Daniel

We all met at Nick’s house.

I was on Amazon’s website scanning new songs to download.

A few other friends were also there, including Nick’s new girlfriend, doing their thing, drinking and watching some concert on Netflix. We were waiting for Eva and her boyfriend, Daniel, to show up.

It was cocktail hour at Nick’s place before going out to dinner.

“I don’t know what’s worse; that in 1999 I was at a house party [like this!] listening to Bawitdaba [Kid Rock] or that I can now download the song for just $.69 on Amazon.” I commented.

“The fact your musical taste hasn’t matured is pretty impressive.” Nick teased.

“I know right? Like your haircut.” I teased back.

Just then, Eva and Daniel show up.

I hug and kiss Eva on the cheek, and then reach in to embrace Daniel and kiss him on the cheek, but he randomly pulls away from me, and gives me the ugly auntie “back pat”.

“Is something wrong with Daniel?” I whisper to Eva.

“He’s mad at you.” She whispers back.

“Why?” I ask. “What did I do?”

“You don’t grab his [butt] anymore.” She said.

Your boyfriend’s mad at me because I don’t grab his [butt] anymore?

Who knows. Eva could have been joking. It’s hard to tell with my friends. Clearly something was going on with Daniel but I was a little distracted with Amazon, and well, honestly, growing up with older brothers, regarding something so minor, I unintentionally learned how to ignore people in these circumstances.

Daniel said hello to everyone with a tone… and a leer.

I sighed, shrugged it off and continued shopping on Amazon.

I found “Forever Young” [Rod Stewart] for $.69. Love this song. It was still weird to me that is was only $.69. I mean that song’s a hit worth so much m…

“What happened to the plant that was on this table, Nick?” Daniel asked, rather loudly, interrupting my train of thought.

“It died. I threw it out.” Nick replied.

I bought the Kid Rock and Rod Stewart songs from Amazon. But the songs wouldn’t download properly.

Both songs were supposed to download to Nick’s Cloud.

I was using Nick’s laptop since it was open and already online.

Didn’t make sense I couldn’t download the songs I just bought onto Nick’s Cloud.  

“It’s because you leave your plants in the sunlight all day.” Daniel said, again rather loudly and slightly obnoxious.

“Well, technically the sun does rotate around, so the plant isn’t in the sunlight all day.” Nick said trying to be charming.

Amazon is telling me I have to log out of Nick’s Cloud. But if I log out of Nick’s Cloud, how and where will my songs download?

“I told you to just use my account. $20 worth of songs isn’t going to break me, honey.” Nick scolds me.

“Did you know you can’t use 2 different credit cards on Amazon and download to the same Cloud?” I ask.

“I don’t understand why you get plants, dude. You’re never home anyway.” Daniel interrupts.

Nick’s Cloud is telling me to log out, and for me to log back in using my Cloud account.

What the hell’s my Cloud account?

My Cloud?

On my computer?

What??

“Remember the last plant I had, I kept it on this table, and it lived for many years.” Nick defends.

I finally realized the same password account I use to log into Amazon, is my Cloud account on someone else’s Cloud.

“Probably a different plant.” Daniel remarks, rather loudly.    

Lastly, from Amazon, I get the songs downloaded onto my temporary Cloud account, logging Nick out of his Cloud. From there, I started the transfer process from my temporary Cloud account, onto my mp3 player.

“You’re the only person I know who still uses an mp3 player.” Daniel sarcastically says.

I’m not used to guys like Daniel. My guy friends are pretty predictable. When my (platonic) male friends suddenly stop texting me, it’s because they got girlfriends, and when said male friends are fighting with their girlfriends, or comfortable with their girlfriends, or breaking up with their girlfriends, I hear from said male friends again.  

I get it

It’s not rocket science and it all makes sense. 

Daniel, however, was not talking to me and talking to me at the same time.

I don’t get why Amazon can’t handle 2 different credit cards on one account? And why the songs couldn’t just download onto Nick’s Cloud? I mean, it’s all going on the same computer.

This is worse than when my IPAD locked me out and changed passwords on me.

I don’t think so Hal!

“Mp3 players are cheap.” I tell Daniel. “I drop everything. I don’t stress if I drop my mp3 player a thousand times. I’ll just get a new one.”

It’s true. I could FBI audio surveillance duct tape any electronic to my chest, and I’ll still manage to drop it.

It’s also why I don’t walk and talk on my cell phone.

A few hours past, my friends and I went out to dinner.

After 3 bottles of wine I finally learned what was bugging Daniel.

It seems we were talking on the phone; I hung up on him and didn’t apologize.

Oh wow. That’s not cool. I don’t remember doing that sweetie but, Sorry!

I do remember saying, “Hey gotta go!” and then hanging up. Perhaps that’s what he meant?  

In reflection, I do, do that a lot. Seems I’m always in a hurry when I’m talking on the phone. It’s why I like texting. It’s the quick-get message you can reply to (whenever). Most communication with me takes 4-6 texts or 30 seconds.

Who

What
Where
When
(And sometimes)
Why

But, Daniel has point. I’ll spend 30 minutes messing around with the Cloud, but only 30 seconds on the phone talking to someone.

He’s right.

I get it.


It's so because I don't grab his butt anymore!