Leah: How did you two initially start seeing each other? Let me guess…he was your bartender!
*giggle*
Aja: Actually…no. He moved in across the street from us.
Leah: Us??
Aja: My husband…soon to be EX!!...husband.
Leah: OH!
Aja: Actually Charles, my husband still unfortunately, was the sole reason that Rene & I initially
started spending so much time together.
Leah: You're playing with me!
Aja: Not at all…not even in the slightest…Charles, in all honesty, began encouraging he & I to
do anything & everything that he had no interest in participating in.
Leah: What do you mean?
Aja: The 1st time he suggested that Rene accompany me to an event, it was a lecture on
modern art from around the world…he, Charles, was dreading it!
Leah: OK, but how did he even know that Rene would be interested in something like that?
Aja: Because Rene had said how jealous he was that we were able to secure passes. You see
he'd just moved in across the street from us probably less than a month at this point, one of the
other couples in the neighborhood was hosting a cocktail party and he'd been invited, he was
without a doubt the youngest person there. Everyone else was easily 18-30 yrs his senior. But!
He was completely unfazed, he made good with the husbands immediately with his knowledge
of sports, AND he also was an immediate hit with the "Cougar" wives den because he started
bartending and making us all the MOST AMAZING DRINKS WE'D EVER DRANK!
Leah: Sounds about right! *boisterous laughter from both women*
Aja: So it was easily 6 hours later than the hosts had initially intended for the party to last and
we were all sitting around the fire pit listening to jazz music that HE! RENE! was playing from
HIS phone when Georgia, the wife/host, asked me if I wanted to go to a wine tasting, I
immediately said "OMG as fun as that sounds Charles & I are going to a lecture on modern art
at the University!
Leah: And let me guess your husband said something snide!
Aja: No…Rene immediately said "Really!!??? I was trying to get passes for that but they were
ALL FUCKIN taken! I'm SOOOOO JEALOUS RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE NO IDEA!
Leah: I can literally hear him saying that! *giggles*
Aja: THAT'S WHEN CHARLES CHIMED IN!
Leah: Oh lord!
Aja: Wait for it! My husband immediately perked up with complete curiosity and disdain & asked
him "Really?! Why!?" Rene looked at him and said "Because I've been studying Art History
since I was probably 6-7 yrs old and it absolutely fascinates me still to this day.
Leah: What an asshole…your husband btw, not Rene.
Aja: At this point I became curious and asked him who some of his favorite modern artists were,
which he immediately replied with artists i wasn't familiar with whatsoever.
Leah: Such as?
Aja: Ralph Steadman, who illustrated Hunter S. Thompson's novels. Then there was H.R. Giger
who not only was responsible for creating the Creature from the movie ALIEN, but is credited with creating a completely new and previously unheard of form of art that was named after his
very own description of his work called Bio-Mechanical.
Leah: And what did your husband say?
Aja: That's the funny thing…. He didn't say a goddamn word…instead he simply watched as
Rene & I unconsciously walked away from the group and sat just out of earshot from everyone
so we could hear each other. I still don't know exactly how long he & I were talking by ourselves
but we eventually needed a refill and walked back to the group. And that's when Charles told
Rene "If you really want to go to the lecture you can have my ticket."
Leah: WHAT!?!?!!!
Aja: Uh-huh! I looked at him with eyes that could kill thinking he was trying to give our passes
away! And told him "ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW!? YOU PROMISED!"
Leah: And what did he say?
Aja: "I know I did but let's be honest here…I won't have any idea what the fuck they're going to
be talking about…BUT HE WILL!!" & I looked at him confused and asked him what he was
talking about.
Leah: And what was his answer?
Aja: He said "I hate these things…you know that! But he doesn't…and you two would have so
much more fun nerding out together! You wouldn't have to worry about waking me up because I
was snoring! Or being restless and frustrated!
Leah: What did you say to that!?!?
Aja: I asked him…"are you suggesting your wife go to a lecture with a complete stranger?!"
Leah: Omg what'd he say?
Aja: Yes.
Leah: And what did you say?!
Aja: I turned to Rene & asked him "would you want to go to a lecture with some old lady you just
met?"
Leah: And….what did he say?
Aja: What do you think? Actually…he looked at Charles and asked him "are you serious? You'd
be ok with me tagging along with your wife?" And Charles for some reason decided to sweeten
the deal.
Leah: He what!?!! How?!?
Aja: How? I'll tell you how…he reassured Rene that not only was he ok with it, but that he'd
make reservations for us to have dinner beforehand at this new European Bistro…AND it would
all be charged to my husband's card.
Leah: WOOOOOOOOW!!
Aja: You have no idea! I was completely and utterly shocked…angry…hurt…humiliated…BUT
MOST OF ALL I WAS PISSED.
Leah: OK so what happened?
Aja: Rene did something that made everything better.
Leah: And what was that?
Aja: He made a deliberate jab at Charles.
Leah: Jab? What do you mean?
Aja: He said "Ok…so let me say this out loud for everyone, INCLUDING YOU, to hear and pay
witness to…You're going to make reservations at some new billy bad ass bistro and pay for said
dining experience for YOUR RIDICULOUSLY GORGEOUS WIFE TO ENJOY WITH YOUR
NEW NEIGHBOR THAT YOU'VE JUST MET TONIGHT…AAAAAND AFTERWARDS SAID
DUO WILL ATTEND ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC LECTURES ON MODERN ART/ARTISTS
TO DATE….ALL BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T WANNA HAVE TO GO…YEAH OK I'M IN."
Leah: Ahahahaha!!! Sounds just like him!! And Charles didn't realize he was being
attacked…verbally?
Aja: Charles….like usual…was TOO DRUNK to recognize he was being stabbed at. And I was
very quickly becoming aware to the fact that I was NOW completely intrigued about the
possibility of going on a "DATE" that was not only set up by my husband but that he would also
be paying for!