BOOM!

One of my ex-boyfriend's friends is a pedi cab driver nicknamed "Boom". My ex mentioned him fairly often while we were together, but I'd only hung out with this guy once (the day that I lost my bracelet in the city). My office is near Central Park, so on nice days, I like to sneak out to go sit in the park for a little while. On one of these nice days in the park, I was sitting on a bench when I looked up to see a pedi cab coming around the corner with an Irish flag on the seat. I stood up and called out, "Boom?" The guy stopped his pedi cab, and replied, "Yes, I'm Boom." Then I was like "I'm Lynnie, Daniel's ex-girlfriend." He remembered me, and we got to chatting. At this point, Daniel and I were broken up for about 5 months, I still wasn't over him, and thought this was a sign that we were getting back together. Boom and I continued chatting, and he asked if I wanted to take a ride. I was on my lunch break, but it was such a gorgeous day, I figured, why not? He drove me around a small loop in Central Park, and dropped me off on 6th Avenue. He said he would drive me back to my office, but there was too much traffic, so I offered to walk. I walked back to my office elated that he would relay the updates of my post-breakup life to Daniel - I was settling into a new job, and had been on several dates, yet no one quite compared to Daniel.

The following week, disappointed that I hadn't received any reunion phone calls or text messages from Daniel, I was walking from the subway to my office when I thought I heard someone calling my name. I glanced quickly behind me, but didn't bother taking out my headphones, assuming I was hearing things in my pre-caffeinated state. I heard my name again, and this time, Boom was grabbing my arm to get my attention. Shocked that I ran into him again in such a short period of time, after having only seen him once before in my life, I ripped out my headphones and said, "Omg, hello again!" He said that it was very strange that we ran into each other again, and that these encounters must mean something. At the time, Boom was engaged to a woman he'd been seeing for a few years, and I didn't realize that he was hitting on me. I've never been very good at that, or at realizing when I'm flirting with someone. I just assume most people are as friendly as I am, to my detriment at times. He said that he'd gotten drinks with Daniel over the weekend, and told me he mentioned to Daniel that he'd seen me. Much to my dismay, Boom relayed that Daniel did not seem phased that we'd seen each other, and just carried on drinking his beer after Boom told him.

About nine months later, I was driving through the city with a coworker when I glanced over while stopped at a light and saw boom again in his pedi cab. I told the guy I was with that it was my ex-boyfriend's friend, and he could not get over the fact that I actually know a pedi cab driver, bringing it up again at work drinks later that week. I didn't say anything to Boom that time, and he was facing away from me, so he had no clue I was there.

On a Wednesday afternoon two or three months after seeing him in the street, I needed to go to Best Buy to get my computer fixed. It was about 90 degrees with 80% humidity that day, so I was hoping to do this as quickly as possible. Walking down Broadway, I ran into Boom yet again on a corner. He waved at me before I noticed it was him, and after asking me how I was, he said again that running into each other must mean something. I told him that I'd gotten another job within my company, and was seeing someone for a while. While David, the guy I was seeing, was a great guy, David just wasn't the right guy for me. I told Boom I'd dated a few other people since I ended things with David, but nothing serious yet. That's when Boom asked me when we were going to go for a drink. He said he and his fiance broke up, and she moved to DC. I told him it was highly inappropriate for us to hang out given the history with my ex. Boom argued that since Daniel and I had both moved on with our lives, it wouldn't matter that we'd been together in the past. Despite this argument, I told him it was nice to see him, and went along my way to Best Buy.

The following Monday, after surviving an epic case of the Mondays caused by a weekend of drinking and eating my way through NYC with my cousin visiting from Buffalo, I ran down to the subway to head home. As I was descending the stairs, Boom was ascending the stairs. Yet again, he said it was very strange that we were running into each other, and it must be fate. He asked again when we were getting together for drinks, and in my haze, I gave him my number. That subway ride home was the longest of my life. I couldn't wait to get out of the subway and relay what had just happened. While I was over Daniel at this point, I couldn't believe I'd given his friend my number, and needed a dose of reality from my friend S. Just the day before, I'd coached S through some post-drinking anxiety, so it was time to return the favor. We talked through it, and after a great spin class, I was feeling less like a crazy person.

Of course, Boom texted me later that night, leading to a conversation that lasted for the rest of the night which I can only attribute to boredom. He asked when we were getting those drinks, and I avoided the question. The next day, he texted me again asking when we were getting together, and I said to be honest, I wasn't comfortable meeting him for a drink. He accepted my response, and told me to let him know if I changed my mind.

You think I would've just ended it here, but after girls' night drinks with co-workers that Thursday, they convinced me that one drink wouldn't kill me. In my drunken stupor, I texted Boom saying one drink wouldn't hurt, and that I could get together the following week. We made tentative plans for the following Thursday. He texted me that Sunday night asking how my weekend was, and wanting to solidify plans. I said I had to check my schedule with work the next day, and have yet to respond to that question.