What Is and What Maybe Could Be Someday But Probably Won't

I talked to Mango yesterday and had the chance to employ the girlfriend-mentioning strategy advocated by Tilty. I think it was pretty effective. I asked whether he and his girlfriend had any plans for the weekend, and I inquired about her job search with numerous follow-up questions. He may now think I'm trying to write an unauthorized biography of his girlfriend, but she was definitely mentioned frequently enough that she could not have been far out of his mind during the entire conversation. Maybe I can make this friendship work after all.