I ran over the conversation with Ashley a million times, and my only conclusion was that I was so glad to see her after spending the night with Gabby that I made a total ass out of myself. I was sure that Ashley had run home screaming about the nutcase next door. Or I was totally overreacting to a random compliment that somehow made Ashley uncomfortable. At least I knew where she stood with me, and it was not a situation I should even think about moving forward in. Which I realized was a lot easier when I wasn't next to Ashley than when I was. To make matters worse, Gabby had stepped it up a notch, inviting herself into my office for lunch, which is when I normally made notes on the morning session and did the few administrative things that had been dumped on me. Our date was a week ago, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to put her off… Or how much longer I’d be able to put off the conversation where I had to tell her—I don’t think I’ll ever be interested in you that way.
