Such a coincidence

There's the other story I haven't told you. The one that involves me and Mr. WPY on Saturday afternoon.

I'm in Arlington, after having had an afternoon meeting with a prospective client (not gonna happen), with an hour and a half or so to kill before my Saturday night game. I head to the public library to read a book or something, but they decide to close at 5 pm, and I'm at loose ends.

I sit in my car with the windows fogging up and text Mr. WPY, asking if he's planning to play. The answer comes back almost immediately: yes. A few more messages back and forth. He mentions being in a mall, where he may catch a bite to eat, if the electricity comes back on.

Electricity? I just passed through an intersection where the power was out. That's interesting.

Which mall? I ask him.
Ballston Mall.

Now I'm very amused. I am three blocks away from Ballston Mall, around the corner from the restaurant we had dinner at the other week. I do not ask him what he's doing at the mall.

A few minutes later my phone rings and we arrange to meet up for a bite to eat before playing. We have an engaging poker chat. And then head off to the game.

I notice that, when we arrive at the venue, Mr. WPY lingers upstairs for an extra minute as I make my way to the basement where we play. He's done this before. He does not want to be seen arriving with me, I surmise. We don't make much of a display of friendship when we've got our game faces on.

The funny thing, though, is that during the second game that night, after he'd left, someone made a teasing comment about how Mr. WPY and I had left "practically arm in arm" the previous evening. (It is true that I busted out right after he did, and that we left the premises together and talked in the driveway for a couple of minutes.) Someone made a joking reference to his girlfriend being out of town.

Excuse me, but if poker players are passing comment.... Well, let's just say I was surprised.