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Thursday 4 December 2008

Oh Richard why are you such a Dick?

I had one of those tables of two on Wednesday night that you sort of know but you don't know well enough. Friends of friends rather than actual friends, if you know what I mean. Actually they are more acquaintances of friends than friends of friends. To be honest that is stretching it a bit. The guy used to go out with a friend of my mates. Christ I'm making hard work of this.

I sort of knew the guy, that's all you need to know.

Richard
or Dick to the people who know him....


But he thinks he knows me, which is disappointing because he greeted me like a long lost brother with a big hearty hello, complete with backslapping and big toothy smile, and I returned it with nothing more than a vague and skeptical look.

"Right, yeah I'm good. And how are you....?", I scanned the booking sheet in the vain hope that his name would pop out. It did not. More disappointment.

After an awkward moment or two where I pretended to know who the hell he was I got him seated. Actually I got waiter chum number four to seat him. His over the top greeting and overt friendliness unsettled me and I needed a moment to figure out who he was. By the time my dark matter clicked into gear waiter chum had secured a drink order from him and the guy's dining partner had excused herself to the bathroom. He had gone out with my chums friend and had been less than chivalrous towards her, the two timing rat.

I drifted over with his drinks. That's not entirely accurate, drifting that is, as I was shattered from a busy lunch shift and pre concert crowd. The Dionne Warwick crowd isn't a happy crowd. It would be judicious to say I dragged my aching body to his table, think Quasi Modo minus a bell fetish and you are about right.

"So how's you doing Richard? Haven't seen you in a while", says I with fake sincerity.

"Oh good good Manuel, busy with a bit of this and that and more of the same." I love people who speak in riddles. Wanker. Bit of this and that is it? Nothing in other words.

"That's good [long pause filled only with nodding head and fake smiles] eh I'll be back in a mo then to get your order."

"Great man, sweet, cheers." And just as I was about to turn my back his lady friend returned from the toilet.

"Ah Manuel this is my current girlfriend, Jenny. Jenny this is Manuel", he was looking rather smug at both of us. It almost seemed like he was proud to be showing of his rather attractive girlfriend to me and he was trying to show off the fact that he knew the waiter to her. Massive douche syndrome. But I heard what he said, Jenny heard what he said. I decided to stick around to see how that little faux pas was gonna play out. Deliciously I hoped.

"Excuse me?", says Jenny right on queue.

"Man-uel", says our Richard or Dick as I think I'll call him from here on in. He said it nice and slow as if Jenny hadn't heard him right.

"I heard his name." Her head was going like a cement mixer.

"What do you mean ,"current girlfriend"?" Ding ding ding, we have a winner! I was still standing there with the tray held up on my chest. This was gonna kick off.

"Ach...", says Dick "....you know what I mean"

"No, actually I don't, why don't you tell me?"

"Seriously I didn't mean anything." His uncomfortableness was pleasing me and I chuckled, into myself, as he squirmed and wriggled on his increasing hot chair.

"NO, explain yourself. Am I just a temporary measure? A stand in until something better comes along? Explain yourself." She was calm but forceful. I was still there, still watching, still loving it. I wanted to shake hands with Jenny and introduce myself properly. Honest. Describing your partner in the same way you describe a car or stereo or mobile phone is not smart, it's offensive.

"No, no you're not." Turning to me he continues with, "Manuel..."

"Yup?" I was intrigued.

"This is Jenny my one and only girlfriend."

Now I know what he meant but it didn't come across the way he meant it. It instead implied that there may be others and knowing his track record there probably were. Jenny took it that way too. We shook hands and I backed away.

"Listen Dick, just stop speaking. Your digging a hole", says Jenny from behind her menu.

Dick was ashen. Jenny was angry. Manuel was full of the joys of life. Other peoples pain? Is there anything funnier? In the end Jenny wasn't hungry, apparently and they both left after finishing their drinks. I think Jenny went to fetch the car as she left before Dick, on her own. I don't think Jenny is Dick's current girlfriend or ever will be again.

Lovely.

21 People trying to get Manuel's attention:

Anonymous said...

Ha ha haaaa!
Well, Dick won't be getting his jollies from Jenny anymore.

Nice one

The Mutant said...

Oh, how did you resist the temptation to pull up a chair and sit in on their coversation for the rest of the night? I'm guessing you tried your hardest to hover around in the vicinity of their table? I know I would have.

Heh heh heh, poor lonely Dick.

Anonymous said...

as a joke, i once introduced my husband as my "First Husband". fortunately, he thought it was funny. now that he's my ex-husband ("Wasband"?)... cosmic...

Unknown said...

Dickie will get himself another temp before the week is out. And so it will continue until Dickie is the sad, old, balding bastard you see in years to come at the lonely table.

Manuel said...

dave: no, no he wont...

kezza: didn't get a chance to!

daisyfae: wasband? bwahahahaha loves it!

conan: yeah telling himself and anyones that listening that that's how he likes it....

Anonymous said...

If his name was Richard then he sure acted like a Dick , didn't he?
Pretty funny. I love that stuff when it happens. What a doink.

The Mistress said...

*toasts Manuel with a glass of Schadenfreude*

Megan McGurk said...

Ouch.
I winced just reading that.
Don't you love when dudes show off women like they own them?
What a turd.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant. What a moron.

Anonymous said...

bet you he's the type that high-fives his buddies after a one-night stand.

Manuel said...

steve: dick by name and dick by nature.....lot of em about...

mj: ta ta! my favourite tipple....

medbh: oh he is a real class act that's for sure....

red: one of life's winners.....sorry losers....

sheepo: ...with yer ma. or so he'd have you believe....

Anonymous said...

Manuel: Was it really Maxi Cane!?

Manuel said...

sheepo: bwahahaha...no he doesn't leave his lair.....often

paddy said...

I had a customer/acquaintance who dated a series of absolutely identical looking girls over a very short period of times. I think they were all hairdressers. You'd end up tying yourself in knots trying to work out whether it was the one he'd introduced you too the week before or a newer model.

Manuel said...

paddy: oh yes, the world is full of crashing bores, like these guys for example.....

Native Minnow said...

Awesome story.

I hate the uncomfortable feeling of not remembering someone who knows your name. It happens to me quite frequently when former students of mine approach me on campus. I've become a master of giving the response of, "Hey, man, how's it going?"

Jenny said...

hee hee hee. You've made my day. Or SHE made my day.


(it's AB with yet another avatar.)

Anonymous said...

I hope you gave the knob-end extra 'special sauce' for that crack?!

Sarah Gostrangely said...

Ha! excellent story.

Wankbag extraordinaire by the sounds of it.

Nice one Fillet.

Manuel said...

sarah: welcome! wankbag.....lovely word......I may use it toady.....I may use it all day today....wankbag, it;s just like being back in school.....

Anonymous said...

ah...the ole art of wallowing in misery... sometimes deservedly, sometimes not! There are certainly some universal truths that we see more than others, it seems.
peace, mtw