The Cookie and Sparky Show

So then what? I'd be lying if I didn't come into today--at least a little bit--waiting for the other shoe to drop, and finding out she got scared off again or had second thoughts. We have a very complicated relationship, see. Luckily, I get bored doing things the easy way, and while I usually make a project out of everything, even the easy stuff, this time I won't need to take that extra step. She and I are going to be a project.

Anyway, she and I kept most of the previous night's conversation between the two of us. She has a thing with labels, which is at about the other end of the spectrum from where I'm at with labels, but I can deal. Before we split off last night I had to help jumpstart her car, which was a comedy scene in and of itself, but ended with her saying this: "You know, it's kinda sad when your girlfriend is better at jumpstarts than you are." Girlfriend. She did say it, and I'm holding her to it until I hear otherwise.

I do have the answer to her question: What do you want from me? It's simple. Just one thing. She can make up whatever rules she wants. She can make it as hard as she wants. That's fine. All I want is to be able to say, even if it's just between her and I, that I have a girlfriend and she's it. That's all. Now if I can wrangle the conversation back in that direction ....

Today at work Jen and I were a very formidable duo. She's the troublemaker who came in and corrupted me, which is a view of her that she just relishes. I'm the Top Gun who's threatening to jump ship. With she and I working together to cause as much fear and anarchy as possible, the department is a chaotic shambles. It's tremendous. I don't remember having as much fun during a shift at that job than I did today. Sue is worried and nervous about what's going to happen, and I am loving watching her twist in the wind. Am I evil? Yes I am.

I made a special point today to be as brilliant and efficient a screener as humanly possible, and I did it without really breaking a sweat or working all that hard, and then made the additional point to move every large frame for Starr and Jen on the other press. I did all of this just to show what they are going to lose, and rub some salt into the wound. It was while lifting a frame onto the press for them that Sue came up and said, "Well, Shaun I don't know what we're going to do if you really do leave."

"I'm sure you'll manage."

It's a dish served cold, just like they say.

She made some additional remarks like that later on during the day while I was in earshot, and it just amused me to no end. It's a little late to start sucking up to me now.

Near the end of the day, after Starr and Jen were finished screening, Jen attached herself to my press. Over the past few weeks Sue's made a special point to keep us seperated (and if she catches wind of the most recent developments, hoooo boy), but this afternoon she seemed so beaten down that she just gave up and left us alone. The look of defeat on her face warmed my black little heart.

I'll tell you this for sure: Jen is a great partner-in-crime.

That's my *girlfriend* I'm talking about.