The Invitation

Woke up last night from a dream about a giant, black lab that was clinging to me like a baby, its legs wrapped around my chest, and immediately, started obsessing about a Xmas party I'd been invited to and pointedly did not attend, and whether I should have.

Here's what happened. In November, a recently divorced friend invited 100 of his best friends and me to a holiday gala he was throwing with his new girlfriend. Great. But then a week later, I received an email from my friend saying sorry, but he had to disinvite all attractive, single women.

Whoah. Immediately I wrote back asking if everything was okay, but what I was really thinking was, oh baby, what kind of relationship have you gotten yourself into.

A few days later, another email arrived, this one from his girlfriend, who wrote that she was mortified and furious when she heard what my friend had done. Minutes later, the other single, attractive invitee (apparently there were only two of us) answered back, saying she was mortified and furious that she'd been subjected to this conversation.

So who had the right response: a) me, to feel sorry for my friend; b) the other single, attractive woman, to be furious; or c) my girlfriend Susan, who on hearing the story wanted to know whether single, unattractive women got to go to the party or not.