The guy I’m talking to has confirmed he’s coming to my party next week. I know this because he replied in the group chat. My private message, meanwhile, remains an exciting opportunity for future correspondence.
When we talk, he seems interested. He’s receptive, he teases me, and he slips in a few compliments. There’s enough going on that I don’t feel as though I’m conducting an interview with someone who would rather be renewing his vehicle registration.
Then there’s the timing. Sometimes he answers within an hour. Other times, it takes a full day or longer. I never know which version of the service I’ve subscribed to.
Yesterday, we had a good exchange. The conversation moved along, the teasing was there, and nothing about it suggested I should begin preparing a farewell address. Today, no news. Normally, a quiet day wouldn’t need its own investigation. But then he appeared in the group chat to say he’d be at my place next week.
So he’s available for the party. That part is settled. The smaller matter of replying directly to the person throwing it appears to require additional processing.
I know a group RSVP is easy. It’s one practical answer, and then you’re done. A private conversation can take more attention, especially when there’s flirting involved. I can understand that perfectly well while still looking at the two conversations and wondering what, exactly, I’m supposed to make of them.
I don’t need him to answer on a schedule. There’s no attendance sheet. I’d just like the enthusiasm in his messages and the long stretches between them to seem slightly more acquainted.
Now I have a party next week, a guest who says he’ll be there, and a private conversation waiting for its next installment. I’m curious to see him. I’d also quite like him to answer before we’re standing in my home, where claiming he hasn’t seen the host may become difficult.
