The most important thing when it comes to negotiation is being prepared to walk away. And that's the part I'm not terribly good at, although I am much better at it at work than when it comes to my personal life. This time, however, it's different. I've told my good friends here what I intend, and I'll be damned if I lose face over this. I'm writing CG off. I have to. There's really no point in my sticking around, even if I wouldn't mind being 'just' friends. I mean, that can only really happen if I don't have any feelings for him - or at least not as strongly as I do right now. And why on earth would I hang around, making myself perpetually available waiting to see if the circumstances will change or if he will change his mind?

If he really does like me, as he says he does, irrespective of work getting in the way, there's got to be more of an effort rather than an affirmative answer whenever I call to see if he's free to hang out.

He's got to put some skin in the game, else this girl's walking out of his life.