" I told my buddy at the nutrition store that I had to hurry home because my sex partner was meeting me later." Raymond told This Man over the phone. He was pissed at me (as well, he should've been) because we didn't get together Friday night for dinner. In turn, he'd lost a whole evening, waiting on This Man's sorry ass.
Sex partner?
Surely we were more than that. Or so I thought.
"You referred to me as your sex partner? Hmmm." I responded with.
"Well, I guess it's because I don't know what to call you. You're more than just a sex buddy, but even you've called me just your sex partner."

And that's how it began. The conversation in which Raymond and I are supposed to sit down and discuss what exactly we're doing. It's also the point at which, Lucy and This Man has said numerous times, is when relationships take a dive! The point where labels are given out.
'Are you my boyfriend? Girlfriend? Partner? Acquaintance? Lover or what?'
I'd driven to his apartment because we were going to spend the afternoon together, tending to an errand that he had to get completed. And it would be better if he and I had this conversation in person rather than over the phone.
"You're more than a fuck buddy and I care about you, " he said, while moving around in his kitchen. "But I can't really call you my acquaintance."
For a while we were calling each other 'sex partners'--as if we'd been paired up for an experiment (a la chemistry class), but we were more than that. You see, This Man really likes Raymond and I'm pretty sure he's as into me as I am of him. So yeah, he's more than a sex partner, but not quite my lover--but then I suppose he is my boyfriend.
See why This Man hates labels.
Later in the afternoon, this conversation was tested. Raymond and I stopped in Hillcrest for a brief snack at Bread et Cie when I ran into my buddy, Mike. It was time for introductions.
"Mike this is, um...well, my...he's kinda...Mike, this is my lover, Raymond." That's what I managed to stammer out.
I couldn't tell if Raymond noticed me hesitating on it, but I guess, this relationship thing is going to take some getting used to.
Be patient with me.

Mahalo