Steve Rants - Phony Networks

‘Look at that!’ Steve threw his phone across the table in the direction of his mate who was just returning with two foaming pints of beer to replace the greedily drank first pints of the evening.

Johnny always enjoyed the second pint more, there was time to saviour it, sup it, appreciate it, rather than just guzzle at it like an empty petrol tank.

Johnny put the beers down and picked up the phone.

‘Facebook?’

‘Yeah but read the message.’

Johnny read the seemingly innocent message that had wound his mate up.

‘Had a great meeting today with Steve. Coffee was great but the company even better. I´m so happy to have finally met you,’

‘That’s nice, you made a good impression.’

‘Nice! Nice?’ Steve’s voice was getting louder. Johnny was pleased that the Melting Pot was half empty this evening. 

‘Why do people do that? It’s so weird, why does the world need to know who I’m or not meeting for coffee?’

‘Okay I see that but...’ Steve was not gonna give Johnny time to finish. 

‘It’s such a ‘look at me’ mentality, this is all about her, it makes me feel cheap to be honest.’

‘Cheap?’

‘Yeah cheap, like she wasn’t meeting me because she wanted to meet me, I was just a tool for her self-promotion, an accessory.’

‘Oh poor Steve, do you feel you’re being used?’

‘Fuck off Johnny, you know what I mean.’

‘Well you could see it as a positive, you both work in the same field, so she’s publicising you too.’

‘Nah, she just sees me as a stepping stone on her career path. I should message her and ask her to take it down.’

‘Go on then do it.’

‘I’ll do it later.’

Johnny smiled, he knew his mate wouldn’t contact her, he was all mouth but when push came to shove he always bottled it. Johnny looked at his pint, he couldn’t believe it was half gone already, so much for the savouring.