Long Distance is a Bitch by shiprat

[Ramesh_Rocky]

Over the next few days, I kept running into Dustin in the department. We usually chatted and exchanged a few words when we met in the corridors. He'd ask me how Parag was doing and I'd inquire after Vicky. Then one day, we both happened to be outside the building at the same time for a smoke. The conversation moved from small talk to elaborate talk. And both of us ended up sharing more information about our love lives than we previously had.

"To be honest, the problem is, I do have a roving eye. But just an eye." Dustin said.

"How do you mean?"

"Vicky is the first serious girlfriend I have had in four years. And I am not quite used to being in a monogamous relationship. And being in a band, I get a lot of opportunities to flirt with pretty women. Lots of temptations."

"Hmmmm."

"But I have never acted on those temptations. The problem is, I usually end up telling Vicky about some of these instances. Like last month, two girls came up to me and our lead singer after a gig we had in a bar downtown. The lead singer is single, so he had no hesitation in turning on his charm at full blast on one of the girls. I was his de-facto wingman so I flirted, within limits, with the other girl. But it never went beyond that. I told about this to Vicky. And instead of appreciating my honesty and fidelity, she lost her cool over the fact that I had agreed to be a wingman."

"Well, it is understandable."

"Is it? If I wanted to cheat on her, why would I tell her these things?"

"But if it disturbs her so much, maybe you should keep it to yourself."

"Oh, I have tried that. But when I don't share such stuff with her, she gets paranoid and keeps asking me about whom I met at the last gig, When she can turnb up for some of the gigs we have, she gets jealous about some female fans flirting with me. And then we spend more of the weekend fighting."

"That sucks."

"Yeah it does."

----------------

A few days later, Parag and I had another fight. One that made me really hate him. And this time, I sought out Dustin, took him outside the building and started venting.

"It's like he resents me for my success. For my brains. I think he just wants me to be a dumb housewife cooking for him." I started, after Dustin lit my cigarette with his Zippo.

"Come on, I'm sure he is better than that."

"Is he? Do you know what happened today? We both got our midterm results. I aced it. He got a C. Instead of congratulating me, he made snide remarks about my A!"

"What kind of remarks?"

"He said, and I quote 'well, if I were as hot as you, I could get straight A's too.' What the fuck? I slogged my ass off preparing for the midterms."

"I know you did. I saw how late you left every night last week." Dustin said, exhaling smoke.