A late bite

Finished real late after work today - ending with a brain-bender of a tutorial that left me exhausted, both mentally and physically. For a moment in the parking lot, I actually found myself disoriented not knowing where I'd parked my car. Felt totally dude, where's my car. It's actually hard to think of anything when your poor brain's been squashed and pressed through a grinder for relevant information - so it was with some relief that I got the message from Big Bicep Barry to join him for a bite. Otherwise I'd probably have gone home for some homecooked instant noodles.


Mmm... yum.... pre-cooked processed food...
Like I said before, the man has been having work problems of his own which he explained fully as he worked his way through a bowl of Tom Yum noodles ( yes! No alfalfa roots for once! ). Yeah, no smirking - especially all you guys in the back! - but when I'm not being particularly flirtatious / flighty, I can actually be quite a sensible, level-headed guy. Makes me the perfect shoulder to cry on for a number of the females that I know, sobbing their poor little hearts out as bastards AKA men stomp all over them.

Sadly none of the males I know have availed themselves of the open invite as yet. Not sure what I'm doing wrong but eventhough Barry did seem a little teary over the Tom Yum, he didn't seem to be in a hurry to bawl on my shoulders either.

Even as the man's stuffing his face with prawns ( GASP! The calories! ) and noodles, he gets the stares. You're just not that easily dismissed when you have shoulders like his. Always makes me wonder what it's like to be ogled. Unfortunately since I'm not particularly gifted in the genetic stakes, I only get the disbelieving stares when I have a ginormous pimple on my forehead.

Barry : You're imagining things.
Paul : When you flexed your arm to get the chopstick, that girl almost walked into that pillar.
Barry : You think I'm that cute?
Paul : Angling for compliments, Mr Bicep?
Barry : Hey, I'll take all that I can get. ( A pause as he actually stuck his tongue out playfully. Too weird. ) Worked hard enough to get it.

For that, he got a fried wantan in his face. Still, the man certainly knew how to put a smile on my face. Sometime during dinner, he reached down to his bag and pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift with a large bow on top. As much as I like gifts, sudden surprises immediately puts cynical me on my guard.

Paul : It's not my birthday.
Barry : It's not a bomb. Take it.
Paul : What is it?
Barry : It's not from me. She's leaving for Taiwan next week. Wanted you to have this as a thank you.
Paul : Who?
Barry : Betty of course.
Paul : Bountiful Betty?
Barry ( looking appropriately puzzled ) : Bountiful Betty? Bountiful?
Paul : It's nothing. Just a cute pet name.

Hey, what didja expect? Well, of course he doesn't call her Bountiful Betty but I couldn't very well blab her real name everywhere after I've viciously maligned her silicone-pumped character, could I? Afterward, Barry watched me with some suspicion but decided to refrain from commenting since I had this huge mentally insane Joker smile on my face.

BTW Betty bought me a real nice CD. Real big ( bountiful? ) of her.