Funny weird

I love strange phone calls, I am not sure why, but I do.

Today, while at work, my phone starts buzzing with a number I do not recognize.

First, let me do some explaining. A couple of years ago I was in San Antonio Texas for an artist interview. At the time I was traveling a lot to interview artists as they worked, or in their studio, or in this case, as one was being honored for designing a sexy new library.

At a reception the night before I ran into this young woman, who for the sake of this convoluted story, we will call Ms. Evil. I had talked to her numerous times on the phone arranging my travel and she was even able to get me into this unique bed and breakfast not far from the gallery. So, I am at this reception, I got there a bit early because I like to scope things out and set up a camera. She was there, she greeted me, told me I was as handsome as she had heard, which means my internet postings about myself had begun to pay off handsomely.

For the next hour or so I shot b-roll footage of the people at the reception, which was all I figured I was going to do that night. At some point I was done and I was packing up, and Ms. Evil shows up, next to me, and as I am stooped over my camera bag, all I can see are some high heels and a pair of beautiful legs. I looked up and she said, "leaving so soon?" I explained I had been in planes and rental cars, I was bushed and heading back to the bed and breakfast. She said she would stop by later and take me to dinner.

On my way back to the bed and breakfast I remember thinking how sweet people in Texas are, offering to take me out to dinner in a strange town, who does those kinds of things?

A couple hours later there was a knock on my door and Ms. Evil was standing there, having changed her fairly conservative gallery clothes for a much shorter skirt and revealing blouse. Off we went to "the best Tex-Mex place in San Antonio."

The food was OK, the conversation mediocre. Working at a non-profit did not afford Ms. Evil the sort of chance to speak to many people, or at least pay attention. We talked about the growing art scene, the graffiti that was showing up all over the south end and how her last boyfriend was kind of mean. If I ventured to ask her anything at all our of her realm of interest, she drew a blank.

Anyone who knows me will testify that red flags are to me what they are too a bull, meaning if I notice them, it just serves to get me more interested. On and on we went, talking, drinking and ordering mediocre food. Late into the night I reminded her that we both had to be at the meeting for the famed architect in the morning. She drunkenly said that she was fine to drive, which was fine by me. As we headed out, I realized we were not heading to the boutique bed and breakfast and I pointed this out, apparently Ms. Evil had other plans, we were going to stop by her house for a night cap.

I have seen plenty of films in my life to know what a night cap really is, an alcohol infused dance with foreplay. I begged off, telling her I still had tape to review and stuff like that. We ended up with her in the driveway of the bed and breakfast, asking if she could come in with me. Again, I kind of knew what that meant. This time, I told her, while dinner was fine, I was really not looking for any sort of "relationship". She was startled for a second, then said, "me neither, but some decent sex would be nice."

Hard to argue with that logic.

For the life of me I don't recall how I snaked my way out of that entanglement, or even if I had.

I did see her at the press conference the next morning and most of the day as the world famous architect toured the University of Texas school of architecture. She was nice and sweet and I kind of enjoy the more sober version of Ms. Evil. A couple of days later I was on my way home and I got an email. The head of the gallery wrote, asking what I had done to Ms. Evil.

She had been upset, crying at her desk, talking about what an a-hole I had been.

I am not sure how I responded, nor do I think I emailed Ms. Evil. I finished the film, delivered it on deadline, got paid and basically forgot all about it.

Then my phone buzzed while I was at work today. First, let me say, I about about 3 years over due for changing my number. The people I love would get an update, the people I don't would not.

I took the call as I was walking out of the meeting I was in. "Hi, it's me, Ms. Evil (she said her real name, but it may as well be Ms. Evil). I see Pittsburgh is in the super bowl, and it's being played in Dallas. I wanted to see if you wanted to go."

At that point, my brain recalling San Antonio, the weirdness of the bed and breakfast, the drinking at the Tex-Mex place, the awkwardness in her car. This out of the blue call, reminding me I need to get a new phone number.

"You have tickets?" I asked.