closure

i went to the gym in rossland last week, at kimsquit's suggestion - we went together. one of the days we were there, i spotted the manlet.

upon entering the facility, i noticed the manlet's kid in there and knew it was just a matter of minutes before i saw the manlet, and i was right. he blazed through the door 20 or 30 minutes later. my already elevated heart rate jumped a bit more, but i kept my mouth shut in the hope that he had shown up to pick up his kid and leave.

i was wrong.

the gym space is separated by a pony wall and the levels are staggered; as you enter the front door, the free weights are on the lower right and the cardio/cable machines are on the upper left side. we were on the right, working out in the squat rack. the manlet headed left, toward the cable machines and didn't see me. when i was finished with a few sets of lunges, kimsquit asked me if there was a hamstring curl machine on the other side. i told him yes and we wandered over there...and the manlet was sitting on the machine next to the ham curl, talking to his kid.

eek.

so kimsquit and i are now on the other side and approaching the manlet. he still hasn't seen me. there's a load bearing post between the wall and the manlet and i stop there, because it creates a physical barrier and he can't see me because he's on the other side of it. kimsquit also stops and turns to face me and starts talking. i don't hear a word; i'm just waiting for his lips to stop moving so i can tell him the manlet is on the other side of the post.

he's all, "what? who? oh, r**?", and i tell him, "yeah that's him" as he peeks around the post to take a look. kimsquit then pivots 180 degrees and stands beside me, in clear view of the manlet, and says, "alright, let's go". i say "no, i'll just wait for him to move". he says, "you can't just stand there all night" and reaches over, picks me up off my feet and plants me in front of him, facing the ex, grins at said ex, and says, "guess who?"

the ex's kid, of all people, lights up like a christmas tree and says "hi natalie! how are you?"

and the ex does pretty much the same thing. he asks how i'm doing, i tell him we buried my dad yesterday, and i need a workout. he tells me he was gonna call me yesterday but...and i cut him off and told him it was a long and busy day. no need.

i introduce the two and they engage in the kind of small talk that just makes it all worse. and then i notice something. kimsquit is hotter than the ex. way hotter. he's good looking, to be sure - so is the manlet. but he carries himself with grace and confidence that i don't see in the manlet...

a little later i see the manlet working out with a woman on the flat bench. he drags her over 20 minutes later and introduces his "friend" j****. she appears to be uncomfortable. more awkward conversation, yeah we're almost done, and we leave.

driving home, i say, "we're cuter than them", and sweetie replies, "that's not hard to do". and, "i think you're making better choices now". he also noted that she must have been furious to have been introduced as his "friend"...

first time since we broke up that i had one of those "holy fuck was my perception ever clouded" moments. dunno if it was really all that clouded...it's just different now, and i'm feeling okay with it.