Nobody puts baillee in the corner

You’re never going to believe this, but the final entry in this year’s edition of Love is a Working Title is also a crossover episode. 

And y’all, it’s kind of a juicy one. 

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. 

The year was 2020, and I was spending time with KP after her cancer diagnosis. 

I’d known John for several years in the sense that he worked at a couple of my usual haunts.

And based on the way he turned crimson every time he interacted with me, and the amount of discounts and freebies he gave me, it was very clear he liked me. 

Our paths formally crossed when I started writing for Hyperreal, and he followed me on social media. 

He also used to work at the same coffee shop I had been working at pre-COVID, so everyone there also knew him, including Bryce (yes, THAT Bryce). 

I reached out to John because he posted about a job opening at the video store I’d wanted to work at for years. 

After I got hired, John and I became friendly. 

He had a girlfriend (who I don’t think liked me), but I didn’t have any sort of romantic feelings for him, so I thought everything was chill. 

Bryce had also asked for my number at this point, and I was trying to be cool (which, as this series has taught us, is sometimes hard for me). 

However, John soon started slipping into my DMs. 

And I have to be honest and say I absolutely loved the attention. 

This man was responding to every single story, liking every single post, you name it. 

He and his girlfriend seemed to have split, and he was finally shooting his shot…with a passion. 

And this is where it gets wild. 

For the first (and last, as of now) time in my entire life, I watched two grown men fight over me. 

I kid you not. 

John would speak for me on social media posts, Bryce would then butt in and say something else, and vice versa. 

And I would be absolutely lying if I said I wasn’t eating it up. 

I’m not proud of myself, but I have to be honest here: I was enjoying the hell out of it. 

After a couple of weeks, Bryce pulled one of his disappearing acts, and I was gutted. 

So, I did something I’m not proud of: I finally gave in to John. 

I gave him my number, and we started texting. 

He flirted with me mercilessly, and one night, I got a little drunk…

…and initiated a virtual one-night stand. 

Again, I’m not proud of myself, but I just liked Bryce so much and was feeling so horrible about myself that it felt nice to have someone want me. 

John told me not to think too hard about what happened between the two of us, and I told him I didn’t (and thought it was super weird for him to even mention it). 

We casually planned to see each other in a few weeks because I was going to be in Austin with two of the people in my bubble, and he’d just been alone, so we could safely hang out. 

We texted for a little bit after that night, but then Bryce came back into the picture, and I’m pretty sure John got back together with his girlfriend. 

Now, this next part is pure speculation, but I’m going to tell you what I think happened. 

Shortly after John and I hooked up, he cancelled a virtual movie night we’d planned. 

I knew in my gut that this was the end of things, but since I didn’t have feelings for him, I wasn’t really too bothered by it. 

Then, a few days later, he texted me and told me that he was very much into me and “this,” but, with COVID, he didn’t want to risk himself unknowingly being exposed and then exposing me, so he wouldn’t be able to see me in Austin, etc…

He also tried to put everything back on me, and I was absolutely livid. 

This man had spent WEEKS hitting on me, and I had only initiated something because I was drunk and upset about Bryce. 

So, if I had to guess, I think he and his girlfriend got back together shortly after our one-night stand, or they previously had an open relationship that they closed. 

Again, I’m only basing this on the language of his text and how he went from 60 to 0. 

Also, this could simply be the case of him having wanted to sleep with me, and even though we didn’t IRL, a virtual one-night stand was plenty for him, and he got what he came for (pun intended). 

I let his text sit for almost two weeks because, to be honest, I was really frustrated at the fact that a man who had been flirting with me for weeks tried to turn the entire encounter back on me. 

And I’m still not cool with that part to this very day. 

Moving on. 

I finally texted him back and told him I was absolutely fine being friends with benefits or just friends, so on and so forth. 

I’ll admit that, overall, it definitely wasn’t the most mature text message I’ve ever sent, but, at the same time, it also definitely wasn’t the worst. 

Shortly after I responded, he blocked me on all social media, further supporting the theory that he and his girlfriend got back together. 

If memory serves, he also went to visit a “friend” soon after our hookup, so I’m assuming that’s when they rekindled their relationship. 

If you haven’t run out of tin foil by this point, I have one more theory for you. 

I think John might’ve also told Bryce about our rendezvous. 

This part is way more speculative than him and his girlfriend getting back together, but stick with me. 

You see, John blocked me on social media right around the time things started getting rocky with Bryce. 

I have absolutely nothing to back this up outside of Bryce and John being friends. 

But I can’t help but wonder if John might’ve told Bryce what happened between us and potentially spun up some nonsense about me initiating everything. 

To be clear, outside of the coincidental timeline, I have no other evidence John told him, but I’d be lying if I said the thought didn’t cross my mind. 

And judging by the Bryce update, I’ll never know for sure. 

With that, I only have one last thing to say to our fling: “Sometimes dead is better.”

Somehow, dear readers, we’ve already reached the end of this year’s series. 

And what a ride it’s been. 

Thank you so much for revisiting all of my almosts with me, and I’ll see you for Love is Working Title: 2027. 

See you next February. 🖤