Nexting texting guy

Well, I finally did it.

Music&lyrics and I spent a ton of time together last week. Most of it was combined with a rehearsal or a performance. I'm not sure how to balance that with the Rules, btw - there are Rules for dating a coworker, but not for dating a co-songwriter. There are also Rules for dating a performer too. Regardless, I know I broke tons of Rules with him just because I wasn't strict about limiting the number of hours we spent together. I'm not really Rulesing him that much. But I digress.

During one of my conversations with music&lyrics over that week, he had specifically mentioned being jealous of texting guy one time when he saw us together, before anything happened between music&lyrics and me. Given that, I really felt like continuing to date texting guy in particular could jeopardize whatever is happening with music&lyrics. So I made up my mind to end it with texting guy.

As usual, I didn't know how. I waited until he called me, then when he asked to take me to the airport and the following approximate conversation ensued:

RB: Where is this coming from? I mean, you're being all nice and we're getting to the point where we are going to have to have a conversation.

TG: OK. Well, we don't have to have it NOW, do we?

RB: No.

[pause]

RB: But it's like, we've been pseudo-dating for eight months now, and it's not really going anywhere.

TG: See, now you're starting to have the conversation.

RB: Okay.

TG: I'd really like to see you before you leave town.

RB: Okay, I'll call you tomorrow.

Then when we talked the next day, I was pissy about something else I'd heard about texting guy (which I won't go into here). And our schedules weren't going to allow for us to actually get together that night. I actually got irritated with him about the other thing, and then was basically like,

RB: I had hoped to do this in person, but ... you know, we've been dating for eight months, it's not going anywhere, and I can't date you anymore. I'd love to be your friend.

TG: .....

RB: .....

TG: .....

RB: I honestly didn't think you'd be that upset about this.

Texting guy actually resisted this somewhat. Apparently he didn't think this was the direction I was going when I had brought it up before (wow, he thought I was going to ask him to be in a relationship?!?!?!). We got into an actual conversation wherein he said a number of things and I said a number of things, all quite different from anything we'd ever discussed before. I'm not sure the conversation is fully over because he had to go and wanted to talk when I got back from out of town. Also, we texted a few times over the past week while I was away.

So we shall see. I am actually very interested in post-mortem-ing my relationship with texting guy. But just that - post-mortem. I think it could provide some very interesting insight into what the Rules actually did in this case. I would also seriously like to be his friend.