*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events I experienced firsthand; used with permission.
Three years ago, I received a phone call from an unexpected source: my ex-boyfriend. It was unexpected because we didn't part as friends.
He was, in fact, one of my least favorite humans on the planet, and he knew it. Or at least he should have known it; I'd told him in no uncertain terms that I couldn't stand him when I broke up with him.
During his unexpected phone call, he offered to get me a job working with him, but there was only one problem. He wouldn't tell me where he worked.
I was not interested in his offer, but I was curious. Why would he offer to get me a job working with him but not tell me the name of his employer? As time went on, I became more and more suspicious.
Was this a genuine opportunity or an attempt to lure me in?
I asked my ex-boyfriend several questions about what the job entailed and what it required of me, but he still wouldn't give me any information about his employer. It seemed at this point that something was being hidden from me and I began feeling uneasy about the situation.
It seemed strange that he would be so eager to get me involved in his professional life after our relationship had ended. On the one hand, it could have been a gesture of good faith, but on the other, it felt as though there might be something more behind his proposal.
Was this offer an attempt to win back my favor or to just keep some form of connection between us? What did he stand to gain if I accepted the job? How did he expect me to show interest in a job offer after he refused to give me any details?
I didn't trust him farther than I could throw him.
It didn't take long for me to decline his mysterious offer. Even though we had once been so close, now all we could do was try our best not to cross paths anymore, not even professionally.
I never learned where my ex-boyfriend worked or what he did for a living. When I pressed him to tell me, he replied, "I can't tell you because I don't want you showing up at my workplace unannounced."
When I stopped laughing hysterically, I assured him that I had no plans to show up at his workplace unannounced and that if I'd wanted to see him, I wouldn't have ended our relationship in the first place.
He didn't seem to understand.
I still wonder what job opportunity he had in mind for me and why he thought I'd tolerate working side by side with him when I couldn't even stand him. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever know the answer.
What would you have done? Comments are welcome.
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