Untangled 33: Flipping the Bird

After leaving the exclusive PF Chang’s, we headed to his first surprise—a lookout point nearby. We climbed what felt like a thousand stairs to the top, and once there, we stood in weeds and crabgrass, gazing at a very forgettable skyline in the blazing hot sun. I kinda felt bad for him because he was sweating profusely from very light activity. Big wet patches covered his back, chest, and pits. After about 10 minutes in the June Tennessee sun, I casually said, “So, what’s next?” He replied, “Oh, you’re ready to go? I thought you would really enjoy the view.” I looked again, thinking maybe I didn’t see what he was seeing. Yep… there was nothing more to see. So I said, “It’s just really hot up here, and I’m ready to get to some air conditioning.”

The next stop was the Parthenon replica. To be honest, I didn’t know much about it before going, so I had no great expectations. I didn’t like the feel of the inside. When I saw the two massive gods clad in gold, I knew why. That was kind of a red flag for me. As long as we’ve been friends online, he should’ve known how I feel about demon gods. He himself claims Christ, so he should’ve also known better. I also didn’t like him grabbing my hand every few steps. When you’re not interested, you’re just not interested.

After leaving the Parthenon, I told him I was tired from the flight and wanted to rest for tomorrow’s activities, so he drove me back to my hotel. He pulled into a parking space instead of to the door and asked if I wanted company, to which I responded, “No.” My plan when I got to my room was to find a flight home. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything under $600. So, I decided I should stick it out to save money—it couldn’t be that bad.

The next morning, when he came to get me for breakfast, he asked what I wanted. I told him, but he ignored it and drove to a spot he goes to every day. While in line looking at the menu board, I told him I didn’t really want anything there. He ignored me, stepped right up to the counter, ordered and paid for his breakfast, and started scrolling his phone. I knew I had to get something because I knew he wouldn’t take me anywhere else. My food was better than I expected. The conversation was nonexistent because I had picked up on a stubborn and selfish streak and didn’t like it. I felt no need to lay any foundation because I saw no future with him.

After breakfast, we headed to a farmer’s market in the area and walked around a bit. I sampled a delicious peach, so I wanted to buy a couple for my room. The booth only took cash, so I asked if he could get the peaches, and I would pay him back later. He said, “Heck no, I’m not buying expensive peaches when you can get some at Publix for half that price.” I was not shocked. I knew what I was dealing with—I knew this was the real him coming out. This also explained why he was outwardly attractive but had a hard time getting dates. He walked away. The woman in the next booth took my card and gave me cash to complete the purchase. I eventually caught up with him and started heading for the exit. He acted like nothing happened. So did I. I didn’t care enough to address it. After I left, I knew I would never see him again.

Next, we headed to Downtown Nashville to the music museum. I loved the downtown area but wished I was there alone or with my ex. After the museum, we got shaved ice and ended the day early because he had to go to his son’s birthday party at 1:30. When he dropped me off, I reminded him that we had concert tickets for 7 p.m. He said, “Okay, I’ll be back to get you at 6 p.m.” I said, “You might wanna come a little sooner because there might be traffic getting downtown, and I would want to grab something to eat.” He didn’t arrive until 6:05. He was wrinkled yet again, but this time he had on black sandals with the toes out. His toes had clearly never been cut, and he was in desperate need of lotion. I was repulsed. You can’t be stubborn and have hygiene issues—pick a struggle.

My stomach was rumbling. I hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast. I was starving, but there was no time to eat because he didn’t come earlier. There was, indeed, traffic, and he was driving like a bat out of hell. He went over the speed limit and rode the shoulder. Some guy cut him off near the on-ramp, so he sped up to catch him and flipped him the bird. I was MORTIFIED! He looked at me, rolled his eyes, and kept driving 15 miles over the limit. We got to the Ryman at 7:08. We were late, but he was looking for free parking. I said, “There’s no time, the show is starting—just do the paid parking.” He reluctantly pulled into the garage and had a meltdown about the $17 fee. I said, “Just park, I’ll pay it. It’s no big deal.” At this point, I needed something to go right.

We finally got in but had to walk up a few flights to our seats. By the time we got to our seats, he was winded and sweaty. I was still fuming about the reckless driving, the bird, and the parking. I wanted to enjoy the show, so I ignored him. He was not like my ex. My ex would’ve asked if I wanted anything to eat or drink and would’ve gone to get it. I told this guy I wanted a Coke; he shrugged and kept looking at the stage.

After the show ended and we got outside, I told him I was really hungry and needed to grab something, even if it was just appetizers. He said he didn’t want to pay for another hour of parking, so we’d have to get something en route to my hotel. While driving, I started looking up restaurants open after 10 p.m. in Nashville, but I couldn’t get a hit because the car was moving. Before I knew it, he was exiting the expressway to my hotel! I said, “We didn’t get food!” He said, “That’s your fault.” I thought, okay, that’s fine… I need to get away from him. I’ll order takeout from the room.

He pulled into a parking space again and offered to walk me up. I said, “No, thank you,” got out, and slammed the door. I stopped and asked the girl at the front desk, “What restaurants deliver here?” She said, “It’s Sunday night after 9, nothing is open.” I said, “Do you have a vending machine?” She said, “Sorry, no.” I was so hungry I wanted to cry. All I had were my not-so-ripe peaches and some gum in my purse. She said, “I have a bag of pretzels, do you want them?” I thanked her, took the pretzels, and went to my room.

My ex did a lot of stuff, but he would’ve NEVER. He made sure I ate at the very least.