NORMAL LIFE: Zack's Last Resort

Zack is unreliable at the best of times - domineering, controlling, arrogant, chauvanist. I actually kind of feel sorry for the guy. Despite his faults (we all have them, after all), I have got to know him quite well over the last few years, but his call on Friday night pushed me very close to the edge.

Bear in mind that I haven't seen him since October or November so nearly six months have gone by since we last saw eachother. It's early evening on Friday, and my phone starts vibrating, waking me up. I don't recognise the number (he has a new one because, apparently, he started a new job and got a new phone and number with the new firm), but I pick up anyway. This is how the conversation goes.

"Hi there!", he said
"Hello? Who is this?" I ask
"Zach. How you doing?"
"Fine, just fine, what's up?" I ask
"Not much. The girl is away for the weekend, wanna meet?"

I make my excuses, claiming we have to go to Lahti some 120kms north of Helsinki to look after Bree's dog while his parents go to a non-existent funeral. After lying to him, he says: "No worries, I'll catch you later, okay?"

And that was the phone call, six months worth of communication crammed into about a minute of talk-time! Bizarre! Why did he leave it until Friday night to call me? Sure he knew 'the girl' would be away for the weekend before now?

I merely suspect that he has called others, but has been turned down. Well, guess what? Treating me as a last resort won't get you very far! And, the more I think about it, I don't blame 'the girl' for wanting to get away!