logo by Friday, December 17, 2004
The last time I shared a story like this I was called a pervert for hitting on a child. Which I wasn't. We were just making eyes at each other from across the room. But hey, whatever. You're entitled to your opinions. This time, however, I can honestly say that I did absolutely nothing to provoke the situation. Nothing. I swear!
I was standing around near the food court at the mall this afternoon waiting for my wife and kids who were supposed to meet me so we could all go and see Santa Claus. And as I was standing there, minding my own business, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a young high-school girl who was looking at me from about 20 feet away. Just standing there looking at me. I could tell she was in high school because she was wearing a varsity jacket in the colors of one of the local high schools. And as I turned to glance at her she smiled at me.
Instinctively I smiled back, and then quickly looked away. "Pretty," I thought to myself, "too bad she's so young." I glanced around, wondering when my wife and kids would show up, and then as I looked back I could see that the girl had now moved and was walking in my general direction, but not quite directly towards me. As she passed me she looked me squarely in the eye for a few moments and then turned her head and continued on her way.
I watched her walk off, wondering what that was all about when, wouldn't you know it, she turned her head around and looked at me once more, this time smiling again. Now I was really curious, but she was gone. And in a few minutes my wife and kids showed up.
We went to see Santa, got our pictures taken, and then as my wife went off somewhere to find out how to get prints of the pictures, I started to pack things up in the stroller and put the kid's coats on so we would be ready to leave when she returned. And as I was buttoning up my daughter's coat I looked up and, shit, there was that girl again, now standing about 10 feet away from me.
"Hi," she said, fidgeting a little and smiling again.
"Uh, Hi," I said, smiling at her while still trying to button my daughter's jacket.
"OK, I got them honey. Here. Can you hold this?" my wife had returned with the prints and was behind me, handing them to me. I spun around and took them from her, glanced at them briefly, and then turned back around.
But the girl was gone.
A few minutes later we left the mall.
So what do you make of that?
I was standing around near the food court at the mall this afternoon waiting for my wife and kids who were supposed to meet me so we could all go and see Santa Claus. And as I was standing there, minding my own business, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a young high-school girl who was looking at me from about 20 feet away. Just standing there looking at me. I could tell she was in high school because she was wearing a varsity jacket in the colors of one of the local high schools. And as I turned to glance at her she smiled at me.
Instinctively I smiled back, and then quickly looked away. "Pretty," I thought to myself, "too bad she's so young." I glanced around, wondering when my wife and kids would show up, and then as I looked back I could see that the girl had now moved and was walking in my general direction, but not quite directly towards me. As she passed me she looked me squarely in the eye for a few moments and then turned her head and continued on her way.
I watched her walk off, wondering what that was all about when, wouldn't you know it, she turned her head around and looked at me once more, this time smiling again. Now I was really curious, but she was gone. And in a few minutes my wife and kids showed up.
We went to see Santa, got our pictures taken, and then as my wife went off somewhere to find out how to get prints of the pictures, I started to pack things up in the stroller and put the kid's coats on so we would be ready to leave when she returned. And as I was buttoning up my daughter's coat I looked up and, shit, there was that girl again, now standing about 10 feet away from me.
"Hi," she said, fidgeting a little and smiling again.
"Uh, Hi," I said, smiling at her while still trying to button my daughter's jacket.
"OK, I got them honey. Here. Can you hold this?" my wife had returned with the prints and was behind me, handing them to me. I spun around and took them from her, glanced at them briefly, and then turned back around.
But the girl was gone.
A few minutes later we left the mall.
So what do you make of that?
