As previously mentioned, Monsieur Flâneur still has my puffy coat and other winter accoutrements that I will need as the Paris winter season is lurking and my fall jacket is starting to feel thin and useless. As with everything with him, it's an obstacle just getting him to honor a simple request.
On November 14th at 14h23, I sent MF an e-mail to get the wheels turning on getting my coat, snow boots, hats and gloves back to me. I had mentioned that it would be easier for us both if I sent Eric, my friend who is a chauffeur to grab them since he has a regular client in the neighborhood of MF's restaurant. Eric agreed that he'd be more than happy to help me out and grab the puffy coat after dropping off his client at the end of the day, all he asked is to confirm when MF will have everything ready for him. Easy enough, right?
As expected, MF responded two weeks later. Awesome. His e-mail included citations from my email where he added snide comments besides each of my quotes. The foundation of his irritation is that I was sending Eric instead of going myself. Why should it even matter at this point? It matters to him because he wants an opportunity to take my emotional temperature on how I feel about him. If I'm happy, it means that I'm still in love with him. If I'm sad, it means I'm still in love with him. If I'm neutral, it means that I'm acting weird and therefor am still in love with him. If I'm quick with the exchange, it means that I'm playing games and am still in love with him. See a trend here? If I'm pissed it means that he can still control my feelings and I'm still in love with him. I can't win and I know nothing good will come out of me seeing him because he's really that irritating. This is the same man who saw no problem in having me wait hours for him in a café and would feign amused confusion when I was irritated as well at that point drunk from wine or super-buzzed on coffee. He loves commotion, excitement and drama where he can pull the puppet strings and control the chaos that's triggered from his immoral behavior. When I think of his new girlfriend, I just shake my head and sigh over the fact that someone else is currently dealing with him, la pauvre.
Not wanting to play games, I responded to his e-mail, ignoring his bitter comments and just asked him to please keep me posted on when he will have the items at the restaurant to be picked up while leaving out details on exactly who would be coming - no response. I let two weeks pass - still no response. I sent an e-mail last week to follow up and again no response. How annoying, right? I know exactly what he wants; he wants me to storm into his restaurant like a bat out of hell, pissed off over the fact that he hasn't gotten back to me and so he can tell his new girlfriend that I'm still in love with him and things between us are so difficult. In the past, I may have reacted this way because I was in fact still in love with the man I was supposed to marry and his little games used to have an influence over me but now, it's not so easy. It will have to take a little more than holding my puffy coat hostage to ruffle these feathers.
You'd think that it was me who ended things the way is he is acting. If I broke up with someone whom I supposedly used to love, I would want to make things as easy as possible for them and be happy for them if they have moved on and are doing well. I just don't get it, but once again, the key thing I learned this year is that we are all different and you can't expect others to respond the way you would in every situation. Would I play a game with someone I ended things with and who had a long and difficult year? Not at all, but that's just me.
I'll keep you posted of what becomes of my puffy coat of if I'll be freezing my ass off this winter...
