The Trickster

Last summer, I worked briefly on a TV pilot and became friends with one of the production assistants. He was nice enough, and quickly became my "dinner buddy" on set. The problem was that every week he would ask me out on a date, and I had already openly told him that I was single and active in the dating scene.


And so, every Friday when he would ask me out, I would politely decline. He asked me what my "type" of guy was. So I did my very best to describe the opposite of him.


"6'4" or taller," I'd say. "Blond hair, blue eyes, chiseled, straight teeth, non-smoker, Christian..." The whole nine yards. You would think that being a short, chain smoking, Jewish guy that he would take a hint. But he was resilient and continued asking me out until the day our contracts ended.


So two months ago when he asked me to join a big group of people for Dim Sum on a Saturday afternoon, I was a bit skeptical. But since we had been dinner buddies, I thought one lunch would be harmless. NOPE. 


He picked me up and when we arrived at Dim Sum I honestly didn't know how to react. Sitting at our table was his sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew. This was the "big group of people". I was awkwardly tricked into a freakin family brunch! Worse than that, he kept acting as if I was a long-time girlfriend, so I kept reminding the family how we hadn't seen each other in months. 


Now, you would think that I would have been smart enough to cut all ties. But I always give people the benefit of the doubt, even when they don't deserve it. Maybe everyone else really had bailed last minute? So, last week when he called me up to ask me out to sushi with a "big group of people" I heard myself saying sure before I could even process it. My friends all told me to cancel, but I am a woman of my word, so I went.


When I arrived, I was relieved to discover that no family was in attendance, but then quickly learned that we were instead on a double date this time, with a married couple! Tricked AGAIN! I honestly couldn't believe that he would have the nerve to pull the same stint twice...


Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I can now promise you that I will not be fooled another time. What would come next? A picnic with his grandma? So as far as my trickster is concerned, my 2011 calender is now fully booked. And maybe this has finally taught me how to say "no". Maybe...