Memories from a Matchbook

DH gave me a matchbook from Peter's Pub on Calvert St in downtown Baltimore. I hardly remember the place, but have some great memories of other restaurants and bars we frequented back then. When I say "we", I am referring to me and my coworkers from Comical Credit (actually Commercial Credit Company), a company which had local offices in towns all across the nation, but is now called by another name, I think, if it exists at all any more. I don't know if Peter's Pub exists anymore, either. It was one of those fern and brass bars where peeps went for lunch or to hang out after work.

I remember my farewell luncheon at the Calvert House when I left the auditing dept to take a job in investments. The Calvert House was a favorite hang out for peeps from CCC, probably because the drinks were cheap. They choose to take me there, and one of the auditors had a few ex girlfriends sitting along the sidelines. It was like a little circus. Don was a sex addict who had a hankering for anything in a skirt. He had a crush on me and everyone in auditing knew it, but some of them thought we'd had an affair. I would never have slept with a married man, because of my father cheating on my mother. Anyway, back then, I didn't know what the term "sex addict" meant.

At the time of my transfer to investments, I was recovering from the loss of my brother, who had died in October, 1975. This transfer happened sometime the following spring of 1976. I was having problems with my BF at the time, who was insecure and very jealous. He also was suspicious of every man I talked to. It was not working out for me. I was "falling out of love" with him because I was tired of putting up with his BS. He took a lot from me, but forgot he was supposed to give something back to the relationship for it to work. I was sad for a while, then just numb with indifference.

He used to fuss and fight about the stupidest things. I remember the morning of my job interview for the investment dept. The phone ran, and I answered in a very cheerful voice, "Good Morning!"

"Good Morning!" he said, "Who were you expecting to call?!"

I was so taken aback by that, I could not comment. He was just calling to wish me well on my interview, but I was dismayed by his reaction to my being cheerful. I had thought the call was from the girl I rode in with. I didn't have anything romantic going on with her, LOL! The level of his insecurity and jealousy gave me pause to think.