We were supposed to get tacos on Friday at 7:30. We had made the plan three days earlier, picked the place, and settled on a time. A modest undertaking, with every appearance of being achievable.
At 5:15 on Friday, she texted. Her boss had handed her a massive project, she was exhausted, and could we take a rain check? She would love to reschedule soon.
There were enough exclamation points to suggest considerable enthusiasm for this future event.
I said no problem. Get some rest, and let me know when you’re free next week. Work happens. Being tired happens. Tacos, as far as I know, would remain available.
Then nothing.
By Tuesday, I figured one follow-up was reasonable. I sent a casual message saying I hoped her week was going better and asked whether Thursday or Friday would work for tacos. Two actual days. I felt I had made the question fairly accessible.
Her reply was cheerful. Work was still pure madness, haha, but she definitely needed a drink soon.
Thursday and Friday went unmentioned. The tacos had quietly left the conversation. We now had a possible drink somewhere in the expanding territory of soon.
Maybe work really was overwhelming. Maybe she liked the idea of meeting but couldn’t manage it. Maybe she wasn’t interested and hoped I would pick that up without either of us having to say it. The messages left all three possibilities comfortably furnished.
That’s the part that bothers me. A cancellation is easy enough to understand. A warm reply that avoids every practical detail gives me another round of guessing. Am I being considerate by giving her time, or failing to recognize a rejection that has arrived dressed as a scheduling problem?
I don’t need an elaborate explanation. If there’s no interest, a short text would do. It might be awkward for a minute, but at least afterward we’d both know what Friday was for.
Instead, I’m apparently on standby for tacos, a drink, or further developments in her workload. I’d just like to plan my weekend.
