Ethan's Super Bowl Party

Because I had no idea how bad the roads were until I was already on them, I drove out to Maryland to Ethan's house for the first time.  As soon as I arrived, he greeted me and told me that Kenneth was there, but that he'd brought his fiancee, Ursula.  Ethan told me that he hadn't wanted to bring her, but that she had insisted.  No idea if that's true.

I saw Kenneth and was surprised at how much cuter he was than I remembered, but I just smiled and said hello.  He can be as cute as he wants, he's still engaged.  I met Ethan's wife, Olivia, and she was super friendly and nice...but not what I was expecting.  She's Puerto Rican, 43 (five years older than Ethan), and a mother of three.  She and Ethan have been married for four years and together for seven, and...I don't know.  She's just not what I pictured and I think that's kind of nice.  I mean, I think that it's clear that they love each other and that's good to see.

Then I met Ursula.  She's like a short version of Sarah Silverman, but not as thin--which isn't to say that she's fat because she isn't.  I was a little taken aback by her because I was standing in the basement, talking to Ethan, maybe, and she just popped out of nowhere to introduce herself to me.  There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but I felt like she had rushed over to do it and it just felt a little weird.  I mean, that could also be because I know so much about how no one wants her to marry Kenneth, including Kenneth, but whatever.  Honestly, there wasn't really anything wrong with her.  I noticed how she stuck close to Kenneth's side the entire night, but I don't think that she knew anyone other than him, Ethan, and Olivia.

I think that it was around halftime when Ethan and I were messing with the music that he told me how he had already gotten three text messages from Kenneth saying that I was hot.  So.  That's flattering, but it's also a jerk thing to do when he's ENGAGED.  I said something similar to Ethan and he said, "He is not marrying her.  Trust me, I'm his best friend, and it's not happening."

I talked to Kenneth a tiny bit because he was rooting for the Colts and I had to rib him a few times when the Saints did well, but mostly we only talked with Ursula and sometimes other guests.  Definitely no flirting or anything like that.  Still, Ethan called me on my way home and said that Kenneth had said some more things, but that he'd have to fill me in later.  He still hasn't!!!  I really want to know!


I know that Sophie already hates this guy, but I'd go on a date with him if he broke off the engagement first.  For the blog, if nothing more.  Come on...things have been slooooooow.

The Plot Thickens...Or Something

On Friday morning The Fourth walked up with me all the way to Ethan's office which is right by the swipe-access only doors for my office.  He knows people up there and went in to talk to them after Ethan saw us and said, "Oh, I want to talk to you two."

Oh, shit! I thought.  What's he going to say?  Is he going to say something about The Fourth and I as an US?!  Luckily, he wasn't that bad.  Instead of embarrassing me, he invited us both to his Super Bowl party.  I pretended like I hadn't been talking to him for a week about it already.  Anyway, he e-mailed me with the information and messaged The Fourth, though he said that he only did because he said that he would. Today he offered to send a reminder to him, but I told him not to bother.  I'm hoping that The Fourth doesn't come.  I mean, I don't know how many single guys will be at this thing, but I don't want to be stuck hanging out with one who isn't asking me out--that's a waste of time!

Back to Friday, though, I went back out to talk to Ethan after I had e-mailed him to assure him that I was coming to the party and to ask what I could bring.  During that time he had talked to Kenneth on the phone said that I was coming.  Kenneth got excited (whaaaa?!?!) and asked Ethan not to send an invitation to his home e-mail because he doesn't want the fiancee to come with him now.  Um?  Ethan told me a little bit more about the situation.  It seems as if the fiancee is the one who proposed and she started moving her stuff into Kenneth's place.  Now that they're living together, he's finding out a whole lot more about her, namely that her finances might be a mess.  If he's telling Ethan that they might be a mess, they are probably a BIG mess.  And even before he knew that I was going to be at the party, he told Ethan that he just needed to get out of his house (and away from the fiancee).

I still am not going there with the intention of home-wrecking.  I'm just going to have fun and hang out.  Even if Kenneth likes me, he's engaged and living with another woman.  And even if he breaks it off with her, I don't know that I want a guy with that kind of baggage.

Introspection

Once upon a time, Charlie broke up with me (in February) and I told Ethan about it.  He and I were already buddies, but it was my breakup that had us talking a lot more and it was all because of his friend Kenneth.  Apparently these two have been best friends for years and as soon as I was single, Ethan told me that he had to introduce me to Kenneth and a couple of weeks later he did.  Kenneth came by to have lunch with Ethan, so Ethan called me to come on out to the hallway if I was free.  I already knew that he might be coming by that day and I'd told my co-worker Norah about it, too.  So she saw him when she was walking back to our office from the bathroom and said that he was cute.  I went out and talked to him for several minutes and Ethan even left us alone--on purpose--before he came back and joined in again.  I dazzled Kenneth with my football knowledge and he told Ethan that I was cute as soon as they turned the corner away from me--according to Ethan.  I also thought that Kenneth was cute.