Deflecting

Texting:

The Fourth (9:57am): So what you get for christmas? Typical clothes or you get something fun!
Me (2:11pm): Boring stuff aside from [...] and cash so i'm going NYE shopping later. :) you?
The Fourth (2:13pm): NYE shopping? Simple stuff. Few shirts and some gift cards. Nothing too big.
Me (2:18pm): New years' eve. might get a new dress. going to some club in dc


The Fourth (10:54pm): So what hot dress you going to buy for new years!?
Me (10:58pm): Ughhhh. I shopped for 2 1/2 hours and the only dress I liked was $140. I might end up buying it anyway.
The Fourth (10:59pm): Sweet. What color. What does it look like? You have to cat walk it for me before you head out to party!
Me (11:03pm): Haha. black and silver. and i'm not wearing it to work--assuming that i get it. prob wear it again for the cocktail party that my roomies want to have in jan
The Fourth (11:04pm): Once you get it, send me a picture of it then. Doesn't have to be fancy or anything. Just want to know what eye cast guys will have on new years!
Me [send picture of me in the dress]: I took a picture in the dressing room to get my roommate's opinion.
The Fourth (11:12pm): That's hot! I like it!
Me (11:15pm): It's pretty sweet. so much money though. i could get 4 cases of red bull for less than that.
The Fourth (11:16pm): Haha you and red bull. You should have been a room mate of mine in college. One of my room mates was a promotors for red bull so he gt free cases to hand out to people at events. He stashed a ton of it in our apartment to exam week!
Me (11:18pm): I should have married that guy.
The Fourth (11:19pm): Oh if your room mate is not around and you want an opinion on something in the dressing room. Feel Free to send pictures my way! You look really good in that dress. All this picture is missing is your smile!
The Fourth (11:22pm): So do you keep redbull in business by yourself!?
Me (11:24pm): My smile would have distracted from the dress. and yes about the red bull. the ceo's kids are going ivy league because of me.
Fourth (11:24pm): Hahaha. I better buy stock in that company!
Me (11:27pm): Probably. I had more than 2 today.
The Fourth (11:28pm): Dang! No wonder your wired in the morning. I bet it's hard for guys to keep up with you!!!
Me (11:31pm): I'm not wired when you see me...I don't hit the bull until I get to my desk.

Okay...I know that it looks bad. But I really was trying not to flirt. Whenever he made a flirty comment, I tried to deflect it. Or mostly. In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have sent the picture of the dress, but it's not like it was a picture of me in my underwear. It didn't even show my face giving a sexy come-hither look (that would have weirded out Sophie, though, since the picture was originally for her). Anyway. My strategy clearly sucks. I said that I was going shopping with Christmas cash for a new dress specifically for one night in DC in hopes that he'd think that I was frivolous. Same with saying that I'll probably buy the $140 dress. Come on! Judge me, The Fourth! Guys aren't supposed to want frivolous spendthrifts!

For my next move, I think that I'll mention that my ex will be there on New Years'. Or I'll just marry The Fourth so that I never have to have an awkward conversation with him. Seems like the responsible thing to do.