Couple's Party

Work Guy has wowed the crap out of me. He likes me without my makeup on. He takes me to basketball games and doesn't try to make me like basketball. We cuddle and go to breakfast and talk all the time. He throws the frisbee for Cutter (but everyone does that because you just can't ignore that fabulous dog unless you're completely soulless.) He brings me flowers every week and watches movies with me.

He did unfortunately force Cutter and I to hike a mountain, but rewarded us with sushi and ice cream after, so it wasn't a total nightmare. But the best part was that he got me Lady Gaga tickets.

We planned to stop by a friend's house for a bbq before the concert. I didn't really think anything of it at first. I mean we have been there before, nice married couple with no kids who like to cook and drink beer. My type of people. They don't even expect you to help with anything, just bring more beer and enjoy.

So we headed over there and I was greeted by the hosts, their friend who were getting married the following weekend, another married couple from work, and 3 other married couples quickly joined. I soon realized that I was out of my element.

One or two married couples out and about is manageable. They're happy not to be at home, or doing their taxes, so you can relax and talk as a group of individuals. But as the numbers rise, they start to communicate at as duo. Like Siamese twins....

For example, while alone with one wife we discussed in detail how happy her husband was with his new $12 shorts that he had taken to wearing them everyday. At first it was funny, but the rest of our conversation with the two of them centered around those shorts. And what a great deal they were, and how comfortable. Underneath it all you could tell she loathed the shorts, and he loved them all the more despite her.

I quickly ran out of witty things to say and just drank more beer. Then there was another couple that never separated from each other and told one another's stories while the other laughed and nodded. My focus became a tennis match. He talked, I looked to her to see the nod. Looked at him to continue, looked to her to see the nodding. My neck hurt and I couldn't concentrate on the story. The engaged couple pretty much just talked to the hostess about the upcoming wedding, so I stayed clear of them.

A guy and, I assume his girlfriend, never left the kitchen and acted as if they didn't care whether or not anyone else was at the party. The host manned the grill, occasionally pointing out his technique to the three men flanking him around the sizzling pork. I began to recede further into my head. If it weren't for the concert I would have fled.

In the car, I started by saying "The thing about couple's parties-" and was immediately given a look.

It wasn't designed to be a couple's party, he said. Just a bbq.

"Then why were there only couples there? I certainly didn't see any single people, or half couples in the group. And they follow each other around and talk for one another-"

"You're seriously over analyzing this."

"That's what I do. That's what I write about." and in a smaller voice "I thought you knew that, you've read my blog."

He quickly changed tack and tried to get me to talk it out the way I had started but my train had been derailed. Is this why I hardly write anymore? Because I'm over analyzing and not just going with the flow?

The concert was ok. I expected more from you, Gaga. But I still enjoyed the music, all the crazy costumed concert goers. We met up with his mother-in-law, who is 3 years older than my sister. She and her friend had come to the concert after flying back from Palm Springs on a private jet. Life is hard.

After the concert we went home and I tried to just go with the flow. I cuddled into him and slept the night through. I would just have to see where this went, and what becomes of me.

But I had to ask myself, how much do couples give up of themselves just to be together?