Josh? Chris? China? What?

So, my boyfriend is moving to China. But that's not the story. The story is, Tuesday afternoon, my boss's wife called me (he was at home for the day) and asked if I could pick up his mail. Sure. So, my boyfriend and I get in the car and drive over the bridge to his house. Knowing full well that his wife is under the impression that I am dating my friend Josh (a story for another time), the moment we were let in the front door, I said "this is my boyfriend, Curtis," hoping to pre-empt any awkward situations. Enter a very confused former Governor's wife. "Is he the one who wanted to be a driver? What about Josh? Curtis, have we met before?" No, I don't know about Josh, and no, but anyway. "He'd like you to come see him, follow me," she says, and into their bedroom we go.

And so began an hour and a half long discussion about China. Why is he going? Where? For how long? The Governor probably told him ten times to be sure to get me his emergency contact information because "you never know when you might need it, and if you need it, it's probably too late to get it to someone who can help." We heard countless stories of people who have given him emergency contact information (interestingly enough, though, not one story about a time when it came in handy), and suddenly it turned into "be sure to get US your contact information, if we have to bail you out ever, we'll need it." We? When did this turn into a "we" thing? But I suppose that's nice, having the leader of the free world (in his own mind) looking out for you while you're in the orient.

This is still, however, not the point of this story. The point is, they talked for over an hour about the trip, he asked every question imaginable, and when we finally left I knew more about the trip than Curtis' parents probably know. But the next morning, in true form, the Governor asked me why I wasn't coming in the following day. "What? Why aren't you coming in? What's happening to you?"

"Well, sir, I have to take Curtis to the airport."

"Who's Curtis?"

"...My boyfriend?"

"Why's he going to China?"

"For school!"

"Oh. ...What happened to Josh?"







Oh, and by the way, the day after bringing him to the airport, that being a week ago today, he comes into my office. "Did he make it ok?" He asks.

"Who?"

"Chris!"

"Who's Chris?" I ask.

"Your boyfriend!"

"Oh," I laugh. "No. CURTIS."

"Huh?" He replies. "Who's Curtis?"