After our second date and his story about the sex party, I had officially decided I wasn't interested in Sixty-two. He apparently didn't pick up on those brain waves because the next night he sent me a text message and called me to see what I was doing. Luckily for me I was out with a friend and didn't see those messages until it was my bedtime, so the next day I politely replied that I had been out and hoped he'd had a good night. He had. I was relieved when a week went by and I didn't hear from him, but then I got the text of "Pennnnneeelllllooooppppppeeeeee." I felt no need to respond to that. Two days later he texted asking me if I was free the next day. Telling someone you're not interested in them isn't easy. I've never really had to do it because either the other person wasn't interested in me first and made it clear, or the other person figured out that I wasn't interested in them from normal social cues. From conversations I've had with friends there's no good way to go about it, whether you're breaking up with someone or telling a new person you're not interested. The most of us say, "Ugh, why don't they just tell me they don't want to go out with me. Just suck it up and be honest." However, when it's our turn to do just that we can't because it's awkward or we don't want to hurt the other person.
I had decided if Sixty-two specifically asked me out on another date that I would be honest and tell him I wasn't interested, but that if he kept vaguely or casually communicating with me I would be polite with vague answers back because I don't want to be the egotistical ass that says, "Hey, leave me alone, I'm not interested in you" just to receive a response of "Um, I thought we were friends and was just saying hi; I'm not interested in you either." So when Sixty-two asked if I was free the next day it fell somewhere in the middle of the spectrum for me because he didn't specifically ask me if I was free to go on a date. I innocently responded (innocently because my answer was instant and honest), "Nope. Pretty much from now until mid-October my schedule is out of control." Because it's true, I have a work trip and a social trip with a whole lot of life sprinkled between the two, and I didn't want to feel badly telling him I wasn't free each time he potentially invited me to do something. After the fact, it dawned on me that maybe, just maybe that was a dick move. Yep. I didn't mean to be a jerk, but I basically blew him off without thinking about it. At first I felt like a complete jerk about it, but then I thought maybe it was for the best and he'd move on.
Apparently he didn't interpret my response as anything other than what I had originally intended because he's still texting me. Currently his messages haven't required any resplies from me, so I'm going for the "if I don't respond you'll forget I exist" method, because let's be honest guys have used this method on me many times, and I eventually get the hint (even when I think, "Ugh, just tell me you're not interested." It's called irony, people.).
