisdom on hindsight is wisdom acquired too late. Was that supposed to be a wild line testing my reaction? I groaned in front of an amused Ms Vignette. If that is so, I just absolutely killed him with my response.

You know what I said? Boy, you wouldn’t believe this. I told him it’s very relative to the person, this concept of frequency of hanging out. I used to go out with another person (not Mr Veins, but his senior from law school) on a totally platonic level on a weekly basis. When I protested saying he jio-ed me out too often, he said it was only once a week. But I don’t even see my Best Friend so regularly, exclaimed I indignantly. And I probably broke Mr Dimples’ heart had he so intended, when I followed up with the ultimate line-killer: I went out with him because I didn’t know how to say no.

Miss Vignette shook her head and wagged her finger – you little terror.

Oops I think I did it again. I’m miraculously good at screwing up potential situations like these. I love to implode them before they explode in my face.

Revealed Ms Vignette, I took the initiative to hold my boyfriend’s hand okay. Can you please be more upfront and honest?

I brandished my fork violently in mid-air: You can stab me with a knife first!!!

*

Can I talk and write about Mr Dimples without feeling pressured that he is someone special? May I? Can my friends stop putting funny ideas in my head? Can I stop speculating so myself as well. It’s only fun now and then. Eventually, it becomes stressful.

As I was writing this, I was also on msn with Hwee:

Huixin says: So do you wonder what he is thinking

Kitiara says: I used to wonder more about Mr Veins. With this person, I don't really wonder or have a pressing need to know (is that good?). But I do find him attractive. And I feel good when I’m with him. Happy.