Independence Day

Because I had to work today, Jay and I went out last night to see some fireworks. There's a number of towns around here that don't do them on the 4th, so we took a ride. We walked around the town a bit, then found a bench in a park and sat and waited for the fireworks to begin. Jesus Christ, that almost sounds suggestive. We noted that all of the test fireworks seemed to be placed directly behind a tree. We are awesome at picking spots to watch fireworks.

We debated moving. About two minute before the fireworks were set to start, my phone rang. I was taken aback for two reasons. The first was because I actually heard it ring; usually it's on vibrate. The second was because, hey, who the hell would call me at 9:30 on a Monday night? It was my generic "hey, your phone's ringing" ring, so that didn't give me any clues.

I flipped it open. Oh, Joseph-chan. Even though I was with Jay, I took the call.

"What the hell do you want?"

He was calling about an email I'd sent him earlier, that apparently was confusing and cryptic. I explained it to him. It had to do with not going to a certain landmark on a certain day, because I had information that suggested one of my kids would be there. Awkward, to say the least.

He talked a bit more, Jay studiously silent next to me. I figured he knew who I was talking to. Joseph went on to say that since his girlfriend's plans were a bust, he too wasn't going anywhere, and so he would not be seeing me the last week in July. I was not surprised. Nor was I particularly disappointed. Honestly, it solved - at least temporarily - a number of niggling little problems for me. I made the appropriate sympathetic noises, listened to him apologize for making me take vacation and then not following through, etc.

He asked what I was doing; I told him I was in a certain town waiting for fireworks, so he said his good-byes. After I hung up, Jay asked who it was, surprising me. I told him, and also told him that Joseph would not in fact be coming out, so he could go do his little dance of joy. He declined, as that's not really his style.

Through the fireworks we talked. Let me say that again: Jay and I had a conversation. Admittedly, we didn't talk each other's ears off, but we had a running conversation. We were on a date-type-thing, and had a conversation. This is a major development. Jay, in fact, has been talking a lot more lately - and we've been talking about very interesting things. Anyway, we talked about how I hadn't been surprised that Joseph bailed, what I might do for vacation now, and how Jay had never really been worried that I'd sleep with Joseph anyway.

"Well, there's a few reasons why. One, he's thirty-what, three? And has a semi-almost-serious girlfriend, who at the least is living with him, who is his baby mama, and he has a kid, so that would have stopped it on his end."

"Don't assume that. Because it wouldn't have."

"Oh. Then that definitely puts him into rat bastard status. Two, I know you. You don't do sex without lots of emotion involved. And you wouldn't want to get yourself in the middle of that. So I wasn't worried anyway."

Apparently Jay thought the me and Joseph having sex deal was my idea. Silly man. Although he did have a point about me, and how I do sex.

Still, this leaves me with one problem - what the hell am I going to do for vacation? I've got two weeks, and while one of them will be spent at my parents', I have that whole, delicious first week to get myself into trouble. Mmm, the possibilities. It is good to be an independent woman.

And speaking of, Happy 4th, everyone. Here's hoping that true freedom does not get relegated to the "antiquities" pile this year.