One of my favorite comebacks after someone has said “I love you,” or even, “I like you,” in a non-romantic context is to reply with, “Yes, but I think we should still see other people.” I almost never pull it off. But it’s a stupid joke I love to say.
Sometimes, my emails with Doc Nice are cordial, respectful, and right on business, because I am a professional. Other times, they are a little goofy because Doc Nice is not just the nicest, he’s also a little goofy. Yesterday, as we traded emails to set up a call, I tried goofy. I mentioned that I’d appreciate talking to him on the phone because I needed his guidance, but also because I like him— though we should see other people. He responded in one all-business sentence specifying the time for our call. Nothing else.
So I was a little startled by our conversation today:
Moi: Hello? Sorry, I missed your call by a second-
Doc Nice: Did you get my voicemail?
Moi: No, I just saw that I missed-
Doc Nice: I cannot believe you’d tell me over email that you think we should see other people.
Moi: Wha? Well- uh- I know it wasn't the best medium-
Doc Nice: Over email! Not even a phone call. I did not see it coming. I thought things were going so well.
Apologizing for a faux break-up with a mentor probably crosses a few boundaries, but it also made my day. Especially thinking of how he was carrying on this whole conversation inside a cab. Nicely played, Nice Doc. Nicely played.
