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Giselles Lost Treasures
(Giselle Renarde)

He's never going to give up, is he?  

You'd think that, after seven years apart, he'd have moved on and found someone else.  It's kind of pathetic that Red still sends you those mushy greeting cards, professing his undying love.  Pathetic, and also a little heartrending.

Nate isn't threatened.  Of course he's not.  Nate's not threatened by anything.  Red knows you've moved on??"you told him three years ago that you're with someone else.  He makes fun of Nate's name, which used to piss you off, but now you think it's kind of funny.  Nate is the first person to poke fun at himself.

"Let's have coffee," Red writes in a Valentine's Day card.  "We can catch up.  It's been forever. I miss you."

You consult Nate.  He isn't much help.  You want him to fly off the handle, get all jealous, forbid you from seeing your ex, but he only says, "Do whatever you feel is best."

"I don't know what's best," you tell him.  "Red can be pretty persuasive.  I can't even convince him to stop sending these stupid cards."

You say they're stupid, but actually they're kind of sweet.  Nate never gives you cards.

When you get Red on the phone, you regret calling.  Just hearing his voice after all these years makes your heart ache.  Worse yet, his familiar tenor summons a throb between your thighs.  Why are you so turned on by your ex?  Well, that's a stupid question.  He was always incredible in bed.

"Coffee," you tell him, feeling utterly inarticulate.  "We could... go?"

"Actually, I'm free for dinner."  

"Dinner?" I ask, looking to Nate for answers.  

"I could take you to that place you like, with the thin-crust pizza."

"No, that place shut down."

"Oh."

"Invite him here," Nate whispers.  "I'll cook."

You can't imagine how that would go down, but the invitation flies out of your mouth before you can catch it.  And Red agrees.  He says, "It'll be good to meet the man who replaced me."