Hmmm... can we sign up for each other's benefit plans now?

I got a glimpse of the other team last night.

I was in a funk when I came to work yesterday morning, and it showed in an email exchange I was having with a few friends. My sensitive and concerned friend Sarah picked up on it and asked what was wrong. I followed up with a list of complaints and stated that I needed a drink. Sarah agreed with me and we decided to meet for drinks after work.

Drinks turned into dinner at the Nick & Stef's downtown. As the waiter directed us to our seats he gave me the wine list. I shot Sarah a "neener-neener" look and proclaimed: "I have the wine list. Ha ha ha!"

The waiter looked apologetic. "You just looked like you were going to pay."

"Hmmm," I said to Sarah, "I think he just called me the man!"

The poor embarrassed waiter suddenly had other things to attend to.

Later, the wine steward brought us the bottle we'd chosen. Sarah had actually picked the wine out, but I had decided to ask the waiter about vintages and asked for the one he recommended. The wine steward showed me the bottle. I nodded and looked at Sarah: "Did you want to taste it?"

"Oh!" the steward apologized, "Sorry, they said you ordered it."

"I did," I reassured her, "She's just the one who had picked it out -- but it doesn't matter. We're both wine lovers."

"We can both taste it," smiled Sarah, "We'll both be the man tonight!"

The wine steward joined us in a laugh.

"Ahh, LA," I said, "It's nice that you can make jokes like that here and not be treated weird."

The wine steward gave a fuhgedaboudit shrug. "It's not a big deal," she said, "it's just normal, you know. I know bunches of gay people."

As she poured our wine she mentioned how she loved going shopping with her gay (male, presumably) friends.

After she had left, Sarah gave me A Look. "Did she think..."

"Yeah. She thinks we're a lesbian couple."

And I wasn't even wearing my Birkenstocks.