I’ve Heard it all Before

I’ve Heard it all Before… I’ve Heard it all Before… I’ve Heard it all Before… I’ve Heard it all Before…

“I hope you’re in a better mood now then you were last night,” the Ex said as I met him in a bar on Upper Street, Islington.

“I am ten times worse!” I exclaimed.

“What’s wrong? Bad day at work?” He asked.

“Yes. Bad day in general. This world would be such a better place if everyone just did what I said. I’m tired of people not following through with shit.”

“Huh?”

“I’m tired of hearing excuses. You know that Madonna song, ‘Sorry’ ?”

“Since when have I listened to Madonna?”

“She has this lyric, ‘I don't wanna hear, I don't wanna know
Please don't say you're sorry. I've heard it all before. And I can take care of myself’”

“It doesn’t sound like that good of a song,” the Ex muses.

“That’s not the point! The point is between my I.T. team being completely unreliable and my internet dates being completely unreliable, it’s driving me crazy.”

“That’s why I don’t date. See, I told you this dating thing wouldn’t be all wine and roses.”

“I had a deadline today at work and the whole of the I.T. team left at 4:30. I was fucked!”

“It is a holiday!”

“It makes me look like a shithead when I can’t meet my deadlines. I’m trying to get this programme up and when the I.T. team fucks off at 4:30 and we’re due to go live at 5:00. I’m fucked! I’m totally fucked!”

“Shhhh, calm down, Anjelika."

"It makes me do mad. And do you realize I’m supposed to be on a date right now and look where I am?”

“With me,” he says scratching his labret.

“Yeah, predictably with you,” I grumble.

“You really should just date people from work and friends of friends.”

“I know, that would be ideal, but there aren’t that many single guys at work.”

“No one’s gonna fob you off if you’re going to see them the next day. It’s easy for these internet dates to cancel on you because you’re nothing to them. They’re not gonna see you tomorrow at the water cooler. They’re not going to bump into you in the lift…”

“I’m gonna stop giving out my mobile number. It’s too easy to text and cancel. I’m just gonna give out my home number.”

“Oh don’t do that!”

“If they want to cancel then they can phone me up and do so. Otherwise it’s too easy.”

“Anj, these guys are flakes. Better that they flake out in the beginning rather than later in the relationship. You’re better off without them.”

“I know. The thing is, I’m not mad at any one particular guy for canceling. Everyone has an excuse. Maybe they’re valid, maybe they’re not, but I’ve had 9 cancellations in 14 days. “

“Jesus.”

“It’s frustrating. It makes me want to quit this dating thing all together.”

“I bet.”

“You realize that the only ones in my life who have never let me down are my dad and my dog.”

“You really should see an analyst, Anj.”

“One day…”