I nodded, wishing nothing so much as that this conversation had never happened.

On internet message boards, conversations do not happen in real time.

His interview could've been finished before this conversation ever happened.

"The conversation is happening whether you like it or not," he said.

How could she just disappear so the conversation couldn't happen?

This conversation happens every single day at organizations large and small.

Then he turned around and went back to work as if the conversation had never happened.

That conversation never happened, not on a physical level.

Whatever conversation might happen at this time of night, out here in the back yard, Ivan didn't want to work that hard.

I can still stop at any point, and this conversation never happened.