Status: fin
Duplicity
duplicity
“Ladies first.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you tell him?”
“About what?”
“You know. That.”
“No, I didn't.”
“What happened to your 'no more lies' resolution?”
“When did I say that? And why does it matter?”
“Because you're cheating on your boyfriend.”
“Yeah. With you.”
“It doesn't matter who you're cheating with; you're still cheating.”
“I can if I want to. Hi. I'll have the Darjeeling. The biggest size you got. Sweetened, please.”
“...I'll just have a bottle of orange juice.”
“Will that be together or separate?”
“Separate.”
“Together.”
“...Thanks. You didn't have to.”
“I wanted to.
“You need to tell him.”
“I'm not going to.”
“He needs to know.”
“It's so easy for you to say that; you're single.”
“But even if - ”
“No. Don't.”
“Even if I weren't, I wouldn't have cheated, and if I did, I'd just say so.”
“No, you wouldn't.”
“What?”
“I said, 'no, you wouldn't'.”
“You should tell him.”
“Why do you want him to know so badly? What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, Greg. I know you're off on a business trip in Bumfuck-Middle-of-Nowhere, Oklahoma, but I just want you to know I cheated on you with my ex-boyfriend from nine years ago.' Or how about: 'Hey, Greg. I know we talked about getting married last week, but I'm sleeping with my former college sweetheart.' Oh! I've got it. I'll just tell him how I've been sleeping with you for the past month in random hotel rooms.”
“It doesn't have to be like that.”
“Then tell me. How should it go?”
“Tell him you made a mistake.”
“So this is a mistake? I've been making the same mistake for a month?”
“Well...no.”
“Then what?”
“...I don't know. Why are you doing this anyway? From what it sounds...everything sounds pretty good.”
“It does, doesn't it.”
“Yeah.”
“I guess I always look for problems when everything's all right.”
“...Am I a problem?”
“No! No, no.”
“Then what are we doing?”
“I don't know; I don't know, Andrew.”
“Whoa. Calm down, Lux.”
“I'm trying.”
“Lux, I know this is the worst time to say it, but...um.”
“'Um' what?”
“...I, uh...I still have...feelings for you?”
“...What?”
“I still have feelings for you. I know we dated years ago, but...I don't know. I really loved you. I really love you. A lot.
“And I'm sorry.”
“...For what?”
“For just...showing up, I guess. When everything's perfect for you. And then fucking it all up.”
“It's my fault too. Don't blame yourself for everything.”
“I can't help it. If I didn't look for you, you'd still be happy missing Greg. And he'd propose to you in the airport when you went to pick him up or something. Something really sappy and romantic. And you'd have a comfortable, content life with this guy. And now you can't.”
“...you're still in love with me?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
“...Anyway, you and Greg - ”
“That's it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You're just...you're just gonna say you love me, and that's it? Like it's no big deal? Like nothing happened?”
“What do you want me to do? You're in a committed relationship, and you're happy. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just let go of someone to ensure their happiness.”
“I cheated on my perfect boyfriend for you.
“Does that not mean anything to you?”
“Lux...”
“Andrew, I don't love Greg.”
“Then why are you with him?”
“He's simple. And easy. That's what I like about him.”
“And me?”
“You're complicated. And deep. And confusing, and difficult.”
“Oh.”
“But that doesn't mean I don't like – love – those things about you. I guess Greg is too easy to manage. It's no fun. But you're...I don't know. You're so many things. You make me think differently. You make me stay up at night, thinking. And you drive me crazy. And you always know exactly what to say. And Greg...he buys me flowers, and kisses me when he leaves and comes home. We talk about our days. It's the life I always imagined as a kid.”
“So you have both.”
“What do you mean?”
“Greg and me. Simple and complicated.”
“But I can only choose one.”
“Then who are you gonna choose?”
“Thanks.”
“Did you tell him?”
“About what?”
“You know. That.”
“No, I didn't.”
“What happened to your 'no more lies' resolution?”
“When did I say that? And why does it matter?”
“Because you're cheating on your boyfriend.”
“Yeah. With you.”
“It doesn't matter who you're cheating with; you're still cheating.”
“I can if I want to. Hi. I'll have the Darjeeling. The biggest size you got. Sweetened, please.”
“...I'll just have a bottle of orange juice.”
“Will that be together or separate?”
“Separate.”
“Together.”
“...Thanks. You didn't have to.”
“I wanted to.
“You need to tell him.”
“I'm not going to.”
“He needs to know.”
“It's so easy for you to say that; you're single.”
“But even if - ”
“No. Don't.”
“Even if I weren't, I wouldn't have cheated, and if I did, I'd just say so.”
“No, you wouldn't.”
“What?”
“I said, 'no, you wouldn't'.”
“You should tell him.”
“Why do you want him to know so badly? What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, Greg. I know you're off on a business trip in Bumfuck-Middle-of-Nowhere, Oklahoma, but I just want you to know I cheated on you with my ex-boyfriend from nine years ago.' Or how about: 'Hey, Greg. I know we talked about getting married last week, but I'm sleeping with my former college sweetheart.' Oh! I've got it. I'll just tell him how I've been sleeping with you for the past month in random hotel rooms.”
“It doesn't have to be like that.”
“Then tell me. How should it go?”
“Tell him you made a mistake.”
“So this is a mistake? I've been making the same mistake for a month?”
“Well...no.”
“Then what?”
“...I don't know. Why are you doing this anyway? From what it sounds...everything sounds pretty good.”
“It does, doesn't it.”
“Yeah.”
“I guess I always look for problems when everything's all right.”
“...Am I a problem?”
“No! No, no.”
“Then what are we doing?”
“I don't know; I don't know, Andrew.”
“Whoa. Calm down, Lux.”
“I'm trying.”
“Lux, I know this is the worst time to say it, but...um.”
“'Um' what?”
“...I, uh...I still have...feelings for you?”
“...What?”
“I still have feelings for you. I know we dated years ago, but...I don't know. I really loved you. I really love you. A lot.
“And I'm sorry.”
“...For what?”
“For just...showing up, I guess. When everything's perfect for you. And then fucking it all up.”
“It's my fault too. Don't blame yourself for everything.”
“I can't help it. If I didn't look for you, you'd still be happy missing Greg. And he'd propose to you in the airport when you went to pick him up or something. Something really sappy and romantic. And you'd have a comfortable, content life with this guy. And now you can't.”
“...you're still in love with me?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
“...Anyway, you and Greg - ”
“That's it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You're just...you're just gonna say you love me, and that's it? Like it's no big deal? Like nothing happened?”
“What do you want me to do? You're in a committed relationship, and you're happy. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just let go of someone to ensure their happiness.”
“I cheated on my perfect boyfriend for you.
“Does that not mean anything to you?”
“Lux...”
“Andrew, I don't love Greg.”
“Then why are you with him?”
“He's simple. And easy. That's what I like about him.”
“And me?”
“You're complicated. And deep. And confusing, and difficult.”
“Oh.”
“But that doesn't mean I don't like – love – those things about you. I guess Greg is too easy to manage. It's no fun. But you're...I don't know. You're so many things. You make me think differently. You make me stay up at night, thinking. And you drive me crazy. And you always know exactly what to say. And Greg...he buys me flowers, and kisses me when he leaves and comes home. We talk about our days. It's the life I always imagined as a kid.”
“So you have both.”
“What do you mean?”
“Greg and me. Simple and complicated.”
“But I can only choose one.”
“Then who are you gonna choose?”