[Sundae]

A bit weirded out.

I was sort of friends with a kind-hearted, very decent man. He never made a move on me (which was good as it was never going to go in that direction) and offered to help me out in many ways. I turned almost all of them down, because despite bemoaning my isolation and loneliness, I have learned to be solitary.

Things were creeping up though. He was more tactile than I liked. Nothing rude, but I get a bit twitchy about physical contact I don't initiate. Ask Limes, Dani or Carruthers and they'll probably refute that - because I know them and like them. Mr Limey too - I'd never hold back from a hug with him. But this person would touch my shoulders, my leg, my hair (!) No.

Anyway, it's all a sad story because he has a very possessive daughter, only ten years younger than me. I have no issues with her - she lost her Mum (and this man lost his wife) to illness. But it meant she got quite stroppy about me "being in his life" in a way she didn't with his male friends.

I decided I couldn't deal with this. I had to sit him down and be open and honest and explain that while I was happy for us to bump into eachother, to have a laugh and a smile, I couldn't make plans to meet up, accept his offers of help, let him bring round food etc. I've accepted very little from him finanacially - as I say, the odd cup of tea, a takeaway (because he gets it free from where he works), an offer to go to the hospital with me - I refused - and he has a copy of my keys so I can't lock myself out any more.

But it seems I wasn't careful enough.
He cried.
He actually cried.
I felt like I was his wife telling him I'd shagged his best friend, and he was saying, "I don't care, I still love you anyway!" I had no idea it would be drama-central.
I got three calls, two text messages and three voicemail messages (which I have not listened to and won't). He wanted me to speak to his daughter to clear the air?! Errrrr, no.

Bloody hell.
People, emotions. I'ma gonna stick with my rats.
Sod this.