362 Dinners to Lose Me

Today was day 362 of sending my girlfriend the exact same photo of my dinner as a daily check-in. She still hadn't noticed.

Before long, our group chat notifications buried the image I had just sent.

My roommate leaned over, his eyes wide with disbelief. Is she blind? Youve sent her the exact same photo of a turkey club for almost a year, and she hasnt clicked on it once?

A year ago, Julia had asked me what I had for dinner. I snapped a quick photo of my plate and sent it to her. She told me to do it every day from then ona little daily check-in to prove I was thinking of her.

But I had sent the same image 362 times, and she had never once tapped to enlarge it.

I typed out another message to her: Out for dinner with Logan tonight.

She replied instantly: Logan hates onions. Did you make sure they took them out of his order?

Classic. I knew that as long as I mentioned Logan, she would care about every minor detail.

We had been together for a year, yet she knew my best friends preferences better than my own. Every time we planned a trip or a night out, she would only agree to go if Logan was joining us.

Even at the college career fair, she had gone out of her way to hand Logans resume directly to her cousin, a VP at a prestigious firm.

"Logans portfolio isn't as strong as yours," shed told me back then, her voice soft but dismissive. "With your grades, youll find a job anywhere on your own. He actually needs the help."

Logan got the job. He ended up at her company, working in the same building, sharing the same daily commute. I was rejected. I took a position at a firm on the other side of the city, where seeing her required a two-hour train ride.

Im putting together a dinner with some of our old college friends this weekend. Can you make it? I texted her.

Cant, she shot back. Its Logans birthday this weekend. why would you even schedule it for that day?

She had completely forgotten.

This weekend was our one-year anniversary.

It was also the day my bet with Logan was set to endthe day I would finally leave her.

Another text from Julia buzzed on my screen.

Youre supposed to be Logans best friend. How do you forget his birthday?

Reschedule your friends. Were celebrating Logan this weekend.

I couldn't reschedule. This dinner wasn't just a casual get-together; it was my farewell party.

I had accepted a three-year transfer to our firms London office. A major promotion waited for me on the other side of that stint.

I remembered Logans birthday a year ago. We were sitting on my porch, the glow of the candles reflecting in the dark. Hed had too much to drink, his eyes red and watery as he asked me why I had to ask Julia out first.

I had no idea we were both in love with the same girl. The guilt had eaten me alive.

Then, Logan had pointed at my phone. "If you send her the exact same check-in photo every day for a year and she never notices... you let her go. You let me have a shot. Deal?"

I had laughed. It sounded absurd. Who wouldn't notice the same photo sent daily for a whole year?

So, I nodded. I agreed to the bet.

But I had been too confident. Julia had let me lose, thoroughly and quietly.

I went back to packing my suitcase when my phone buzzed again. It was Logan.

Three days left on our bet!

He didn't need to remind me. I already knew Id lost. In fact, I hadnt even invited him to my farewell dinner. Our friendship, once so solid, had decayed into something tense and unrecognizable. I didn't know how to look him in the eye anymore.

Julia, annoyed by my silence, called me.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you answering my texts?" Her voice held that familiar sharp, impatient edge. She didn't actually care what I was doing; she was just angry that I wasn't at her beck and call.

Without waiting for an answer, she kept talking. "You can see your college friends anytime. We all live in the same city. But Logan only has one birthday a year."

I looked at the flight confirmation on my laptop. Even though we lived in the same city, it had been three months since Julia and I last saw each other.

She always claimed she was too busy, too exhausted from working overtime, too focused on climbing the corporate ladder.

"I'm doing this for our future, so we can get married," shed say.

A hollow promise, used to dodge a simple train ride to see me. Yet, she always found the energy to travel to out-of-town conferences with Logan for "market research."

I knew the answer, but the desperate, foolish part of me still had to ask. "Do you know what day it is in three days?"

"It's Logan's birthday. What else would it be?"

She dismissed my question instantly, moving on to her checklist. "Just make sure you buy him a decent gift. Ive already booked the restaurant and ordered the cake."

"Youre his best friend, but youre so incredibly thoughtless. Honestly, thank God Im here to handle these things for you."

I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth.

On my birthday, Julia told me she had to pull an all-nighter at the office. I had booked a nice Italian place near her building, waiting alone at a table for hours until she finally showed up late. Shed forgotten to order a cake, so she grabbed a stale, generic cupcake from a bakery on her way over.

I had been visibly upset, and we didn't speak for three days afterward. She complained that I was being needy and unsupportive of her career.

Yet, for Logan, she remembered every detail. She hand-selected everything.

"I'll have his gift ready," I murmured.

Satisfied, Julia hung up without another word.

I stared at the call log. Her name barely appeared in it anymore.

The last time we had a real phone call was over a month ago. Logan had fainted from exhaustion after a long shift, and she had panicked, rushing him to the ER in a frantic state, only for it to be a minor issue. She had called me, sobbing, asking what medication Logan usually took when he was sick.

I had never heard her sound so terrified.

A few weeks before that, I had fallen off a ladder while cleaning the windows and fractured my leg, spending a week in the hospital. Julia didnt show up until the second day.

"How do you manage to land yourself in the hospital just from cleaning a window? Youre so clumsy," shed sighed, staying for barely thirty minutes before rushing off because Logan needed help with a client proposal.

She never visited me again during my recovery.

I reached for the wrapped box sitting next to my suitcase. I did have a gift for Logan.

We had been brothers for over a decade. We grew up on the same block, went to the same schools. I once believed our bond was unbreakable. I used to start planning his birthday gifts six months in advance.

I thought we would be in each others lives forever. I didn't realize this would be my last gift to him.

My transfer paperwork was complete. I didn't even have to go into my office this week.

My phone rang. It was Mark, our old college class president.

"Hey Lucas, Julia called me saying we need to cancel the dinner this weekend? Are you staying in town? Did you guys finally decide to tie the knot instead of you moving abroad?" Marks tone was teasing, but there was a hint of relief.

Back in college, I had the highest GPA in our department. Everyone assumed Id land the coveted analyst role at the top firm alongside Julia. When I didn't, people were stunned. But since Julias uncle was a senior partner there, no one questioned it too loudly.

We all grow up and realize the real world doesn't run on merit alone. I had accepted it, kept my head down, and built a successful track record at my current firm.

But I hadn't expected Julia to take it upon herself to cancel my farewell dinner.

I forced down the lump in my throat. "No, shes just not coming. The dinner is still on. My flight is booked."

Mark sounded confused, but he didn't pry. He promised hed be there.

I went to the mall to pick up the final pieces of Logan's gift. While paying at the register, a familiar silhouette caught my eye.

The sales associate cleared her throat. "Will that be all for today, sir?"

I snapped out of it.

Julia was across the store, trailing after Logan, carrying several shopping bags.

What a rare sight. In our entire year of dating, I could count the number of times shed gone shopping with me on one hand. And every time, shed set a strict timer. Twenty minutes, max.

"Just pick something. What is the point of walking around in circles?" shed snap.

Yet, her patience for Logan was limitless.

I took my bags and headed toward the elevators, wanting to slip away unnoticed.

"Lucas!" Logans voice echoed across the open atrium.

A few shoppers turned to look. Julia's eyes drifted to the bag in my hand.

"Is that Logans birthday present?" she asked.

I shook my head.

Her brow furrowed. "I told you to get him something. Instead, you're out here buying things for yourself."

The casual sting of her voice made my chest tighten. She seemed to have completely forgotten whose girlfriend she actually was.

Logan gave her a playful nudge. "Oh, come on, Julia. Lucas probably got me something amazing and is just keeping it a surprise, right?" He gave me a knowing, conspiratorial wink, acting as though he were diffusing the tension.

Julia sighed, her expression softening. "You always defend him. You're too nice, Logan. Meanwhile, he cant even remember your birthday."

"How could I forget a day this important?" I said quietly.

The day I asked her out. Our first anniversary. The day my bet ended.

But to Julia, the only significant date on the calendar was Logan's birthday.

She let out a cold laugh. "Sure you didn't forget. If I hadn't called you, you would have skipped his birthday entirely for some random college reunion."

Logan looked surprised. "A reunion? Why didn't you tell me, Lucas?" He looked at me with a kicked-puppy expression. "Are you mad at me? I feel like you've been so distant lately. You never have time for me anymore. Julias the only one who hangs out with me."

"I've been busy," I replied, my voice flat. "And I'm going to be even busier from now on."

You don't need my company anymore anyway, I thought.

Seeing Logan's downcast face, Julia quickly chimed in. "Well, his office is practically on the other side of town. Its obviously not as convenient for him as it is for me."

Logan smiled, his mood instantly recovering. "True."

I watched them. Even though I had spent months preparing myself for this, a cold, hollow ache opened up in my chest. I stood there, utterly helpless, watching the wind sweep away the remnants of my friendship and my love.

My phone buzzed with a flight confirmation notification. Julia caught a glimpse of the screen.

"Are you traveling for work?"

I didn't answer, letting the silence serve as confirmation. She didn't press the issue; she never actually waited for my answers anyway.

As I walked out of the mall, the sky opened up into a torrential downpour. Suddenly, Julias car pulled up right in front of me.

"Get in," she said, rolling down the window. "We'll give you a ride. It's on our way."

Logan sat in the passenger seat, offering me a warm, pitying smile.

On our way. The words stung. But what made me freeze entirely was the custom decal on the passenger side dashboard: Reserved for Boyfriend.

I stared at it, paralyzed.

Behind Julia, a car honked loudly. She glared at me, losing her patience. "Come on, Lucas. Youre blocking traffic. Get in."

"I'm fine," I said.

I turned on my heel and ran through the rain toward a waiting taxi at the curb.

The rain left me with a raging fever.

My mom called me on FaceTime, asking about my move to London. When she saw my pale face, her expression shifted to deep worry. "You're burning up, Lucas. Wheres your girlfriend? Why isn't she taking care of you?"

She hesitated, then added gently, "Is she upset that you're leaving for three years? Does she think it's over between you two?"

When Julia first agreed to be my girlfriend, I had called my mother immediately, ecstatic. I had harbored a crush on Julia throughout college, never dreaming those three years of quiet longing would actually lead to something. I had been so naive, believing we were meant for the long haul.

I shook my head slowly. "We broke up, Mom."

My mom sighed, a soft look of sympathy crossing her face. "It's alright, sweetheart. You're young. There will be someone better out there for you."

I offered a weak smile. Maybe there would be. But this relationship had cost me both my love and my best friend at the exact same time. Part of me wished I could go back to the day I confessed to her, to remain silent, to keep things the way they were. But regret is a useless thing.

I opened my laptop to review some transition documents sent by the London team, but my head was throbbing so violently the words blurred together.

Then came a knock at the door.

Assuming it was the drugstore delivery with my medicine, I dragged myself out of bed and pulled the door open.

Julia stood on the threshold, carrying a bag of groceries. She pushed past me into the apartment.

"I knew you were acting weird lately. If Logan hadn't reminded me, I completely would have missed it."

"Our anniversary is this weekend. If you wanted to celebrate, you should have just said so instead of playing these passive-aggressive games."

"Logan told me he didn't care about his birthday anymore. He wanted me to spend the weekend with you. I figured, since it's only a one-day difference, Id come over and celebrate our anniversary early."

I stood frozen by the door. "Why didn't you celebrate his birthday early instead?"

She paused, her hands stalling over the grocery bag. When she spoke, her voice was strained. "You don't celebrate birthdays early; it's bad luck. Besides, an anniversary is just a date. What does it matter which day we celebrate, as long as I'm here with you?"

The difference was immense. She could be with Logan every single day, while our anniversary required my best friends permission to even exist in her schedule.

I held the door open. "I don't want to celebrate. You should leave."

Julia walked over, reaching out to wrap her arms around my waist. I stepped back, avoiding her touch.

Her tone softened into a cajoling murmur. "Come on, stop being dramatic. If I actually leave, youre just going to pout."

I looked down.

The one who pouted, the one who cried to get his way, was Logan. I had never shed a tear in front of Julia. Perhaps she assumed I was strong enough to handle everything on my own, that I didn't need comforting. The truth was, whenever I wanted to cry, she was never there to see it.

"Julia," I said, looking straight into her eyes. "Do you ever regret saying yes when I asked you out?"

If she had said no, Logan would have confessed to her. If she were Logan's girlfriend, she probably wouldn't treat him the way she treated me.

Julia knit her brows, genuinely contemplating the question. After a long silence, she shook her head.

"When you handed me those flowers, I thought you were really sweet."

"Now, stop overthinking things."

She unpacked a small cake and placed a single candle on top. "You complained last year that I didn't get you a cake. Look, this time I brought flowers and a cake."

I looked at them.

The cake was strawberryLogan's favorite.

The flowers were pink rosesLogan's favorite.

A wave of nausea hit me, and my head felt as if it were splitting open.

As she lit the candle, Julia took out her phone, snapped a photo, and sent it.

Mission accomplished, she typed. I saw the screen. She attached a cute puppy emoji.

She was texting Logan. Celebrating our anniversary was nothing more than a task he had assigned her.

"If Logan asked you to break up with me, would you do that too?" I asked.

Julia looked at me, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"How can you think so poorly of Logan? Hes constantly telling me to pay more attention to you. He remembered our anniversary better than I did, and he was the one who told me to get you the flowers and the cake. He cares so much about you, and you treat him like an enemy."

I let out a tired, empty laugh. "Maybe I'm just petty."

The doorbell rang again. This time, it was the delivery driver with my medicine.

I took the bag. Julia finally noticed the flush on my face and reached out to touch my forehead.

I stepped back, dodging her hand, and gently but firmly pushed her out of the apartment.

"Your boyfriend has a raging fever and you didn't even notice," the delivery guy muttered, shaking his head as he walked down the hall. "Some partner."

Julia's face flushed with embarrassment. She knocked on the door for a few minutes, but when I didn't answer, her patience evaporated.

"Just take your medicine," she called out through the wood. "And don't forget Logan's dinner tomorrow."

Then, silence.

I picked up the strawberry cake and the pink roses and threw them directly into the trash can.

The next morning, my phone buzzed with a text from Julia.

The Grandview Hotel, Private Room 203. Don't be late.

I stared at the screen, letting out a dry laugh. It felt like a sick joke from the universe.

The room she booked was directly adjacent to the one I had reserved for my farewell dinner.

I arrived at the hotel early, carrying my suitcase and Logan's gift. My friends knew I was leaving for London, and seeing me arrive without Julia, they kept their questions to themselves, maintaining a tactful silence.

My phone buzzed repeatedly with texts from Julia. I ignored them all.

Mark looked at the wrapped box sitting next to my chair. "Hey, didn't we already exchange farewell gifts? Who's that one for?"

I waved down a waiter. "Could you deliver this to the party in Room 203 next door? Tell them it's from Lucas, and that I hope they have a wonderful night."

The waiter nodded and took the box.

Mark nudged my shoulder. "You and Julia having a rough patch?"

"We're done," I said.

From the other side of the wall, I could hear the muffled strains of "Happy Birthday" and Logan's delighted laughter.

They didn't need me there. They never had.

As our dinner wrapped up and we walked out of the private dining room, several of my friends stopped in the hallway.

"Wait, isn't that Julia and Logan?" one of them whispered.

We all looked through the glass partition of Room 203.

"Weren't you and Logan incredibly close?" another friend muttered, looking between me and the room. "I thought he couldn't make it tonight because of some emergency. Why is he..."

The question trailed off. The reality of the situation was painfully clear to everyone.

"It's in the past," I said quietly.

My relationship with Julia, my friendship with Loganall of it belonged to a life I was leaving behind.

I said my goodbyes, took my luggage, and hailed a cab to JFK.

After passing through security, I sat at the gate and pulled out my phone. I sent one final text to Julia: Were over.

Then, I popped out the SIM card, walked over to a trash bin, and threw it awayalong with the expensive designer watch she had given me for our first Christmas.