I flew down to Mississippi to meet Deni and run with her in a 10K this past week. Our plans were to go back to her place after the race to get cleaned up and maybe hit the comic book store that is a few blocks away from her place since it was Free Comic Book Day. On race day though she said she hadn’t had time to clean, so we were going to her parents’ house instead.

That was okay by me, because I can understand not having time to clean and wanting to make a good impression when you meet someone for the first time (though I’m sure her “unclean” place is way more “clean” than my apartment.)

So here’s where things got awkward. We then had to come up with a cover-story for how we met in case her dad asked. I was cool with that, and would’ve been happy to develop an elaborate story if necessary. When we got to her parents’ house, I met her mom and then we went to meet her dad who was napping. She woke him up and introduced me, then abandoned me with him for an extended period of time. I’m not talking a minute or two. I’m talking more than five minutes. Her mom finally came and rescued me, while Deni was off doing who knows what. So first she asks me to keep how we know each other a secret from her father, then leaves me alone with him where he could grill me non-stop. That’s why things are awkward between me and Deni.