Wait a minute

From: Andrea the Hunter
To: DDgirl
Subject: AAA looking for DDgirl

Sweetie,

Where are you? What are you up to, these days?
I haven’t heard from you in a while, is everything okay? I bet you’re working too much, as always. You should give it a break, get a day off and go to a SPA, things like that.
Or maybe I’m worrying too much, but I know if you had anything exciting you’d be spilling it by mail, so I bet you’re depressed. And do you know what happens when you work too much? You stop exercising, you eat junk food, you’ll develop a fat ass and maybe even zits, and who is going to get you laid then?
I’m kidding of course, babe!

I don’t really have big news. I’ve been road-tripping for a while, full-mooning in Koh Phangan, then I was in Koh Tao for a while and now I’m back in BKK at my place.

Whatever, I’m worried about you DDgirl and I don’t like worrying so get in touch.

Always yours
Hunter
Xoxo

I got this mail yesterday.
My first reaction: WTF? I even double checked the sender, since this does not sound like the usual Hunter.
Then I realised I haven’t written him in two months or so. Bad!
Even worse, I realized I’m not keeping in touch with plenty of friends. Between working too much (The Hunter has a point, but it’s easy to say when you DON’T WORK), and the family drama, I’ve been so exhausted over the last three or four weeks, the only thing I manage to do when I get home at night is get to bed. Hell, I actually count how many hours I have to work till Christmas break to fall asleep! (My current estimate: 240 more or less… considered December 7 and 8 are holidays, it’s quite a lot…)

Back to the Hunter, however, I must confess I was touched by his email. Especially by the part quoting zits and fat ass.
I mean, it has always been the same way: I worry about him. Not vice versa.
Oh well, I’ll try to write him back tonight! Oh, and I'm meeting a friend for drinks. Need to spice up my social life.

Old confessions from The Hunter

I got a message from Andrea the Hunter, yesterday night. I was sleepless, and he had just got out of bed in Bangkok, so we ended up chatting a bit on FB. We talked about Eivind. I don’t think I ever mentioned Eivind, but back in grad school the three of us were inseparable. We’ve already talked about Andrea, and Eivind is a guy from Norway who came to Italy for grad school. We met by chance, and we used to spend all out time together, and with our three blond heads and pairs of blue eyes most people thought we were all Scandinavian.
Back in that year, I had a stable boyfriend, but Andrea hinted several times that Eivind was interested in me (he never made a move, but it could be because he knew I was not on the market).

At the end of grad school Eivind met a Swedish girlfriend (that Andrea hates) and went back to Scandinavia. By that time Andrea had already moved to Thailand; however we had a fight over the Eivind matter. It turned out Andrea saw us as his “backup family” of a kind, the place he could always go back to. Therefore, he always hoped Eivind and I would end up together. When Eivind left, I guess his dream kind of shattered, and he blamed me, and it took him a while to get over it and move on, which of course he eventually did.

When he came back after the Tsunami and he stayed at my place, we did a lot of talking. I remember this one I noted in a diary on the same night we had it. (please read the post about the Tsunami if you hadn’t, or it will look weird).

Andrea was thanking me for taking care of him, and then he said: “It’s funny how, even now, you still support me. After all of the things that I’ve done, when even my own family doesn’t care that much, you’re so good to me! You waited patiently, yet when I got upset with you, you still had to ask me if I cared about you.”

“I never said I was perfect, Andrea. But it seems I still managed to take you home”

“I’ve walked on shells to come here, it’s been tough, but now that I feel better, I can see you’ve changed as well. You are still beautiful, but you have changed. You’ve got you life and your job, you’ve got different problems now. I regret fighting with you about Eivind. You were doing well with your boyfriend, and Eivind wanted to go back to Scandinavia.”

“You know very well Eivind cares a lot about you, Andrea. And that I do, as well. It is always you the one that disappears. You’re the one who charmed us and went away! Now we’re no longer students, we grew up and set our lives, but neither Eivind or I ever forget about you. It was hard for us to accept your choice to live in a completely different way. It is not something we could have done ourselves, even if we wanted to. Eivind does not come from money, and even I do not own enough to live like you, but even if we were rich…. We wouldn’t live like you. And it IS hard to always worry about you. In a way, it’s easier for me, because you tell me things that you keep from Eivind for fear of upsetting him.”

“Sometimes I pray for a miracle, DDgirl. Deep down, I don’t know what I’d do if you had indeed chosen a lifestyle like my own: you are my anchor, my safe port. Even if Eivind went away. I don’t think this will ever change”



And that was it. I think it may represent the only time Andrea expressed warm feelings in the last 10 years.

My birthday card

Last Sunday, right on time for my birthday, I got this mail.

From: Andrea the Hunter
To: DDgirl

Subject: My Babe is getting’ older

Hello Beautiful,

And let me say also, “Happy Birthday!”
Sorry for being such a stranger, I’ve been kinda busy.
Things are going great, I have started this MBA I had talket to you about, it’s not that exciting but better than work in any case. Mom has been around here for a few weeks, and she bought me this amazing apartment, which basically is in a building that hosts a five stars hotel and 5 flats like mine: I totally love it!! And it’s pretty huge, 120square meters, and the view is great (I’m on the 22nd floor), and I have a guest bedroom of course, so if you come around here we won’t have to sleep all piled up into a microscopic bed the way we used to back in college!
I’m really going out a lot, and I’m also dating a few girls. The Japanese I’ve been seeing for a month or so, well, I’m a bit over her, but then again she has these amazing geisha techniques that make me shut up every time I try to get rid of her.
I’m also fooling around with my private banker: let’s just say that the chick takes care of my business, both in bank and bed (I know, I’m a pig).

What about you? Are you celebrating decently or mourning on your age as usual (I know ya!)?

My recommendations for the next year: have fun, go partying a lot, and if you feel down catch a plane and come around here for a tour of the islands!

Kisses

A.

Whatever (I had a dream)

Okay, I didn’t think about writing this, but I really don’t feel like sharing this story with anyone I know, and I need to get it off my chest. Hopefully, once I see this post in my blog, I’ll stop thinking about it.

I had a dream last night 'cause it looked just like a dream
I had a dream last night but it looked not like a dream

I was relaxing home (but it wasn’t anywhere I know), when I felt the strangest sensation from my belly.
It was summer, and I was wearing white light trousers and a white tank top that did not cover my tummy, which was flat and tanned. All in a sudden, I knew I was pregnant.

Mercy, mercy, I made a call
Make me a suit so I can get it off
Heaven help me, my head is spin'n round
Stop this airplane cause I got to get down

I went to buy a pregnancy test, and although I don’t know where I was supposed to be, it was not Europe, the vegetation, the buildings were different. The test was positive, of course.
I knew who the father was.

I had a dream last night, and it fit me like a glove
It was a scream last night it was getting kinda fun

When I got back “home”, Andrea the Hunter was there.
“I came because I felt that you needed to talk to me” he said, smiling.
“I’m pregnant with your baby” I answered quietly. “I wanted you to know, but I’m not asking for anything”.
He looked, somehow, as if he already knew, he had a glow, a look of wisdom and slight happiness, something I had never seen on him.
“But you will marry me, won’t you? After all, we always knew we would end up together”.

I was perplex, we had never been in any kind of relationship but friendship (no clue about the pregnancy, in the dream no sex was involved).
In the end, we got married. And he was just everything but Andrea, he was the ideal and perfect husband.

I had a dream last night, because he looked just like a dream
I had a dream last night, because he looked just like a dream

And then, we were somewhere on a white sand beach, and it felt like something was going to happen soon, the pressure was tangible, like ten thousands storm was going to break. Something was approaching, something horrible, something to fear. And somehow, I knew it was me who was provoking it.

He was on fire last night, and I was breathing gasoline
I had a dream last night, and it fit me like a glove
I had a scream last night
Lord above...


I know this whole lot doesn’t mean anything, and that no one will probably understand it, but it’s been on my mind for the whole day, together with the song Whatever (I had a dream).

You've got a friend in me

Dear DDgirl,

What’s up with my fave frenchy?
As you had already guessed, I came back to Thailand three weeks ago, and this time it might be for good. I’m actually learning Thai (I joined an intensive class which is pretty hard but I can already manage a basic conversation, not bad huh?), and I’m looking around for a job here in Bangkok. I actually have a job interview on Friday, and I’ve been so busy I hardly go out at night during the week, limiting my clubbing to weekend nights.
Babe, I know you’ll be a bit disappointed if I’m not coming back, but I couldn’t stand Milan anymore. All our old buddies from business school have transformed into boring bankers, who only go out with people that could help their career and so on. Things are not like they used to be when Eivind and you were there, and the three of us would rock each time we met.
And besides, I am happy here. Waking up in the warm air, knowing the day will be sunny, already puts me in a great mood.

Enough about me! How are you doing? I’m craving for some mail with the latest DDgirl’s adventures!

Kisses

Andrea

This morning, when I found this mail, I squealed with happiness. Luckily there wasn’t anyone else in the office!
Andrea the Hunter is safe and happy, and I’m relieved.
Last week was totally crazy, I’ve been working 16 to 20 hours each day, and by Friday night I was sick and exhausted. I managed to sleep through most of the weekend, spending some quality time with KS when awake, and today I’m in a great shape (I’m even considering jogging at noon!).
I’ll answer Andrea, work, jog, and I’ll be happy for today, because my best friend is safe and happy. Because he’s still my friend, and I’m still the one he will turn to when he needs help.

Why I worry about you

Andrea the Hunter has, once more, disappeared.
I know, Andrea is like that, every once in a while it just seems he has left the Earth for some other place, and no one knows how to reach him or where exactly he might be.
Judging from the sound I get when I call his cell phone (to which he doesn’t answer), I am able to say he’s in Thailand, although he didn’t tell me he was leaving. The latter is not weird at all: he often decides to leave Europe and takes off just a few hours later, without even packing: once he’s there, he only needs to buy a pair of Bermuda and a few t-shirts, so why bother packing? He usually just heads to the airport and get a place on the first fly for Bangkok.

I know what you are thinking: “Why the hell then should I worry about him?”

Things haven’t always been like this. There was a time when Andrea would come and go, and disappear even more often than he does nowadays, and I just knew sooner or later he would call or email me, telling me plenty of funny stories about all the crazy things he had been doing.

In 2004, he left for Thailand in early October. On his last night in Milan, we went out, drank, exchanged stories and hung out, then I kissed him goodbye and let him go. We traded mails twice a week more or less, and usually I had a blast reading his messages.
On December 23 I got a mail in which he complained about the bad weather (he was on the east coast), so I answered suggesting him to go to Phi Phi Island, I wished him a Merry Christmas, turned off my laptop and headed home to spend the 24 and the 25 with my family.
On the morning of December 26, I woke up very early to go back to Milan to the office. While driving to the station, at 5AM, I turned on the radio and learnt that the Tsunami had hit the Thai West Coast. They specifically talked about Phi Phi island as one of the places that had been more violently hit.
I immediately tried to call Andrea, but obviously thai cell phones did not work. The next step was to get in touch with his Italian “girlfriend”, who didn’t even know he was in Thailand.
I was still calm when I called Eivind, our mutual best friend who lived in Norway. Eivind told me he had Andrea’s last mail on December 24, where he said he was leaving for the west coast. And then, I started to panic.
Together with Evind, we called all the information centres about people lost on the Tsunami, we call Andrea’s mother who was in Finland (and didn’t appear much concerned), we tried everything.
During these days, a little voice inside me was whispering at my ear “If anything happened to him it’s your fault, you’re the one who advised his to go west, if he had remained on the east coast he would be safe”

On January 5, my phone rang in the middle of the night: it was Andrea. The Tsunami had reached him while he was boarding on a ship to PhiPhi Island. The ship rose, crashed on one side but did not sink, he had a broken arm (but later on he told me some people on the same boat had died), but he had managed not to lose his papers. In the following days, without any way to communicate with the rest of the world, without any access to hospitals, he fled towards the east coast, where he finally could be medicated in some kind of hospital. Only ten days after the Tsunami some phones started to work, and then he called.

A week later he managed to find a place on a plane from Bangkok to Amsterdam, from where a connection flight took him to Milan. I went to the airport to fetch him, it was snowing outside, and he arrived with dirty Bermudas and a t-shirt, his left arm plastered, and no luggage but his wallet. That night I took him at my place, helped him showering, fed him and then let him sleep in my bed while I took the couch. He slept for 20 hours, and in the meanwhile I went out to buy him a pair of jeans, a clean shirt and a sweater. On the next day he took the train to go home where his sister and his aunt were waiting for him.

Guess who's back?

I started this post yesterday, but than had to leave ‘cause I had an appointment for waxing in half an hour, and my legs (and bikini line) DID deserve it. By the way, although this is WAY TMI, I never got a Brazilian wax. I guess that this is mainly because:
1- I still haven’t worked the guts for it
2- I’m not sure I’d like to be as naked as my three years old niece
My Italian origins are probably dominant here, since after all, Andrea the Hunter, best and more successful “tombeur de femme” I ever met, told me himself he doesn’t like a Bwax on a girl.
Don’t think I’m a prude however. I love my body, and never feel ashamed of it. This also mean that I’m totally a topless sun-tanner (then again, I don’t like crowded beaches) and that I’m at ease in naked sauna, as long as people are decent enough not to stare too much (usually, those who stare are those who are not at ease with their own nakedness, by the way).

Anyway, let go the nakedness subject (but comment if you feel so), something funny happened today.

A few days ago, the winter staff event of my company was announced: we’re going to a club med in the Alps, for four days. You know how I feel about seminaries, I love them, I always have lots of fun and so on. And I am aware that this is also because there are little girls in this business, and I am one of the cutest. Trust me, it’s no big deal, I’m one of the young, I have a sexy accent, unless most of the others I’m not fat, and man, I do know how to dance.
However, I may have kissed a colleague in the past at a seminary, but I never went any further. And, I’m currently in a relationship and in love with my KS, so I’ll have fun, maybe flirt a little, drink a lot and that’s it.
This cleared out, yesterday Nico and a friend of him I’ve never met before, IMed me together.
We’ll call the friend Redhead, because, he has red hair (such a fantasy DDgirl…)

Nico&Redhead: “Hey cutie”
DDgirl “What’s up guys?”
R. “Hi I’m a friend of Nico…”
DD “Hi..”
R. “Nico talked me about you.. Can’t wait for the ski event!!!”
DD “Uh.. Okay…”
R. “You know I just joined the company, and I don’t know many people”
DD “Uh okay”
R. “So Nico told me you worked at the same company before”
DD “Yeah… What did he exactly tell you??”
R. “That you’re pretty hot”
(Okay guys, what the fuck? I don’t like when guys “sell you” to their male friends)
DD “Well, Nico usually shows interest in me only after at least three hours of drinking, so… He’s probably not reliable”
(I know I’ve been a bit hard, but again, what the fuck??)
R. “Hahah, you’re funny! Can’t wait to meet you”
N. “Hey DDgirl… seems we’ll finally ski together”
DD “Uh, yeah”
N. “And once more, we’ll party together”
DD “Okay.. look Nico, you know, I like the fact that in this company I can still walk in in the morning without being ashamed, and I’d like for both of us to keep this status… So please, we’ll party but don’t defy me in following you drinking, ok?”
N. “But it was fun!! And last time we did it, you were so funny!”

Now, if you didn’t read my blog at the time, you’ll find the whole thing over September 2006.

DD “True… And I still regret not having seen your face when you woke up alone at my place on the morning after!!”
N. “Yeah, it was ridiculous!!!”

So… Is it me or Nico is kind of sniffing the air around me again?

The boys are H.O.R.N.Y.

Andrea the Hunter called me, and it was great to talk to him, he was in a good mood and made me laugh quite a lot. He told me stories about how he’s hanging out with a girl who lives in Dublin, while he’s in Milan (“hanging out” with someone who lives 1500 miles away is the strongest form of commitment he’s ever been into), about how he cannot manage to drink as much as Irish Chick does and so on.
Then he got more serious.
“I miss you, DDgirl. I never loved living in Milan, but without you it’s so boring, it’s almost unbearable, there’s no one always as ready as you to party all night long, to chat and so on”
And then I asked it.
“When are you coming to see me?”
“Oh DDgirl! I do long for it”
“Then hop on a train next Friday! Or on a plane! We have a spare room, you can hook up with all the girls here and everything, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is, I cannot sit down sharing a Long Island and all my dirty secrets with you, and I cannot flirt with you all night long because there is your boyfriend.”

He had a point. All my exes have come to know Andrea enough not to worry about the two of us, and anyway we would go out a lot without the BF of the moment, since we used to live practically next door. Killer Smile has never met him, and we live together, and a night à la Andrea & DDgirl with him wouldn’t be possible. Plus, KS is pretty jealous.
Still, Andrea could make an effort, I mean, we haven’t met in almost one year!!
Whatever.

I got back to town, to a grumpy KS, who was a bit pissed I had left him for the weekend (always the same story there), and the week was pretty awful: I left with a colleague I don’t like much, to go working at a mine in the central mountains, where it was awfully cold (the offices were not heated) and there was no toilette. Seriously. Of course, I had my period, so I wanted to pee every hour or so. I know, this is TMI, but can you imagine it? At least I had brought along a heavy cashmere jumper made by Granny!
Of course, being us in nowhere land, no internet connection was available.

All along the week, the only funny thing was Kevin’s text messages, until one evening I wrote him: “It’s so damned cold here, I’m becoming an ice cube!”
His answer “Cool, I’ll drop you in my drink, and once the drink is over I’ll lick you everywhere”.
WTF??? Is it me or all my male friends are strangely horny????

The Hunter is back!

Hey ya all,
I’ll post this one as soon as I’ll manage to find an internet connection.
This is just a brief update, mainly in order to say I FOUND Andrea the Hunter, he’s in Milan, he’s working and he’s doing fine. He’s had experienced problems with his mail, and had set off his answering machine.
I only forgave him for not calling because he made me laugh till tears with his histories about his new boss (apparently he has told her she’s an incompetent bitch). Of course he said that the new job will not last, and he’ll probably quit in a few weeks.
In a few words, he’s always the same Andrea, the Hunter I met on the first day of college!

On other sides of my life, I’m still a bit upset about the night at KS parents, but I tried not to be too much of a bitch about it. KS is back in France now, by the way.

The family is crazier than ever. Since their home isn’t yet ready, the Bro (with his wife and toddlers) has moved in with the Sponsor and the Panther, and he’s planning to stay there until the middle of September. Personally I can’t see how they won’t end up throwing knives at each other, by then, but as it’s none of my business I kept my mouth shut.

Furthermore, and old friend called me. I realize I never wrote about him, so I’ll prepare a post that will follow this one, about him.

Warning: post written on PMS

I know I said I wouldn't have writte for a while, but something unexpected came on.
Tonight we came to see KS family, we were supposed to all go out for dinner, and then, tomorrow morning, KS and I are to head towards Italy.
Now, I think you probably can guess, that I'm not the kind of person who only waits to have a dinner paid. Basically I don't love restaurants, I love cooking so I prefer to host dinners at my place.
But when tonight KS told me that I was not actually invited, my jaw dropped to the floor.
So right now I'm at KS parents' place, alone, while the whole family is out for dinner.

I rarely felt so excluded in my life.


If Andrea could be near here, tonight, I would sing him those rhymes:
"Take me out, tonight, where there's music and there's people who are young an alive. Driving in your car, oh please don't drop me home, because it's not my home, it's their home and I'm welcome no more.
And if a double decker bus, crashes into us, to die by your side, oh such a heavenly way to die...
Take me out tonight, take me anywhere I don't care, I don't care..."

Andrea, if he had a chance to be with me tonight, would take me out, make me drink a bit, and flirt with me all night long, just to take me home back to my boyfriend, all the rage and the grumpyness gone.

I miss you, my friend.

I'm sorry to leave you with such a depressing post. Holidays will be so much better!

Missing

It’s been now 13 days since I last heard from Andrea the Hunter.
And, trust me, this is not normal.

I’ve been mailing him, and did not get any answer. I’ve been trying to call him, his mob phone rings but no one answers, and his usual answering machine does not come up, so I can’t leave him a message this way.
I would understand all this if we had been arguing: it has happened that we did want some time alone in those case, but last time we talked we were really on the best terms ever. I mean, in the last 6 months or so, we have always kept in touch at least two times a week and, even though we’re so far away, we’re somehow closer than we were two or three years ago.

In his last email he told me he had some problems with the new job. Before leaving for Thailand, he had obtained a permanent job as a trader; however, since he did not want to start immediately, he had asked to postpone his first day of a few weeks, and he justified that by telling he had to find a house in Milan (crazy real estate market, seriously). However, it seems that his new boss had found out he actually was in Thailand, and did not like it at all.
I replied him, suggesting a little lie (I told him to say he went there to rescue his little sister who, while on holiday in middle east, had experienced a food intoxication) and that’s all, I did not have any more news.

I don’t even know if he’s in Thailand or in Europe!

Anyway, on Saturday morning I’m leaving for holidays, and since I’ll be in Italy, I guess I’ll make a few calls to old college friends who are based in Milan to see if anyone has seen him…

Now I know you’ll probably think this sound crazy and that it’s not normal worrying like that for a friend. The thing is, Andrea is not a common person. Behind his privileged condition, he has deep issues. His family is completely shattered, he barely knows where his bro and sis live, and same for his mom (his dad died some 10 years ago). I already lost touch of him right after the tsunami, when he was in Puket. He does crazy things, like driving under the influences. And you know how it feels: when your best friend gets in trouble and you weren’t there for him, you feel guilty.

Hopefully, I’ll have his news in the next few days, and I’ll take fuly advantage of holidays in Italy with my beloved KS and my friends!!

By the way, since I will not have an internet access, this will probably e last post until August 16. Sorry!

Call me Miss Goody Two Shoes

This morning I was alone in the office (Karine and the crew are working from the Paris Office), so when my mob rang displaying Maria’s name, I took the call.
Man, I had a blast on this!
As I already knew Maria had recently chosen her knew flat mates, a girl who has already moved in, and this hottie guy who’ll join the house in September. She had been talking plenty about him, lately, so I guess I should have seen this coming, but anyway, when she told me (and I could figure the sparkle in her eyes) that yesterday night, after being to a concert, they slept together, I laughed so hard I couldn’t stop myself.
I mean, the guy has not yet moved in and they’ve had a sack session already!! The chick is my new idol!
Obviously we discussed the subject in details, until I hanged up as I had to do some work.

It was just a few minutes later when Andrea, the Hunter, wrote me. He answered to my previous message, of two days ago, which said:

From: DDgirl
To: Andrea, the Hunter

Subject: Where is the Hunter?

Andrea,

According to your last mail, you should have arrived in Bangkok two days ago, but I still have no news from you. I can only picture two scenarios:
WORST CASE SCENARIO: you have nothing spicy to tell me about
BEST CASE SCENARIO: you’re screwing so much that you don’t have time to email me.
Anyway, keep in touch

Kisses
DDgirl

So, I was curious and immediately opened his mail

From: Andrea, the Hunter
To: DDgirl

Subject: Re: Call me THE HUNTER

My dearest DDgirl,
You got it right, and of course I was going through the best case scenario. This holiday begun in the best way. Although I had been thinking about going to Laos, after one night here in Bangkok I realized I love this place too much to go anywhere else, and, after all, I’m here to relax, right? In the end, I chose sack adventures instead of jungle adventures.
I didn’t call any of the girls I know here, partly because, as you reproached me, I have already recycled Paola once more, it’s time to meet new gals.
That’s how I met this Kisha (not sure about the name though) while clubbing last night, and Lord, she made me shiver all night long. I’m not going to date her, anyway, basically because her English is practically zero, so besides sex, there’s nothing I can do with her.

Beauty, I’ll write again as soon as I have something spicy to tell you!! And take care of you and of that booty of yours!

So, I adore them both, but after those news, I really felt like I’m the only goody two shoes here.

Friends and work

Back to city, I am still dealing with tons of works (i.e. I’m warking each day from 7:30AM till 11PM….), and trying to have a life outside the office, though it’s a bit hard, as you can imagine…
Plus, KS has plenty of things on his mind, and things are not excellent, mainly due to the fact that I’m never home. Hopefully, we’ll manage to spend the next weekends together doing funny things, which would really help relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. So tomorrow morning we’re heading to Toulouse, this magnificent town in south-western France, where friends are waiting for us to… PARTY!!! Yeah, it will be shopping, feasting and having fun all weekend long (and Lord knows I do deserve it!!). As I have already mentioned, I have gained a few kilos, and, as I want to wear my best innocent/seductive strap dress on Saturday night, I called The Panther for advice on Monday morning. She told me to stick for the week on a diet limited to fruits, crudités and a cup of fatless milk with Special Ks for breakfast. Which I am complying to, but it’s like starving all the time. But it seems to work, so…

On friends side, Andrea the Hunter emailed me this morning:

From: Andrea, the Hunter
To: DDgirl

Subject: news

Hey babe,

On July 23 I’ll start working as a trader on [big bank] equity platform.

In the meanwhile, I’m taking a little break, and I’m leaving tomorrow morning to get to Bangkok, Nocciolina (one of his regular “girlfriends”) is waiting for me.

I can’t wait to be fullmooning in Kho Phanghan!!!

Care to join me?

Xoxo

Andrea

Dear Lord, I know very well Andrea is not a happy person. Everyone says he’s got everything, but I know him enough to see the truth about him. But, I DO envy him sometimes!!
Joining him is absolutely impossible, for work, KS, no holidays, there are 10K reasons.
But I wish I could!!!
************************
Karine, my boss, has just stopped by to see how I was dealing with this job.
How come that Karine, who is a pretty cold person to everyone, always lean against me to look at my monitor? And keeps complimenting me each time I wear a skirt?

DDgirl, the Hunter and the Boss

“Hey Hunter, how are you doin’ ??”
“DDgirl?? Whazzup with my fave babe?”

When I finally called Andrea to discuss the engagement matter, it was already too late.

“I screwed up hun. I hooked up with the fiancée’s best friend, and now mom wants my head on a silver plate”
“Wait, what the hell were you thinking?”
“The thing is, I wasn’t thinking. You know, the problem with these Finnish chicks is that they can drink alcohol all night long without getting drunk. After one bottle of vodka, things started to be blurred. And they were both so damned hot! So when one of them started to flirt in that certain way, I just went for it. It was only later I realized it was the wrong one.”

Oh. My. God. I mean, he really did it. I quickly suggested that he apologizes by sending flowers, and then invites both girls for dinner without hooking up with any of them, and try to stay cool. Eventually, beg forgiveness. Mostly, I offered the spare bedroom of the new house, should he really be in trouble.

Somehow during the week, I also managed to confront the big boss. I walked into his office and said: “Good Morning Mr.B., can I talk to you a minute?”
“I really only have one minute, so make in fast” (Ok, not so encouraging)
“So, the thing is, I’m leaving” (yes!! Yes!!! Yes!!!!!)
“WHAT?? Oh, I see, you’re moving”
“Well, actually no, I got hired at [Competitor’s name], here in the city” (please don’t kill me)
“Oh?”
“You see, they proposed me an important increase, plus a promotion, so…”
“Money is not everything”
“So what do you think, you big pig? Do you think that I work because I have nothing better in my life than seeing your freaking face every morning??”
Okay, I didn’t say this, I just did the chicken and asked him to let me leave in one month instead of in the three months as per my contract, and he finally agreed.

And now, you will excuse me, but I’m sooooooo going to buy a big big present for my love, who offered me 19 roses to celebrate my new job!

The hunter is the bait!

Little things happened over the weekend and the last few days. It’s still freezing cold around here, and the weather was horrible, so I basically spent Saturday and Sunday fooling around bed with KS, watching movies, sleeping and those kind of stuff.

I still managed to have a good laugh and a funny (though weird) chat with Andrea, the Hunter, alias my college best guy friend.
Andrea is staying in London, but only for a few more weeks, then he’ll be once more hittin’ the road. Your guess is as good as mine, but I bet he’ll stay a couple of weeks in Milan, until friends will be tired to have him at their place, and then he’ll head back to Thailand.
I laugh while saying this, but each time he leaves for the Far East I wonder if I’ll ever see him again: after the Tsunami accident, when he was considered lost for 12 days, I can’t help but worrying.

Anyway. Andrea basically lives on his mom’s money, and, as she’s practically millionaire, he can afford it: she stays home in Finland, and once a month or so wires him a few thousand bucks. Not bad huh?
This obviously implies that he must not make mom mad at him (yes, freedom is never cheap).
So I laughed hard when I got this mail.

From: Andrea, the Hunter
To:DDgirl
Subject: Engagement advice

DDgirl,
Whazzup buddy???
London sucks, I’m bored to hell of working, but luckily it’ll soon be over.
How do you manage to work all year long, is something I don’t get. Nevermind.
I’m in trouble girl, and I need your help (you’ve always been smarter than me in family stuff).

Mom got me engaged to some Finnish girl, daughter of a family friend, that I’ve never met.

Okay, stop laughing, this is serious, no joke. The young lady is coming to pay me a visit in London, and she’ll be here in two days, with her best friend.
Normally, I would simply hook up with both and then say bye bye, but I’m afraid mom will cut the monthly wire if I screw up this.
So I’m in trouble.

Write back with constructive advice ASAP, please.

Missin’ ya
The Hunter

Too much is too much

“So, how is my favorite serial dater doing?“
“DDgirl!!!! How are YOU doing babe? Hey, gotta tell you ‘bout my latest trick!!”

After a few days, I decided to call Andrea the Hunter, to see if we could arrange a meeting in London or in Lyon. And also because I have a plan, but I need some help to implement it.

After the regular small talk, he told me about how he apparently hooked up with the new intern of his office one night last week, when they went out with the whole team from their trading-floor (which basically means, they hooked up in front of everyone…)

“You’ll never change Andrea!!!”
“Of course not. And just in case you were wondering, she’s from the US, but of Korean origins”

(Of course I was wondering. I guess that about 80% of girls Andrea has dated have Asian origins. And it’s not because he likes them more: it’s because THEY like him more.)

“So what brings my fave babe to call me? I sense you want something, but I have no clue what it could be, considering you still refuse sleeping with me”

Time to let the bomb out.
The thing is, Eastern Slut keeps coming around my man, and I won’t stand it much longer.
At the same time, I need to get rid of her without making a scene. And, Andrea loves blondes.
I briefly explained him the situation.

“Hey babe, why didn’t you tell me before? I’ll fly to Lyon, you organize a night out and invite her as well, and then I take care of the situation. Your man will never look at her again after that”

Was I taking it too far?

“Andrea, honey, I trust in you, just be careful that both you and I still look clean after this okay? I don’t want KS hating you, and if you decide to go back to Thailand, we’ll be spending all our holidays at your place!!!”
“Keep the faith babe. When it comes to girls, have I ever disappointed you? Plus, I know guys”

He has a point in that. He never fails with girls, and he manages to be friend with guy after stealing their girlfriends. I guess I’m in good hands. The only thing to settle, is the date, and it won’t be before March end, unluckily.

Goodbye, my friend

Yesterday night I flew back to town, in the middle of a snow storm. Yeah, after a couple of weeks which were almost warm, winter is back and high.
Being a girl from the mountain, I adore snow, and I don’t mind cold, but landing in the middle of the storm, whoa. Just like in movies, the captain announced that the airport was shutting down, so we would probably have to switch our destination to Paris. Then, he forgot to switch off the speaker, and we heard him telling very clearly to the airport that we did not have enough fuel to ensure a safe and quiet flight to Paris. Yikes!!!!
Then apparently we were given the authorization, because we actually started landing. As soon as we crossed the clouds, we realized how much it was snowing, as we couldn’t see anything else from the windows, and we started shaking as hell.
The landing path was all white, wind blowing quite hard and so on, but somehow we did it (and thanx God it was before dinner!)

Anyway, I got home at 11PM after two weeks of Atlantic coast, so I missed the evening with KS and friends (as usual), and I couldn’t stop thinking: “it’s been two weeks since I last did something just for myself, I only work, clean-up and sleep, what the hell is this?”
Then I realized I thought the same thing last year and two years ago in this season: it’s just that work becomes crazy in this part of the year.

So I picked up the phone and dialed Andrea’s number. Yeah, as in Andrea the Hunter, my best boy-friend, who presently lives in London.
Turned out he’s a bit ill and completely sick of London, overworked and undersexed (and this is really weird, talking about Andrea. Okay, undersexed probably means he didn’t have any sex for a week or so, but whatever.)
So in order to cheer up both our miserable selves, I offered to visit him in London in 2 months or so. Turns out, he’s planning to go back to Thailand for a few months, and he should leave in one month or so.
Once more, I can’t help but fear I’m going to lose him.