He is about my age, with longish black hair. Walking towards us on the sidewalk, he looks at me with wide, concerned eyes.
“Why are you walking on this sidewalk in barefeet?”
I smile and hold up the sandals in my hand.
“My sandals broke.”
“But there are people's... around here. There's...”
“It's okay,” I shrug, “I don't have much choice. It's not so bad. And I'm trying to watch where I step.” I smile again, trying to appease his concern.
“Do you want mine?”
I look down at his sandals, then back up at him. He is earnest, still a little wide-eyed.
I chuckle.
“Thank you, but I'm okay.”
“What's your name?” he asks.
“I'm Beth,” I answer.
“I'm Devin!” my friend pipes up.
“Hi Beth. Hi Devin. I'm Paolo.” He turns back to me, “You're very pretty.”
“Ah, thank you...” I say uncertainly.
There is the briefest of pauses, his head tilted slightly to the side.
“Would you consider yourself a very spiritual person?” he asks.
“Ah, yes...yeah, I'm a pretty spiritual person.” I wonder where this is going.
“Would you like to go out for drinks with me sometime?”
Oh. That's where this is going.
“Ah, thanks, but no thank you.”
I turn to go, “Have a good day, though.”
Honestly, though. He gets an A+ for being kind, direct, and gracious when I turned him down.
“Why are you walking on this sidewalk in barefeet?”
I smile and hold up the sandals in my hand.
“My sandals broke.”
“But there are people's... around here. There's...”
“It's okay,” I shrug, “I don't have much choice. It's not so bad. And I'm trying to watch where I step.” I smile again, trying to appease his concern.
“Do you want mine?”
I look down at his sandals, then back up at him. He is earnest, still a little wide-eyed.
I chuckle.
“Thank you, but I'm okay.”
“What's your name?” he asks.
“I'm Beth,” I answer.
“I'm Devin!” my friend pipes up.
“Hi Beth. Hi Devin. I'm Paolo.” He turns back to me, “You're very pretty.”
“Ah, thank you...” I say uncertainly.
There is the briefest of pauses, his head tilted slightly to the side.
“Would you consider yourself a very spiritual person?” he asks.
“Ah, yes...yeah, I'm a pretty spiritual person.” I wonder where this is going.
“Would you like to go out for drinks with me sometime?”
Oh. That's where this is going.
“Ah, thanks, but no thank you.”
I turn to go, “Have a good day, though.”
Honestly, though. He gets an A+ for being kind, direct, and gracious when I turned him down.
good grief you should have said 'yes'!!!! unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteI AGREE WITH LAURA. He actually took the time to ask if you're spiritual. Holy cow, Bethhhhh!
ReplyDeleteBut I probably would have also said no. And then later regretted it because it could have been a little adventure.
I AGREE WITH LAURA. He actually took the time to ask if you're spiritual. Holy cow, Bethhhhh!
ReplyDeleteBut I probably would have also said no. And then later regretted it because it could have been a little adventure.
Oh Beth! What a story! ...even if you only ever stayed friends...you could still have such a great story of how you met!If you bump into him again on the street, I so go for it!
ReplyDeleteThat being said... I relent... you are much more wise than me. Maybe he was a crazy and you just dodged a bullet...
PS... This is Margie :D
ReplyDeleteI'm baffled as to why going for drinks is a bad thing??
ReplyDeletestephen - it's not inherently, although you may recall that i got myself a bit of a stalker in university by being friendly to a man on the street... since then, as a general principle i avoid encouraging attention from strangers. also, i wasn't attracted to this guy...so it wasn't going to go anywhere.
ReplyDelete